Here we are at Lesson 13 in the Watercolor Trip to Italy series. You’ve traveled so far with me! This lesson is called Riva del Garda, which without any help from Google, I’m going to guess means something like “the river garden.” Let me go check. I’ve confirmed it: you should never try to guess these things. Riva means “shore” and “Garda” is the name of a lake in Italy. It would have helped if I’d remembered that the reason the class is called “Watercolor Trip to Italy” is that each photo is from a different location there. Riva del Garda is the name of a town in Italy. Why do you put up with me and my senseless prattling?
I changed the color of the flowerpot, because I just bought a tube of “Payne’s Gray” and I’ve really been wanting to use it. I tried to put a little more definition on the flowers and leaves in the second attempt, but I suppose the “blobby” look of the first one isn’t too bad. Which gull do you like better? I was really excited about the second one until I messed up the beak. Also, note that there was neither gull nor flowers in the original photo – they were added by Artistic License and I heartily approve.
And to finish up with the week in watercolors, here’s a couple sketchy paintings from photos I’ve put on my blog lately.
Two things about Fig Newton: 1. I really want to start doing drawings of him and his cohorts. 2. I’m thinking about whether or not I would ever want to publish his story. If I did, I’d have to change his name because I’m using the name that came with the book of patterns. I LOVE the name “Fig Newton” for him, so it would be hard to let it go. Should it ever come that that, do you have any suggestions for another name?
A Fig Newton by any other name would…still be charming?
I’ll probably delete this in the morning, sitting on a lovely sun-drenched patio in Italy overlooking Lake Garda. Ahh…
Lynniebeemuseoday 
Personally, I just like the name Newton. He can totally pull it off as a stand alone.
Nice work on the watercolors. I usually love both the choices.
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Thanks for the feedback!
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Perhaps you can explain Fig Newton’s name history the following way, and wiggle your way into keeping the name you like… Phiglavious Claudius Newton’s father was an early resident of the New Towne area of Cambridge Village in Massachusetts, which came to be known as Newton. His given names came from his mother’s ancestors who had descended from the short-lived Roman emperor Phiglavius Claudius I. In school, growing up, they called him “Newt,” which pleased him not at all. He preferred to be called “Phig.” (Archaic spelling.) Sadly, the minor Roman goddess, Lynniebeemuseoday, was the only one who ever called him that.
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Ha ha! Oh my gosh, that is so hilarious! Thank you for blessing my life today with that bit of tomfoolery. 😆
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