First time outdoors after a three-week break. I had to look over my equipment the night before just to make sure nothing was missing. Painting in the early morning reminds me of fishing; you get excited the night before and try to imagine how it’s going to be in the morning.
Today was warm already in the morning. No clouds in the sky. I decided to go to Piazza Fiume which in in my part of the city so it didn’t take me long to get to my destination. At five-fifteen, I parked the car, found the right position, set up the easel in less than 15 minutes. I had time to look over the composition well before I started. I was working in the shade until about a quarter to seven.
Then direct sunlight hit my canvas and I realized that the colour of the sky was all wrong. I worked like mad without a break because the shadows were changing rapidly.
I stopped about 8.30. Three hours of solid work. No interruptions and no problems. That’s about what I need to do a painting now; three hours. My canvases are bigger and I use a lot more paint but after about 3 hours, I have to stop.
