Garden gate....Italian style!

Gate to an Italian Garden
(work in progress)
Original painting, 18" x 24"
Oil & alkyd on stretched canvas

This has been one of those weeks of working away in the studio and not (yet) having much to show for the effort. In particular, I have been pulling out paintings that are "stuck in the middle" to see which ones can become finished artworks.

Today's posted image is a painting inspired by my trip to Italy in October 2007. Our tour group visited a farm called Masseria Carestia, a 100 acre property nestle in the rolling hills of southern Italy.

The drive into the complex is via a tunnel of stone archways thatched with thriving grapevines and ferns. The "house" consists of several buildings--the oldest dating from the 1400's--with adjacent vineyards, and multiple gardens abundant with a profusion of flowers: roses of all colors--red, palest pink, creamy white; dahlias, bougainvillea, an original mandarin orange tree with miniature fruits; lantara, with little flower clusters of one color encircling a central cluster of flowers of another color; and many other varieties of plants and flowers.

This painting portrays one of the gates leading to a large garden off the arched entryway. The iron work is truly ornate...and red! Although there are a lot of edges to define and refine, I am enthused about finishing this painting. When it's complete, I'll post the final version.

Thanks for taking a moment to visit my blog. See you Monday, Ciao!
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Text and image ©2009 Carol Adamec. All rights reserved