Trees near Piero's house

Oil on canvas size 16x20"

Pomeriggio Toscano (Tuscan afternoon)

Oil on Canvas size 20x24"

Primavera in Umbria

Just off the easel this oil on canvas size 16x20".
The countryside in Umbria is similar to the Tuscan one, but a bit more hilly. Umbria is also less touristy, probably not for long. I was there last year and I loved the serene beauty of this wonderful region.

A day to remember (SOLD)

Piero is a true blood Tuscan who loves his country. He often takes me to see the "hidden" Tuscany that I prefer. This is the road to the house where he was born, near Pescia.

Oil on canvas size 14x18" sold at Buckland Southerst Gallery in West Vancouver

The end of Summer

Here is the finished painting after a few changes in composition and color.
Title "The end of Summer" oil on canvas size 30x30"

Work in progress.

A 30x30" oil on canvas of a country road. No title yet, I will think of a title when the painting is finished. Any suggestions?

On the way to Florence

One of the last paintings resulting from photo references and sketches taken on my last Tuscany trip. I will be leaving soon for Italy to gather new material for my paintings plus enjoy the food, the wine and the people. I need these annual trips to Italy to refresh my art and my spirit! I will be leaving soon and I will spend about 12 days in Tuscany and 12 days in Sicily hoping the weather will be warm enough (especially in Sicily) to produce some plein air paintings.
"On the way to Florence" oil on canvas size 20x24".
Sold November 7, 2007 by Buckland Southerst Gallery, West vancouver.

Early morning in the vineyard

I prefer to travel to Tuscany in Spring or Fall. Tuscan Summers are very hot and tourists crowd even the smallest villages. Springs have the sweetest scents and Falls the most handsome colors.I will go back in a couple of months, in the middle of October, a bit later than last year, and hopefully there will still be fresh porcini in the markets.
This painting I did with references I took last year in the coutryside near Siena ( don't quite remember the name of the place).
"Early morning in the vineyard" 18x18" oil on canvas.

An artsy dinner

Mary and Richard are the owners of gallery that has represented my work for the last 9 years. They come to my home/studio two or three times a year, have an italian dinner, chat about art and food and leave with a few of my new pieces.
Richard is vegetarian but eats eggs and dairy so a Spanish frittata is what I do for him while the rest of the company feast on prawns. Since penne with porcini was the fist course I knew he would be well fed by the time we got to the salad and the dessert. He is very tall and lanky with a dry sense of humor and. Mary is blonde and bubbly, attractive tall english woman, with an easy infectuous laugh and a great head for business. They are great people, am I lucky to have timidly approached them nine years ago with my first small pastel landscapes and lucky that they saw some sort of potential in me. They have supported and guided me over the years, encouraged my transition to oils and more recently my attempts at producing larger sizes. I tend to be overcritical of my work. Comparing my modest accomplishements to Cezanne's does not produce self confidence...Every piece is a struggle, frustration is the feeling that most often accompanies the painting process. But I make progress, slowly but securely, and that keeps me painting. Keeps me going.

Small paintings

I love small paintings. They are usually studies for larger paintings or just a creative way to rest when I have been struggling with a large piece.
Here is one I just finished: Oil on MDF panel size 6x6"

Canadian Meadow in Spring

This is an image I glimpsed from the car while driving to Qualicum Beach, Vancouver Island. I was a passenger so I could snap a photo. The print is blurred but still retains the colors and magic of the sun setting on the meadow.
I loved painting this piece. Oil on canvas size 16x20"