   Another commissioned piece. This canvas subject is a street in northern Tuscany on a chilly evening in February. The main focus is on a Trattoria where this client has shared amazing times with family and friends. Working from series of photos of this area and doing some research of this particular street in Italy, I started blocking in the buildings and the street, then added the dark blue sky. I added texture to the buildings and made them look old as well as Arborvitae Trees. I put in doorways and a window with shutters. I added in lampposts and the light they shed on the cobblestones and trees. I decided to tweak the sky as well feeling it may have too much going on. The extra details like the bench and another tree off in the distance added to the perspective in the background of walking down steps to exit the street. And of course, the very important “Trattoria” sign that started this whole painting for my client! I loved painting this commissioned piece! I am happy to say, my client loves it and said, “It makes me feel like I am back in Boggiano.”
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   Cinque Terre is complete! This commissioned piece was a labor of love, and my clients do love it, as do I!
I started this piece with sketching in the levels of the landscape. Since this city is built on cliffs, there are many levels and details in the land area alone. I added the sky and the water areas first to give me the perspective I needed. The buildings were held in place with just blocks of color. I added the terracing and the rocks and cliffs began to take shape with detail and shading. The grotto area and the secret stairs up to bridge area, made this painting come to life! Every time I added another detail, it was like a jigsaw puzzle! I felt so excited to find the next element to paint! My vision was unfolding with each step! It was such a joy to paint this canvas and discover this beautiful place. Now I must plan a trip to Cinque Terre! Next up: Another commissioned work due next week, I’m off to Italy again! I began another commissioned piece this week. It is from a client’s recent trip to the Italian coastal town of Cinque Terre. A rugged but beautiful place built on a rock overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Over centuries people have built terraces on the rugged and steep landscape. Brightly colored buildings perch on cliffs and grotto’s as well as secret tunnels makes this an exciting painting for me to paint.
I started with levels of the painting: water, rock/cliffs, buildings, terracing and sky. Adding the paint color to give me a guide, helps me with perspective. I added the detail to the the rock area and blocking in with color where the building’s will sit. Then adding the terracing and finally the sky. The colors will change as more detail unfolds! |
AuthorGina Stevenson Archives
April 2022
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