Purple Umbrella watercolor on Arches paper 5"x 7" Quick sketch of an umbrella while at market, I love the chaos! The inspiration for this painting comes from my local market. Italian markets are like no other. It is a full sensory experience. The purple stripe pattern on this umbrella reminds me somehow of a painted Easter egg. This is the first time I use Arches paper. It is a beautiful paper and it turns the whole painting process into an even more pleasant experience. My colors look as intended and are very easy to rub out. Some artist choose to only work with Arches even if it is quite pricey ... now I fully understand why. Thanks to my generous friend Joan Tavolott for giving me a couple of sheets when she visited Rome last September! Please check out her blog or even better, enjoy watching her while she shares her art story on You Tube . She will inspire you to grab your supplies and sketch! Much like Joan does, I also stopped yesterday...