In these difficult times, I’m doing my best to find moments of lightness. What about you?

Making art is helping. Making art that reminds me of lighter times helps even more… like with my latest piece.

Back Story: It’s spring 2017 and I’m alone in Orvieto Italy for a few days. On the first full day I’ve treated myself to a big lunch with Orvieto’s famous (and delicious) white wine. Sitting out on the trattoria’s terrace, looking at a beautiful piazza, I keep thinking how fortunate I am to be there. I do a bit of sketching as it isn’t busy, and I keep ordering glass after glass of wine. By the end of lunch, I’ve had 4 glasses.

After I pay, I need to walk… a lot. I’m thinking that I am doing pretty well until about a half hour into the walk, and I come across this piazza. I stand there at least a minute, very very confused.

Parking in Orvieto

I can’t figure out why these benches need parking restrictions. Why can you only sit for “1 ora”, one hour?

I look around the empty piazza. There isn’t any activity. Why does the city feel it needs to put up these signs? Was there someone in this building who is very territorial about their benches?

Then it dawns on me, these signs are for cars and other vehicles! And I start laughing hard, out loud.

Anyone watching me must have thought I was crazy! Not crazy, but definitely a bit tipsy! I then took a photo of this lovely spot to remind me of my wine-soaked idiocy. As I was painting this piece, I’d break out into giggles. One of those moments of lightness that I want to recall to balance all the terrible news coming out of Italy right now.

I’ve pledged to go back to these benches and have a very long sit after another Orvieto lunch!

(“Parking in Orvieto”, 6″ x 6″ ink and watercolour; purchase info here)