San Francisco Bay

After much cruising around the streets of San Francisco Bay, thanks to the Virtual Paintout challenge, I finally made a decision to paint this view of Beach Rd, Belvedere - a place I think I'd be happy to holiday in, if I was magicked away to S.F. by a sleight of some travel wizard's hand. There's some coastline and a lovely yacht basin just below this shady, winding road. I'm embarrassed now, to think I thought I'd 'seen' this city on an overnight trip there about 17 years ago. What we saw was Fisherman's Wharf, and a steep road which we descended in one of the famous trams, and the Golden Gate bridge - a tiny fragment of this enormous sprawling place.

The painting didn't turn out the way I had hoped - I can tell I haven't done much watercolouring lately. It's green and brown, which was not my intention, and the big strong shapes of dark and light got splintered into a jigsaw of details and fussery. I might try it again, with boldness.

Virtual paintout, Mexico City

Inspired by Charlene and Laura, I took a little trip to Mexico City, thanks to Google Maps and Bill Guffey's Virtual Paintout. I searched for ages to find a place that struck me as particularly Mexican and exotic-looking, and at last landed here at 130 Alvaro Obregón, Roma Norte - a very complicated building that made me wonder if I really am a sucker for punishment. Its not at all accurate and now I've done it, I think I should start all over again and do it differently. I just loved looking around though, what a colourful place - another destination to put on my wish list.