When A Gondelier Image Won’t Let Go

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.

The Start

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.

A Week of Play 

It became clear that painting the brick walls traditionally wasn’t giving me the depth and texture I wanted.Collage, however, can introduce complexity and surprise, so I began experimenting.

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.

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.

24 hours later

The Results of a Week's Work

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.