Olive trees and Cypresses

I finished this painting a few days ago. I return to this image fairly often and I painted it many times at different hours of the day. A pathway through olive trees, a sunny day in Summer. Those are Tuscan Olives taller than Sicilian ones, trimmed in the middle so the sun reaches all parts of the tree. I like their strange shape, almost human, reaching toward the sky , towering along the Cipresses. Being born I Tuscany and raised in Sicily I have a special love for Olive trees, common to both regions. Tuscan oil is refined and fruity, Sicilian oil is strong, green and earthy.
Tuscany is soft and graceful, Sicily is harsh and wild. I lived in both regions and love the both in different way and for different reasons.

Oil on canvas 20x24". This painting can be seen at Buckland Southerst Gallery , Vancouver toward the middle of May.

July in the Olive grove

Hot hot hot...Summer in Sicily.
Oil on canvas size 16x20"

The Sicilian garden

This is a magic place for me, raised in Sicily since I was two years old. A place I come back to every year to bask in the sun and enjoy the rugged beauty of this wonderful island. This small garden orchard belongs to my sister in law, Adelaide. Calla Lilies are my favorite flower. Here they thrive majestically raising their white cups among the luscious almost leathery leaves.
This painting is a 16x20" oil on canvas.