Driven to Abstraction!

Volare - acrylic on paper 38 x 28cm

Gouache on a Gold Ground

Gouache on HP paper - 28 x 38cm

After Giovanna Garzoni - still life

After Giovanna Garzoni - oil on canvas 34 x 50 cm

(Click the painting for a larger image)

This could be called 'Biting off more than I could chew'.  I started the painting a couple of winters ago trying to come to terms with oil paints.  I chose for the exercise to copy a combination of two tempera on vellum pictures by Giovanna Garzoni (b. 1600 Ascoli Piceno, Italy, d. 1670 Rome).  This Italian female painter  was among the first to paint decorative still life and gain fame and fortune as a professional artist.  

 Giovanna Garzoni - 35.5 x 49.5 cm

Firenze, Galleria Palatina

 

 Giovanna Garzoni - 27 x 35 cm

Firenze, Galleria Palatina

And what have I learnt from this exercise?  That Giovanna Garzoni is an inspiration and not to bite off more than I can chew!

If you'd like to see some more of Garzoni's paintings, I found this delightful video on You Tube.

 

Granada Gouache

Granada - 33 x 35cm gouache on Khadi paper

Some of my favourite things about Granada.  

I didn't actually see a Song Thrush in Granada but there was what looks like a tiny one on a beautiful tin of Pimenton Picante that I had to have.  We have thrushes in the garden here in Tuscany at the moment but they refuse to sit and pose for me.  I owe the reference for this little fellow to the generosity of photographer Dick Daniels - Birds of The World - An Online Bird Book.