Foreign Travel

The watercolors from my earliest trips overseas (late 1970s to 1980s) were conventional street views.  Then during a trip to Turkey in 1990, I restricted my plein aire work with arbitrary choice of colors, usually two per image.  Then, beginning with a trip to Greece and Turkey in 1995, I would keep a sketchbook to record architectural and decorative arts fragments.  I would later playfully assemble them to make my experience there uniquely mine. While in Brittany in 2007 I started adding skies to the mix.  Eventually the sky became a bigger component. To see that transformation, go to my Framed Skies portfolio: https://www.scottponemone.com/portfolio/framed-skies/

This survey of travel paintings is presented in reverse chronology (oldest first).

Segovia's CathedralSegovia’s Cathedral

Watercolor, Oct. 1981, 10 1/2″ x 6 1/8″, $500. This and the next two paintings were made during a trip to Morocco and Spain in 1981.

San Juan de Los ReyesSan Juan de Los Reyes

Watercolor, Oct. 1981, 10 1/4″ x 6 3/4″, $500. From the cloister of a late Gothic church in Todelo, Spain.

VolubulisVolibulis

Watercolor, Nov. 1981, 9 1/4″ x 8 1/8″, NFS. Roman ruins in Morocco.

Pavillion, TaliouineTaliouine

Watercolor, Nov. 1986, 16″ x 12″, $750. A pavillion on a long neglected garden in southern Morocco. The arcade is largely gone now. This and the next two paintings were done in Morocco in 1986.

Gorge of TodhraGorge of Todgha

Watercolor, 31 Oct. 1986, 16″ x 12″, NFS. Villagers perch their homes on ledges above the narrow strip of arable land in this gorge in the High Atlas mountains in morocco.

Moulay BouzerktounMoulay Bouzerktoun

Watercolor, Nov. 1986, 16″ x 12″, NFS.  This former site for religious pilgrims is now advertized as a prime windsurfing site on Morocco’s Atlantic coast.

Asclepion, PergamaAsclepion, Pergamum

Watercolor, May 1990, 15 1/5″ x 14″, $750.  Asclepion was a health spa in Roman days. This building was part of the bathing system. Pergamum is near the Aegean coast of Turkey. This and the next two paintings resulted from a trip to Istanbul and the Aegean coast of Turkey in 1990.

Temple of Artemis, SardisTemple of Artemis, Sardis

Watercolor, 27 May 1990, 15 3/8″ x 14 7/8″, $750.  By the time I was finished this painting I was surrounded by sheep.

Ephesus fountainFountain, Ephesus

Watercolor, April 1991, 15 1/2″ x 14″, $950.

AthensAthens

Watercolor, 1995, 12″ x 10″, $500.  A small Byzantine church in Athens. It’s one of my first composite travel paintings. This and the next three paintings resulted from a trip to Northern Greece and Istanbul in 1995.

PellaPella

Watercolor, 1995, 9″ x 12″, $750. Pella was the site of hometown of Alexander the Great’s father.

ChoraChora

Watercolor, May 1995, 12″ x 9″, NFS.  The Church of the Holy Savior in Chora is in Istanbul near the city walls.  The carved soldier-saint was the only one of the reliefs that were not destroyed by the Ottomans.

DelphiDelphi

Watercolor, May 1995, 12 1/8″ x 9″, $500.

Arrezo Duomo

 Arrezo Duomo

Watercolor, May 1999, 11 1/4″ x 8″, $500.  Arrezo is in Tuscany. This and the next four paintings resulted from a trip to Umbria and Tuscany in 1999.

papal bullPapal Bull, Orvieto

Watercolor, April 1999, 11″ x 8″, SOLD.

Cherub, Firenze for webCherub, Firenze

Watercolor, May 1999, 11 1/2″ x 8″, $750.  The shadow is of  Verrocchio’s bronze putto that once topped a fountain at the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence.

PitiglianoPitigliano/S. Sabina

Watercolor, July 1999, 14 5/8″ x 21″, $1,500.  Pitigliano is a small hill town in southern Tuscany. Santa Sabina is a very early Christian Church (built in 422) in Rome with important wood carved doors.

IcarusIcarus

Watercolor, May 1999, 11″ x 8″, $500

 

Hanmds

 

 Hands

Watercolor, 24 July 2001, 19 3/8″ x 15″, NFS.  This painting was instrumental for several Hands series of paintings, beginning with Talking Hands. See: https://www.scottponemone.com/portfolio/talking-hands/ This and the next three paintings were made soon after a visit to Naples, Southern Italy and Sicily.

DiverDiver

Watercolor, 24 Jan 2002, 28″ x 22″, $1,250.  Diver is derived from Greek artifacts in Southern Italy (Paestum and Argigento).

Monreale, SiciliaMonreale, Sicilia

Watercolor, 2001, 20 3/4″ x 24″, $1,250.  After the Normans took Sicily from the Muslims, they built a wonderful cathedral and attached cloister at Monreale–up the hill from Palermo.

Rome Loves GreeceRome Loves Greece

Watercolor, June 2001, 14 1/4″ x 21″, $1,250.   A special pass was needed in order to see Roman erotica from Pompeii at the Naples National Archeological Museum.

ORB for JFBOrb 1

Watercolor, 9 June 2003, 12″ x 8″, SOLD. This and the next three  paintings resulted from a trip to Madrid, Barcelona and Northern Spain.

ORB 2Orb 2

Watercolor, 16 June 2003, 12″ x 8″, $750.

eden in jacaEden in Jaca

Watercolor, 11 3/8″ x 8″, SOLD

Barcelona UnoBarcelona Uno

Watercolor, 12 May 2003, 11 1/2″ x 5 3/4″, SOLD.

brittany 3Rochefort C (Suscinio)

Watercolor, 27 April 2007, 19″ x 13″, $1,250.  With the seven paintings (three shown here) made during a residency in Brittany, I first added skies to my mix of assembled elements.

brittany 4Rochefort D (Water)

Watercolor, 1 May 2007, 19″ x 12 1/2″, $1,250.

brittany 6Rochefort E (Snails)

Watercolor, 4 May 2007, 18 3/4″ x 12″, $1,250

This painting introduces the idea that skies could play a prominent role with architectural details serving as a frame.  When I stayed in Tuscany near Lucca in 2012, I made 14 skies framed in mostly borders from inlaid floors. To see some of these, see Tuscan Skies at: https://www.scottponemone.com/portfolio/framed-skies/