Virtual Paintout Venice, Italy!

As I mentioned last month in my post Virtual Paintout 16! (Iceland), I was looking forward to the paint-out location for December.  It was Venice, Italy!  Wow!  I WISH I could see Venice in person but that opportunity hasn't happened yet.  I really enjoy participating in the online Virtual Paintout created and hosted by Bill Guffey each month. Bill chooses the locations based on areas the Google Street View vehicles have covered.  Artists choose a view to paint, just as they would on any plein air paint-out and submit their finished pieces to Bill.  He posts them all on Facebook and his blog.  It's very exciting to me to see so many places all over the world, up close, that I'll never be able to visit.  

I think Venice was the most inspiring Virtual Paintout I've been on yet, judging by the links of possible views I sent myself.  I found something I would like to try painting around every corner.  What an interesting and stunning place.  One thing I was curious about was whether the Google cameras would be on boats in the canals, and they were.  Since I'm always short on time for the month-end deadline after too much browsing, I painted a small watercolor and a small gouache.  I'm including a typical Google Street View shot from a canal boat in Venice too.   

5 x7" watercolor

5 x 7" gouache