I just returned from a trip to Italy!

It was my third visit to Venice, a fifth visit to the Guggenheim, a second visit to Rome and the first-ever visit to Cortona, Milan, Verona, and a magnificent Venice Biennale.

The most exciting ‘first’ was being able to draw more and prepare for my return to the studio, where I plan to explore Venice with oils this time.

I am so refuelled and so culturally satisfied.

But not satisfied enough to avoid the feeling that overwhelms me the minute I land in Melbourne of wanting to return and relive the beautiful Italian culture all over.

Venice is not only a dream destination but also where I can manage best physically without my bod getting out of control.

There are no vehicles, no lengthy distances between nourishment. The walking is easy, and there is a lot of siesta action. There’s unlimited inspiration from anywhere you stand and the food is just to die for.

As an artist, it’s ok to sit by the canals and draw (the general public is asked to move on), so you feel pretty comfortable and well respected by locals.

Time to create

I have a few ideas brewing.

I loved the washing lines in Castello, the paste-ups all over Venice (especially the ones relating to the Venice Biennale), and I have a little woodblock niggle for the beautiful church facades.

It’ll be a wonderful process of discovery, trial and error for a couple of months and then full speed ahead to (hopefully) present a small body of work in March 2023 at Queenscliff Gallery.

If you’re not following me on Instagram, you would have missed some juicy footage of the trip. There are plenty of video snippets of me drawing around Venice. Or, if you’re not on the social media platform, you can also view the feed on my website.

I shall leave you with a taste of my Italy 2022 refueller! I had hundreds of photos but these are the essence.