TWO DIFFERENT MOODS OF A TUSCAN FARMHOUSE

"Pic-nic Spot" Acrylic and Oil on Canvas cm 60X80

Sometimes when I find a subject I particularly like, I paint it in different versions. I might try different compositions, different points of view or different formats. Sometimes I also represent a subject in different seasons. This new painting shows a spot I know very well: This farmhouse, surrounded by vineyards, can easily be seen when driving to one of the best known Michelin star awarded restaurants in Tuscany, "Osteria di Passignano". It is located by an ancient monastery dating back to 395, right in the heart of the Chianti Classico region. As you can imagine it's quite an amazing place.

        

Below you can see another painting of mine of the same farmhouse, from last summer. It is seen from a different angle and I took the liberty of transforming the tarmac road into a white road. I thought it would be so much quainter like this, and that it would give the idea of our hot and dry August weather.  

"The White Road" Acrylic and Oil on Canvas cm 60x80

I'm sure I'll paint this farmhouse again in the future...

I'd love to know which of these two versions is your favourite!

If you wish to have more information about the restaurant and plan a meal on your next visit to Tuscany, you can visit their website.

AFTERNOON SHADOWS

Afternoon Shadows  Acrylic and Oil on Canvas cm 60x100

Here is one of my my new paintings, now available at Beaux Arts Gallery in Siena. 

This is a house in the Chianti area, surrounded by olive groves and vineyards.

I think late afternoon, when the sun is lower in the sky, (early morning is not an option for me), is the time of the day when you can find the best painting opportunities. The sunlight striking from the side creates more light and shadow patterns and this helps to convey an illusion of volume and perspective.When painting outdoors though you must keep in mind that the light changes really quickly as you get closer to sunset!

THE BEAUTY OF THE SOUTH

On the Way to the Beach  Acrylic and Oil on Canvas cm 30x40

Today's painting shows a summer view of one of my favourite parts of Tuscany, the Maremma area.

Once in a while I really feel like spending a some time there. It is a very large portion of Tuscany, including most of the territory of the provinces of Grosseto and Livorno.

It is still wild and unspoilt and probably not so well known abroad like other areas such as the Chianti region or Montalcino, even though it has so much to offer.

Its territory is incredibly diverse, with beautiful beaches, pine woods, green hills and flat areas. Until less than a century ago these were unhealthy marshes, so for a long time the Maremma region was considered the "poor" part of Tuscany.

It is a land with very ancient roots, where the Etruscans and then the Romans flourished and there are some of the quaintest towns and villages that you can see in Tuscany, and many medieval castles. And, last but not least, wonderful red and white wines are produced!

If you wish to know more about the Maremma region you can have a look here.

And  on your next trip to Tuscany remember to schedule a couple of extra days to explore the beautiful South!

FEELS LIKE SPRING

Thinking of spring  cm 35x45  acrilic and oil on canvas

We are enjoying a taste of spring. Blue skies, birds singing and also a few bugs flying around.
When I think about spring red poppies immediately come to my mind. The first ones usually show up in April and they last through all summer.

Like other wildflowers they are a weed, so they grow on the sides of the roads, in abandoned fields and in the most unexpected places. I love them since they are so simple and humble yet so pretty and joyful that they are one of the things I am looking forward to in spring.
I hope you like them too!

A GOOD WAY TO START THE DAY

Lama

Today's adventure was that just before noon, (which I admit, for me means early in the morning), I stepped outside the front door into the garden, and turned my head just in time to hear a "click" sound and see the door close shut behind me.

Was the key in the lock? No.

Was it in my pocket? No. Was the back door open? Nope.

Do I have a spare key hidden somewhere? Of course not.

So, to make a long story short, I had to wait outside for more than three hours for my boyfriend to come back from work.

Luckily it was such a beautiful sunny day that I could walk around the village and had a pretty good time. My neighbours gave me some lunch.

I was sorry didn't have my paints but in the garage I found one of my scketchbooks, a ballpoint pen and a tiny box of watercolours so I made this little drawing of one of my favourite views.

The village where I live is very unique. It is composed by five little hamlets scattered on a ridge that separates two valleys.

Here are a couple more scketches of two of the other hamlets from the last few days

Palazzo

Cerbaia

All done very quickly because it was COLD.

LET US LOVE WINTER!

Autumn Hues  cm 60x 80

February is the harshest month for us. In fact, according to an Italian proverb it is "short and cursed".

Our temperatures can get below freezing and we have rain, strong wind and the occasional sprinkle of snow. 

Not the ideal time for plein air painting (not for me, anyway!)

However, it is probably my favourite time of the year.

While the the wind is blowing outside and the days are still short, a great deal goes on in my studio.

With the fire crackling in the stove, music playing from the radio and my kitty happily purring on the sofa-bed, I go through my huge pile of photographs, taken during the last weeks/months/years, in search of inspiration.

As reference for this recent painting of mine, I used a bunch of photos that I took last October during a tour, near a beautiful winery half way between the two medieval hill towns Montepulciano and Cortona, just about an hour drive away from Siena (my hometown). I have suggested Cortona with a few light brushstrokes in the distance.

I am planning more paintings based on that trip and hopefuly will be sharing them soon!  

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