Michael Gage

Tibet: Day 2 - Doha, Qatar

30 September 2007

First stage of the journey takes us to Doha, with its L-shaped city views. Old, low-rise buildings stretch along the coast toward a very modern development of skyscrapers and cranes. A day here, before we fly to Kathmandu this afternoon.

The entire city is a building site. Outside it’s 40°C plus; the air hits you like a brick wall.

Doha

It's too hot to walk anywhere, so I took the lift to the top, twenty-sixth, floor of the hotel, and drew the view back along the peninsula.

Tibet: Day 1 - Heathrow

29 September 2007

Journey to Tibet: Urban sketching on the roof of the world.

We fly out late on Saturday evening to Qatar.

Heathrow airport

Allotments at Standen

26 August 2007

Ink and watercolour, A4.

Venice: Day 4

09 July 2007

Rio dei Frari

Urban sketching in Venice: The problem with painting in Venice is that whichever way you turn, there is another stunning view of a canal crossed a quaint bridge, and lined by crumbling Renaissance palaces.

(It's not really a problem.)

Rio del Frescede

Another canal, another picturesque bridge, and more beautiful buildings.

Piazza Roma

A quick sketch while waiting for the bus back to the airport.

Marco Polo airport

Venice: Day 3

08 July 2007

Rio dell Erimete

Urban sketching in Venice: In spite of the hordes of tourists that suffocate St Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge, you don’t have to go far to find somewhere quiet, where you can paint undisturbed.

Arsenale

The entrance to the Venetian dockyards. The gateway, built by Antonio Gambello in 1460, and the first structure in Venice to use the classical properties of Renaissance architecture, is behind the tree trunk.

Venice: Day 2

07 July 2007

Urban sketching in Venice: Early morning in Piazza San Marco, before the cruise crowds arrive. View from the Palazzo Ducale of the column with the statue of St Theodore, and a corner of the Libreria Sansoviniana.

After visiting the John Singer Sargent exhibition at the Museo Correr, we tracked down some of the sites where he painted. This is the Campo San Canziano.

Sortie de l’église, de l’église, Campo San Canciano, Venice

John Singer Sargent,1882

Little has changed in 125 years: the buildings, the windows and the doorways are the same. Even that white paint on building on the extreme right is still there. The only thing that seems to have changed is the colour of the main building.

Venice: Day 1

06 July 2007

Urban sketching in Venice: The view south down the Grand Canal, from a corner of the Rialto Bridge, inches from the water. I’m using the Grand Canal as a water supply, and to wash my brushes in.