Barco Attessa

In Riomaggiore, southernmost in the group of five villages in Italy's Cinque Terre, there is a narrow water access to the sea, lined with these colorful fishing and rowing boats. You are at the bottom of a canyon of buildings and rocks on both sides, with deep shadows playing from underneath things and bright sunlight carving out shapes everywhere. Some of these boats rest in ancient alcoves that were once entrances to tunnels or to the buildings perched over the stone arches. It's a place where you can bathe in the late morning sun, as I did while I painted this (and 3 other studies). It reminded me of childhood days, laying around the haystacks in Idaho at my grandmother's farm, soaking up warm light, with nothing better to do that day - not a care in the world, dreaming about these far away places like Italy. I feel that way a lot when I am traveling in Italy.