SPRING FORWARD, FALL BACK!

"Spring Sunday"  Oil on Canvas cm 25x30

Today we set the clock forward by one hour for Daylight Saving Time. 

This really  makes us feel we are in Spring, and everything is starting all over again.

I think also the sketch I painted just before lunch shows a lot of the changes that are going on in nature!

The plum trees are in flower, the grass is growing quickly and wildflowers are starting to pop up (even though the poppies are not actually there yet...I made them up to break all the green in the foreground a little bit.) 

I liked this spot especially for the way the white road disappeared out of view, making me wonder what would be behind the curve...

COUNTRY LIFE

"Flavio's Tractor" Oil on Canvas cm 25x35

Last week I painted this small tractor, parked just in front of home. My plan was to paint outdoors for three days in a row but then I was busy with other things and the weather was nothing special, so this is all I did in the end.
However, from now on I am planning to paint from life, outdoors, at least once a week, and possibly increase later on. I will probably do most of this plein air activity in the village where I live. Why bother driving around when I live in such a cool place which offers so many interesting subjects..

A TUSCAN COLONIC HOUSE

" Spring Colors", cm 70x90 Acrylic and Oil on Canvas

I have been wanting to paint this house for a while. It is just outside of Buonconvento, a medieval village about twenty minutes south of Siena, in an area called Val d'Arbia.

This area, just like other parts of the Tuscan countryside, is full of these large farmhouses, a lot of which have been abandoned at the time when Italy became an industrial country, and many people went to live in the new city outskirts (and at that time they even thought that was great!)

I used a photo I took a few weeks ago as reference only for the house and composition, and completely made up the flowers in both versions. I did so to make the paintings prettier, (I hope!), but also to create more sense of perspective in the middle and foreground.

If you wish to see more of my paintings, please visit my website.

" The First Day of Spring" Oil and Acrylic on Canvas cm 60x80

A TUSCAN SHED

Oil on Canvas cm 25X35

Today I finally started painting outside again, after quite a few weeks. I consider most of my outdoor paintings studies which I can use as reference for more polished work later in the studio.

If you haven't tried "plein air" painting before, you might not know how stressful it can be. It involves dealing with heat, cold, wind, bugs, and, if you are not well organized, hunger and thirst. For Tuscan people, like me, it  usually involves a lot of swearing, too. If you have ever been to Tuscany you probably know that here everybody swears all the time, particularly in stressful situations (like beeing stuck in trafic, for instance), and it is considered perfecly accectable. 

All my swearing is concentrated during my plein air painting sessions. At least at the beginning, while I try to figure out how to prevent stuff from flying and falling  all over the place, and before starting to actually concentrate. Then I shut up.

Today, luckily, was the perfect day to start getting accustomed to the "outside world" again. No wind and perfect temperature. I found this very secluted spot, at walking distance from home, where I was undisturbed the whole time, and this shed attracted my attention.

I especially liked the contrast with the dark greenery behind it, and the shadow of the olive tree. The rusty bins were also very interesting, and useful to add cromatic variety.

I will certainly paint this again, both from life and in the studio..

My "Plein Air" Studio

The final result

THE MACCHIAIOLI PAINTERS

Giovanni Fattori "Silvestro Lega che dipinge sugli scogli", 1866, Oil on Board, cm 12x28 

Tuscany is not only famous for its breathtaking landscape and delicious wines, but also for its artistic legacy. It is considered the birthplace of Renaissance and has been home to many figures influential in the history of art.

Whereas everybody knows Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, probably fewer people outside of Italy are familiar with the "Macchiaioli" painters.

This group, of about 20 artists, started an artistic movement which is now considered to have been the most important in Italy in the 19th century. Among them were Giovanni Fattori (1825–1908), Silvestro Lega (1826–95), Serafino da Tivoli (1826-92), Giuseppe Abbati (1836-68) and Telemaco Signorini (1835–1901). 

Not all of them were Tuscan, but the movement developed in Florence, mainly between 1855 and 1870, around the central "Caffè Michelangelo", where the artists used to meet up to discuss art and politics. Their main supporter was the critic and art collector Diego Martelli, who was also the group's theorist, and who often hosted them in his house in Castiglioncello, by the coast, for painting retreats.

The name "Macchiaioli" derives from the term "macchia" (patch) and initially it had a negative and denigrating connotation. It refers to the fact that these artists used to apply colour in bold patches, creating strong contrasts,  as they considered the areas of light and shadow to be the key components of a work of art. The result was  a fresh and spotaneus simple construction.
This tecnique was very different from the conventional stlyle of the time, propagated by the Academy, and for this reason they were not appreciated by the critics of their time. 

Raffaello Sernesi "Tetti al sole" 1860 ca. cardboard, cm 12,3x19.  Roma, Galleria Nazionale
d'Arte Moderna e Contemporeanea

Their subjects were not conventional eighter, as they chose to represent everyday life scenes instead of literary or historical subjects. They were mainly landscape painters but also produced a quantity of portrait art, as well as a few historical works, due to the fact that some of them were involved in the uprisings of 1848 and the ongoing Risorgimento struggle, which would eventually lead to the unification of Italy.

Giuseppe Abbati  "Stradina al sole" 1863-64. Milano, Jucker Collection

The Macchiaioli painters have often been compared to the French Impressionists, who were active about twenty years later. The two groups had many things in common, like the  passion for plein-air painting in order to better capture natural light, shade, and colour. However, due to a number of factors, the Tuscan painters never achieved the same fame and success as their French collegues.

Works by the Macchiaioli can be seen in several of the best art museums in Italy. If you happen to be in Livorno,  you can visit the Giovanni Fattori Museum, which houses a beautiful collection of some of the most meaningful works of the group. 

Among my favourite paintings, I chose three images which, in my opinion, are particularly emblematic of their approach and style.  

STOP SPRING HUNTING IN MALTA!

"Lawn with Poppies" Oil on Canvas cm 30x40

This little painting is on its way to Malta.

Hopefully it will be delivered in time and in good conditions (with Poste Italiane, you never know..) to be exhibited in Valletta at the SHout Art Exhibition, organized by the Malta Organic Agriculture Movement to raise funds to support SHout, the official NO campaign for the referndum on Spring Hunting.

 The referendum, which will be held on 11th April, will be the first referendum to be held in Malta, following a petition signed by over 40,000 people.

The purpose is to abolish Spring Hunting, a cruel hobby which kills thousands of migrant birds every year, when they fly over the island on their way to other european countries.

A lot of artists from Malta and other countries have already donated one or more pieces of work for this cause. I am half Maltese but since I don't have a Maltese citizenship and cannot vote, this will be my small contribution.

The exhibition will be at Din L-Art Helwa, Old Bakery Street Valletta, from Friday 13 March at 18:00, until Friday 27th March at 18:00

The painting is a very simple view of a lawn with red poppies, one of my favourite subjects. I am working at a large poppy-painting right now, which you will see when it will be ready, next week suppost...

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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