Back in early May 2025, I captured a photo of two Italian gondoliers emerging from one of the many tunnel walkways in Venice. The image has stayed with me for nine months. I kept returning to it, asking myself: how could I take that fleeting moment and turn it into a powerful painting?
For me, the dramatic black and white and the aged brick walls were what made the scene compelling. The contrast, the texture, the sense of history — those were the elements I wanted to interpret with paint on paper.
Painting # 1
For my first attempt, I pulled out a full sheet of watercolor paper (30" x 22"), one of my favorite ways to work — big and bold. Before beginning, I spent time on small trials, attempting to capture the character of the old brick walls.
In this version, I expanded the scene and created a brigade of gondoliers marching out through the narrow tunnel.
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| The Start |
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| March of the Godoliers 30" x 19 Transparent Watercolor |
Although the painting was successful in many ways, I felt I could say more. The idea wasn’t finished with me yet.
Let's Try it again!
The next step was to create a study. I wanted to find a new approach — one I felt confident about — before committing to another large sheet of watercolor paper.
I was more satisfied returning to just two gondoliers, closer to the original image that had first captivated me. But the bricks still weren’t convincing, and the squared-off top of the tunnel entrance didn’t feel right.
So I paused and reflected on the many tools and approaches I’ve gathered over the years — from workshops, critique groups, and long hours experimenting in my studio.
Digging through my supplies, I found newspaper — a paper weight I enjoy using for collage. I painted the pieces with black gesso and let them dry. Then I made a couple of simple stamps and pulled out some old corrugated wrapping material tucked away in a corner of the studio.
Using the corrugated cardboard, I stamped brick-like lines in reds and whites over the gessoed newspaper. Once again, there was waiting involved. Layering takes patience.
It may not have looked like much at first — but I’ve learned to trust the process.
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| Maybe it doesn't look like much now, but wait. |
Next, I revisited the first gondolier painting and realized the tunnel needed an archway rather than a square top. An arch felt truer to the architecture of Venice and added a stronger design element.
I pulled out crackle paste, thinking it would create the aged surface I was after. Once applied, it takes about 24 hours to dry and crack, producing a beautifully weathered texture.
Twenty-four hours later, the surface had transformed.
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| 24 hours later |
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| Venetian Workers (working title) Mixed Media 30x22 |
This second painting pushed me beyond watercolor alone. The addition of collage and texture gave the bricks the age and character I had been searching for, and the archway grounded the figures in a more believable space.
Sometimes a painting requires persistence. Sometimes it asks for play. And sometimes it simply asks us to keep looking until we truly see what we are trying to say.
