PAINTING AT POGGIO RUBINO

"In the Vineyard" Oil on Canvas cm 30x40

Today my friend Edward invited me to paint in his wonderful property in the area of Montalcino, where he produces some of the best wines in the area.
The name of the winery is Poggio Rubino and it refers to the ruby colour of the grapes!
I arrived there a little late in the afternoon, so I just managed to fit in one little study, but I have already decided it will be the first of a long series!

MEDITERRANEAN SCRUB

"Mediterranean Scrub" Oil on Canvas cm 40x30

When you think about Tuscan countryside, cypress trees, sunflower fields and endless vineyards probably come to your mind. They are in fact very characteristic features of our landscape, especially in the most popular and touristic areas.
But if you have ever visited the Region you probably know that a lot of the land is covered by thick forests and the typical Mediterranean Underwood.
Today I painted this view, in the village where I live, where you can see the beautiful broom bushes, now in full bloom. Behind the mountains in the distance, covered in forest, starts the beautiful Maremma area.

BABY CAT

"Baby Cat" Oil on Canvas cm 20x25

Once in a while I like to go back to my favourite subject: cats!
Most of my paintings when I first started learning how to paint were of cats and painting cat portraits was my main obsession at that time...
There is just one thing I like more than cats. Guess what it is? Kittens!
So today I took out a photograph I was given a few months ago. It was among other photos for me to choose from to paint a portrait of this gorgeous cat. His name is Thor, and he lives in Rome. The commissioners had asked me to make the portrait from an "adult" picture, but told me I could keep them all and use them for other paintings if I wanted to. In the one I used today he must have been only a few weeks old!
You can contact me at if you are interested on information about cat or kitten portraits!

SPRING INSPIRATION

"Scents of the Mediterranean" Oil on Canvas cm35x25

"Colourful Shady Spot" Oil on Canvas cm 35x25

At this time of the year it can be hard to decide what to paint, as everywhere you look you see lush vegetation and flowers blooming, and wonderful perfumes fill the air.
Here are two of my latest studies, painted around the village where I live.  In both cases I had to work very quickly as the weather was very changeable. While I was painting the first study the sun kept hiding behind the clouds and then coming out all of a sudden, and the second time it actually started raining, so I had to finish the painting at home. But it was fun!
I think I might use both studies as reference for larger paintings, perhaps re-arranging a few details!