Abandoned?

Kuldigas , Latvia

9.5" x 13"   oil on board

 $75

The Virtual Paintout went to Latvia this month, so I rode up and down the highway looking for something interesting to paint. There was a lot of great scenery, Latvia is a picturesqe place. But this is what stopped me short... What was going on here? Was this an abandoned house or barn? A church? Why is this building in ruins when all the homes and farms around it seem to be prospering? You can see for yourself by clicking here... I was intrigued by this scene because it asked more questions than it answered. There's a story here, a mystery - I am curious to know what it is.

You can see more of my work by visiting my Gallery page at The Daily Paintworks.

San Gimignano, Italy

Along the Walls of San Gimignano

14" x 18'   oil on canvas

$125

It's not about me for the month of June. Family concerns call me away from the easel with  no time to paint. Sigh.  So I am posting paintings of Italy done from photographs. It would be nice to be there now, even with all the summer crowds.

San Gimignano is known for it's towers, 15 of them now, but it also has these beautiful pathways around the city walls that you can walk on. There are stunning views everywhere you look, this is one of the cypress trees and their shadows in the morning sun, with the Tuscan countryside beyond.

To see my other works, please visit my Gallery page at The Daily Paintworks. If you'd like to purchase this piece - or any other, you can do so through that website, or by simply clicking on the Paypal button on your left. Thank you.

Rome

In Trastevere

11" x 14" oil on canvas 

$150.

Hard to say where we were in Trastevere, exactly, because we spent most of our time just wandering the little streets and alleyways of Rome, blissfully lost. I do know we had just left Santa Maria in Trastevere, a most beautiful and ancient church - one of the oldest in the city. 

Rome is my very favorite city, I love the bustle and excitement of it, but also the earthiness. I'm captivated by its history, and the way people have lived on top of each other for more than fourteen hundred years. I love the columns built into walls, the temples which have been turned into churches and monuments, and the statues that look like people you might know - people that actually lived as we do, with hopes, dreams, inspirations and disappointments. I marvel at the utilitarian structures, like aqueducts and fountains that still stand today. 

Much as I would love to set up my easel and get to work, I can't.  I am a visitor, a guest, and my time here is always short. I must take pictures and paint later. I wanted to do this little street because it captures so perfectly for me the mystery, antiquity and endurance that is Rome. Who has lived behind these closed doors and shutters, what everyday dramas have gone on in rooms and gardens beyond?  I love how these buildings have endured. That big tree, growing in that tiny space, perfectly expresses what this city is like to me.

Recently, I discovered an artist who has the good fortune to live and work in Rome. Kelly Medford does exactly what I wish I were doing. She bicycles around with her gear in tow, and paints the scenes of Rome that speak to her. Her work is quick and fresh, she says what she needs to with a few strokes. I'm captured by the the spontaneity and charm of her work, of its creativity. I recognize many of the scenes she paints - she makes me feel as if I am standing right beside her. This view down the Tiber with that dome in back expresses perfectly what it's like on a beautiful day in Rome. 

"Boat Tour, Lungotevere" by Kelly Medford

You can see more of her work by visiting her website here. If you are interested, she has recently begun offering something she calls "Sketching Rome Tours" where she will take you around to visit the city and get a feel for its different parts, and capture them on paper. She is friendly and enthusiastic. It looks like fun. I hope to do this with her myself. 


To see more of my work which is available for purchase, go to my Gallery page at The Daily Paintworks. To buy this piece (or any my others) directly from this blog site, simply click the "Buy Now" button at your left, and it will conect you to Paypal.