Life on the Ocean wave....!

Once again I did a cruise with P & O this year, this time on the Oceana around the western Med. Thankfully this cruise was a whole lot better than last years as this time I was not ill and I also had my old mate and 'Watercarrier' Keith with me which made it a very pleasant experience.
The Painting workshops were well attended and people were very enthusiastic, some turning up half an hour early for the sessions. Also there were some very bright and vibrant paintings produced during the voyage which was really exciting seeing as many had never done watercolours before.

Once we docked at Barcelona we went ashore and walked around the city taking in the sights, especially the Gaudi architecture ( the top pic is the Casa Batllo ). Rome was fantastic and we walked miles around the city taking in most of the famous sights and seeking out some of the quieter backstreets on the way. The temperature was around 37 C and at times I thought I was going to melt.

The ship moored up in Monaco and we made our way up to the Princes Palace where I did the bottom sketch in the shade of a small garden overlooking the harbour.
I did the sketch of Ajaccio harbour from the ship and just managed to get it finished before the ship pulled out. How's that for timing.!

Our return to Southampton saw bright sunshine which was a nice change seeing how the weather was lousy when we left.

Out and About in Wiltshire...!

Another great week with the 'Travelling Sketchbook' seeking out some of the lovely places in the county of Wiltshire. The weather forecast for the coming week was not good but as luck would have it we only had to run for cover a few times and that was only light rain so we were let off really lightly.

 We started off at Devizes wharf and during the week we made our way round to visit Littlecote House, Stonehenge, the Woodfords and also Pewsey Wharf ( the pic above).Luckily ,this visit was to be bathed in sunshine, unlike last year when we were to spend the day in the pub !!!!!!!!!!( I know, what hardship !)

On the last day I did this sketch of Urchfont Manor to remind me of this lovely building and grounds before it is sold off by Wilts Council ! It will be a crying shame when this place goes as I have spent many very happy weeks teaching here . The staff have always been great and made me feel at home and we have had some great fun teaching people to paint in and around area.

 Well I have just one more week in Aug, Painting the pubs of Wilts and I guess that's it !