Montecchio Vesponi Castle watercolour

Watercolour 20cm x 20cm

This is my second attempt at this view of Montecchio as seen from the garden of a beautiful agriturismo in the Val de Chio. Doesn't seemt to matter how I approach it, it still looks like a greeting card. Oh well, I guess that is the price one pays for living in Postcard Land.

Montecchio watercolour

Montecchio with Vine 3" x 3" watercolour

Here is the fruit of this morning's Sketchercise. The grapes are already growing fat and in the distance is the castle of Montecchio, gifted to the English mercenary, Sir John Hawkwood (1320 - 1394) by the grateful rulers of Florence. I suspect Sir John was a bit of a thug who would change sides between the city states for a few dollars more. He's well worth reading about.

The wonderful thing about Sketchercise is that I'm home again each morning by 9am with a sketch or painting under my belt. Prior to Sketchercise I would still be in bed with my laptop looking at other people's paintings.