Am sitting here tonight with my glass of wine , gas heater on and jazz sax playing , feeling very happy.

Today was the beginning of the new mural which I am working on along with several other local artists. I have been given the honour of painting San Rocco, the local Saint. So I am a little anxious about making a good job. The other artists are painting landscape, flowers, cacti and various other things.

When I arrived this morning the first job was to measure a rectangle where the saint was to go. I had squared up a photo at home so I had a rough idea what I was doing. I might add that squaring things up never goes according to plan ……but I need to start somewhere.

I am useless at maths so everything needed measured twice….at least , but eventually my plan seemed to be working. That was to be making San Rocco a little bigger than life size and about 40cms off the ground.

Unfortunately there was no way I could draw his head as it was too high and although steps were available I still couldn’t reach. There was also a small problem with the perspective of the photo as it had been taken from below and I had to adjust his legs several times. .

When I am at home things like that happen all the time and I fix them. However when I am in public that doesn’t inspire confidence. I know that I will probably work it out…. but nobody else does….and my Italian is not really up to explaining this.

I don’t inspire confidence as I don’t really feel it. Most times my paintings turn out ok….but I never take success for granted and am always delighted and a little surprised when everything works out.

However when the sun got so bright that I couldn’t see the pencil marks I thought it was time to stop for lunch.

I had at that point drawn most of the bottom half including the several adjustments to the legs. .And I had arranged to get a lift from home in the afternoon with my trusty wooden ladder.

I was a bit nervous as the head of the saint I was going to paint was not the head on the photo I had squared up.

However after some difficulty fitting my ladder into a relatively small car. I arrived back at the wall around 3.30pm There were more artists there this time. All people I know.

I climbed up my ladder carefully and got to work on the face as if that was not right then it was no good. ( no pressure!!)

Once I got going and it felt like took charge of the drawing, rather than letting the squares dictate, everything started to go much better…and I am very pleased with the result so far.

And more to the point so is the artist in charge.

It is such a treat being with people. I don’t always understand everything that is said ,but I feel part of the group and that I have a contribution to make. We didn’t stop work till it was dark

We begin again at 9.30am tomorrow…..unless it rains.

However much I tell myself that I am perfectly fine all by myself…….judging by the way I feel tonight….I am a big fat liar.😂😂

Wine time now……..cheers…🍷🍷