Monday, April 20, 2009

New work -Poggio S. Cecilia Tuscany

Poggio S. Cecilia (2009)acrylic and paper on board, 10 x 8 in.

This is a small painting completed as a gift for friends who shared a holiday with us in 2006. I always find the greens in nature a challenge and there is so much green in Tuscany. I'm still looking at this painting with a critical eye because I find the greens somewhat boring. For the life of me I don't know what to do with it. I would appreciate any suggestions. I've paper as a base and the foreground poppy section began with a photo transfer of a field that has been much integrated into the body of the painting by applying paper and over painting. It's my favourite section of the work because it is lively and organic looking. Perhaps that is why the rest seems boring to me.

I have no concerns about the topic because the place carries fond memories for me. The wild poppies are everywhere in this region of Italy. On the distant hill you can see the outline of Poggio S. Cecilia near the town of Rapolano Terme in the Siena section of Tuscany. This village was founded in 1200 by the Buoninsegna family. Over the years the little village saw several defeats in battle and in 1600 it was rebuilt. It was abandoned in 1960. Today you can find Trattoria Dal Vecchio Prof. operating there. The food is fabulous and the walk down the mountain in the dark is an adventure in itself (more sensible people drive up). We have very fond memories of our evening there and voted the pasta wit truffles the best we ever had in our lives.

To the right of the scene depicted here is the beautiful Agriturismo Villa Buoninsegna where we stayed for a week in Apartment Podere Goito. It was reasonably priced, comfortable and beautiful. The working vineyard was a plus for the wine drinkers in the group. We were a group of ten so there was always lots to say, see and do.


6 comments:

Miki Willa said...

Beautiful painting. The greens really sing. I had a lot of trouble with green for a long time. Then, last summer, I took a workshop with Richard McKinley who taught us to use purple and orange with the greens to make them come alive. I have been much happier with my greens ever since. I usually use orange as my ground and purple in the shadowy depths of the trees and bushes.
Your description of this place makes it so inviting. Tuscany is on my life list of places I want to visit.

M said...

Thanks for the advice Miki. I do in fact have purple in the shadows and I've also used orange as a ground but not on this piece. It works well when you leave bits of it poking through. I keep adding and adding until no orange is left in sight, thus defeating the purpose. I think I need to get my green colour charts I made several years ago and start reviewing them. I seem to keep falling back on tried and true mixes. My landscapes never satisfy me because they are too tight.

simoart said...

Hi
Love this painting, it is a beautiful place and so relaxing. Keep up the good work.

Jeannette StG said...

wow you work small! How did you get it all in such a small frame:)
I wished I had been there - it sounds very relaxing and beautiful. Came over from another blog:)

Lynda Lehmann said...

Sounds like you had a grand time! And lots of friendship, good food, and talk.

The painting is charming. It's difficult to work with greens, but I don't find the greens here to be boring.

I haven't seen Tuscany but would love to go there, as well as all the other places in Italy I haven't seen.

Reading your comment to Miki, maybe you want to try painting more abstracts? One of the reasons I don't paint realism is that need to render, to paint more tightly and true to reality. I can let lose with the paint, with abstraction. It ends up being more satisfying and immediate to me, and puts less strain on my hand and arm!

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