Just occasionally your art and life choices meet in a big way, such as--.

When in Italy there was an opportunity for me to fulfil two of my life time ambitions, the first ambition and the upper image was to paint St. Peter's Rome. I literally had about three minuets, as being attached to a tour, there was a need to move at their speed. So three washes and a pencil was all time allowed. Then shaking the picture dry as we all walked away. Quick, spontaneity works, the details might well be omitted, but how I felt, was captured nicely .

The second image, this time from St. Marks Square, Venice, was tad more leisurely. It was free day and the sun was ever so hot and bright. Sitting at the southern end of the square I relaxed and enjoyed painting at ease, crowds don't bother me. Sitting and painting an ambition was super.

Painting in that bright sunlight can be quite painful on the eyes. My solution is, small umbrella placed across my lap and knees, just over the paper, the although you may be in the sun, your work is in the shade. You get a few funny looks, but never mind. A few years later on another trip to Italy I had slight burns to my corneas due to the reflection and brightness off the paper, not nice; wear sun glasses.