The current state of my studio wall.
I’m quite pleased with my Florentine paintings this year. For years I haven’t painted seriously in the city as I felt somewhat bored of the views I see everyday. Then I got a commission to paint Piazza Tasso, which is not considered the most beautiful piazza in Florence, but it has a special meaning to me so I was very happy to be asked to capture it on canvas. Here is an image:
Piazza Tasso in Feburary. Oil on linen, 2008
Here is the process for a large studio landscape. First on the left is one of the many small studies I do while driving endlessly in search of the ‘big view’. Next, in the middle is the ‘study’ which actually takes quite a while. This one took over a week to complete as the light was only right for a couple of hours each day. Finally on the right is the lay-in for the final composition. I made some changes on the right while on-site (in my sketchbook), but for the most part I was happy with the original ‘sketch’.
Here is a short video of the lay-in for the large painting. Now I have another couple of months of ‘fiddling’ to do on it. Some of the elements will move around at this stage as well.
Here is an updated image of the painting as of the beginning of December:
Monti (Gaiole in Chianti). 2009, oil on linen, 150 x 180 cm.