Painting Portofino – A Work In Progress

Here’s a look at the creation of a painting from inspiration to ink to watercolor. This image was inspired by our October visit to the little fishing village of Portofino on the Italian Riviera.

I’ve wanted to visit Portofino for years, so it was a thrill to finally see it in person. I sketched in ink this view of a corner of Portofino Piazetta, which included the tower of Saint Martin’s Church, while sipping a cappuccino at a small cafe.

There was no time for paint on location, as we were there for just a couple of hours, and wanted to make sure that we had a chance to explore more of the village. Just around the corner from the piazetta we found a bakery and sampled one of the tasty delicacies originating in this part of Italy – focaccia fresh from the oven.

I added the color a couple of weeks later back in the studio in Saskatoon, photographing the progress as the painting unfolded.