Silves & A Bold Painting Move

I took the day yesterday to head inland to Silves, a medieval town a short distance away.   I can't do justice to its history here.  Pictures will have to be worth a thousand words.  I brought paint but didn't take it out, just sketched with a sharpie marker.

Today I made the bold move of taking out larger paper (gray Strathmore mixed media 9 x 12) and set up along the cliff near my patio with acrylic gouache.   I taped the paper to the front and back side of a masonite board and weighted my easel down by hanging my painting bag below it.  Even with a spray bottle to keep wetting the paint I had to work very quickly because the sun and breeze dried the paint the second it hit the paper.  I loved how many people stopped and how many languages they spoke to make contact.  I think I ended up in more than a few vacation photos.