I recently returned from my first trip to Europe, and as those who have traveled in Europe know, it is a visual feast for artists! 

Here is a street scene for you, from Vienna, Austria. With map, compass and camera in hand, I was attempting to weave my way on foot to Stephen's Platz, the site of an extraordinary gothic cathedral in the center of the old town, and I suspected I was getting close but couldn't really tell.  It didn't matter much because scenes such as this just kept presenting themselves every minute. 

In this painting, I attempted to convey a sense of light and atmosphere along with the bustling activity on the street. So how to make something look really lit up? In painting the sunlit umbrellas of the outdoor cafe, I recalled two useful concepts; "flat looks lit" and "the halo effect". Really strong light burns out detail; our eye just can't see into such bright light and that creates a "flat" look to the object. A halo of light surrounding the umbrellas also makes them look as if the light striking them is so strong that it bursts into full luminescence upon them and scintillates into the surrounding atmosphere. This "halo effect" if done subtly can really make something look lit up, but if overdone can make the object look as if it was sent from God-- not what I was going for.  Balance is the key.

More paintings from Europe to come!