I wanted to keep doing this blog as it is nice to have this space as a sort of open diary, putting here my paintings step by step and seeing people engaging, even if quietly with my art. Unfortunately I have been disrupted by some bad experiences, I lost my mother in December and since then I have felt as living in a weird muted reality, a soft egg shell, from which I tried to deal with my inner pain and sense of guilt, receiving broken signals from the outside. As I write these words I can see possible paintings unfold. But in spite of everything, there were some rewards as well, my daughter is becoming a good well rounded artist, creating new connections at work, new inspirations and ideas emerging. And it has been a great experience to craft paintings for the local café Nelle's, a nice point of encounter in the city of Odense. An elegant cozy place, with good coffee which also tried to keep the prices down in this time. I did a series of paintings about their coffee, in particular lattes and cappuccinos as the foam is just amazing to look at, it generates organic patterns like the foam of the see, mushrooms, or sponges. And then I was asked by Lykke, a lovely woman who manages the café if I wanted to make at least a piece about wine. Now I am not a big fan of wine, in spite of being Italian, I just like wine as a recipe ingredient, nothing cam beat a meat stew cooked in wine, but I am child-tooth so wine is too bitter and sour for me, it just makes me sad. But I can appreciate the colour nuances of wine, its transparency or opacity and glow. Lykke sent me a possible picture she took at the café and then I came out with this: I got a rich picture, with many details and I wanted to create a painting that could be explored, step by step, you see the bubbles being poured by the white wine bottle, the bottle itself with all its rich lights and shadows. Then you follow the line of the bottle and you see a woman's hand, probably Lykke's, pouring the wine and wearing a golden ring on her thumb, in the background a plant with green leaves and under the hand and bottle the plant vase of a terracotta warm colour. Everything is hanging on a window sill, where a little bowl of chips is waiting to be bitten by a guest. Beyond the window, bluish shadows seem to define a background and human figures wondering around and stopping for a chat, life going on outside the café. The never-ending show of life, to which the café offers a moment to rest and reflect, get out from life's ever going rollercoaster and think, eat or drink, while looking around at what happens. No wonder most philosophers chose café to ponder about the meaning of life and everything. Myself I have done my best sketching, reading and writing in cafés, especially while I was studying in Italy, at the University of Torino there were no many spaces where students could hang out and relax or even study, study rooms felt like chickens cages. So in between classes I was often sitting in a café, sipping tea and reading my notes or sketching. Here you can see the stages of the painting, from the initinal stage to end, with company from our cat Khorne and my hubby. I hope that my painting will contribute to the cozy atmosphere of the café and that you have enjoyed my post
Thank you for stopping by Bertie xxx
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AuthorFreelance illustrator and painter. Archives
May 2023
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