Brunswick, Maine

During my stay at Bowdoin College, I had the opportunity to enjoy the Arts Department , and paint around Brunswick, Maine.

Maine is astonishingly beautiful, but also incredibly cold; so I often found refuge at the Frontier Café , with a hot tea in my hands and the view on the river to confort me.

 

I decided to paint the view on the Androscoggin River;the owner liked having me around and photographed the process. I treasure these pictures as a precious gift, as they are one of the fews I have while painting.

Frontier Café,14 MAINE ST. MILL 3 FORT ANDROSS, BRUNSWICK, ME

http://www.explorefrontier.com/

Firenze, Italia

Tuscany, Italy is renown for the classical views,  gentle hills and quality of the landscapes sorrounding the region.

It might sound like the description of a postcard, but in fact, Tuscany offers extremely diverse landscapes for the painter.The hills sorrounding the city of Florence, the Chianti area, the coastal villages in Maremma …

 

So I surrendered to the charms of the Tuscan Landscape, and painted a view near our home,  in a velvedere called Pian de’ Giullari, near Galileo Galilei’s Villa.

The painting captures the early days of spring, the colors at its best: fresh greens, some trees in full bloom and that subtle atmosphere that impregnates the Tuscan views.

On Painting

This painting is a reproduction of  “I Bari”, by  Michelangelo Merisi, known as Il Caravaggio (1571-1610).

The reproduction of the famous canvas is a  private comission that I painted for a couple who are very fond of Italian Baroque Painting.

The commission proved to be a challenge, due to the outstanding quality of the original painting by  Il Caravaggio.

The research involved  along with the painting  process introduced me  to  the study of Italian Classic painters and Old Masters’ techniques, either from written sources and  original paintings by Il Caravaggio, located in Rome.

On Drawing

Even though most of the public consider original drawings as not  being totally accomplished, perceived as less valuable or unfinished pieces of work, most of times I prefer good drawings than medium quality full colour paintings.

It could be due to just a professional interest, as it is much harder to express on simple  tonal values, where there is no possibility of “hiding  mistakes” under a lavish colour pattern.

But it may be due also to the possibility to see each artist’s unmistakable mark making.

I have added several pictures on studies done while in Florence, where I was given the opportunity to ground these notions.There I attended several Art Schools, but mostly, I was able to contemplate one of the best traditions of Western Drawing , the Italian Renaissance.

Granada

These series of images capture part of the atmosphere at the Alhambra, in Granada

The Islamic Palaces still have a dreamlike quality to me, even if they have become my workplace.

 

 

 

 

Every time  it offers  the viewer different nuances,  playful light effects,  clear patterns under the dense surface…

Firenze, Italia

Wandering along the river Arno in search of open views of the city, I found myself near Palazzo Corsini.

Comtessa Livia granted me permission to paint  in and around the Palazzo,but instead of focusing on the exterior as was my initial idea, I got fascinated by  the interior halls.

La Galleria dell’Aurora is one of the most beautiful locations in which I have painted.

The ample chambers of the Palazzo, the delicate shades of the frescoed walls, the golden light create a sense of  a timeless space