Winter in Venezia

It is a fact that almost everyone gravitates to Venezia at one time or another.

A group of five painters, well-known in many Australian art circles, are photographed in Piazza San Marco on a cold November morning in 2004, ankle deep in acqua alta to paint impressions of Venezia: the city etched in our memories forever.

Nicholas, Joseph, Patrick, Alvaro and Herman formed their group back in June 1997 when they took up the position of art tutors at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst NSW for the University's winter school programme. Since then the Winterlude Group, as it came to be known, has kept together over the years. The fraternity that flowered in the after-class activities all with music, song and enjoyable socializing has bonded friendships and given birth to other Winterlude painting safaris.

"Venice Winterlude" was mooted first as a dream viaggio many times over but now has become a reality. the artists tramped the calles and campos day and night seeking out subjects by day and stagioni pizzas by night; one artist borrowing a busker's guitar to sing at a sidewalk café, one attempting Italian opera from a gondola on the Grand Canal. All for the sake of paintings to capture some of the fine architecture of Venezia whilst evoking an atmosphere that no other place on earth can give.

The exhibition "Venice Winterlude" is on view at Artarmon Galleries until 22nd March. The Gallery is open Mondays to Friday 10am to 5pm and Saturdays until 3pm. Phone (02) 9427 0322

Edited from the pen of Patrick Carroll, February 2005