Fine Art Story Teller
Bagni Afternoon 12 x 16
Bagni di Lucca was the closest town to our hilltop village of Vitiana for restaurants and other conveniences. Bagni is a charming little spa town, known since Roman times for its thermal springs and healing mineral waters. Yes, we did explore the spa and experience the vapors, how could we not?! Scattered in the area are elegant mansions from the 19th century, surrounded by gardens which poets and musicians used as a romantic retreat and source of inspiration. It’s also famous for the casino, perhaps the first licensed casino in Europe and allegedly where roulette was invented. We spent a few afternoons enjoying lunch, sipping wine, or having our daily gelato fix. The river running through Bagni was wonderful, the water so clear. One late afternoon, my husband and I walked over the bridge and I was struck by the light hitting the buildings and the awesome reflections in the water, so of course, this was one of my first paintings.
For more info on the villa in Vitiana, please see our page on Casa di Julie .
24 x 18
Late one night, after completing a few of my Italy paintings, I dreamed about this beautiful old chapel we stumbled upon exploring the Chianti wine country. I couldn’t stop thinking about the way the sun set it aglow against the overcast sky. I quickly realized this was supposed to be my next painting. The chapel was on the Castle of Meleto grounds, a dreamlike place, previously a fortification of the Florentines against the Sienese. The castle emerges from a landscape of vineyards and fields at the end of a road lined with cypresses and junipers. As I painted, I reflected on the old chapel and soon my thoughts drifted to church and what “church” means to me. It is much more than a stagnant building, a Holy place, a place to come and worship on Sundays and forget about during the week. We are the church, each one of us. We are His hands and feet…the body. Every person touches the lives of those around them, even one person can make a huge impact on those they come in contact with. The question is “Am I building them up?” “Am I willing to really make a difference in the lives of those around me?”
We day tripped to so many great places from our villa and each time we came and went, we walked passed my “favorite” villa. How many times did I stop and stare…? It wasn’t big at all, wasn’t fancy, yet I couldn’t take my eyes off of it which is why it was chosen as one of my first paintings. It was just so romantic with the roses draped over the doorway, watching the breeze blow the leaves and the shadow and light patterns dance across the wall and the steps. What would it be like to live there? I decided to call this villa and my painting Villa Rosa. I hope you get a sense of what I felt as I stood there watching…
“Touch of Heaven” 24 x 30My husband and I took a few days to explore the Chianti wine country and work our way towards Sienna meandering the scenic roads and wineries. The greatest part was we had no real agenda; we had a few free days just to explore. We had just left the most amazing and romantic little hotel in the countryside that we stumbled upon quite unexpectedly the night before. As we left the next morning, I had asked him to find me my poppy field, I so wanted to photograph and paint a red poppy field and we had not found any yet. Right then something caught his eye and he made an immediate u-turn, he spotted it out of the corner of his eye and not ten minutes after I voiced it! Oh….so beautiful…I ran like a little girl right into the middle of it and started taking photos, grinning from ear to ear. I really think a little part of me went to heaven and back that day. Have you ever seen something so beautiful it makes your heart hurt a little (but in a good way?) This is what I felt standing in that field and for this I have titled my painting Touch of Heaven. I can honestly say, to date, I have never wanted to climb though the canvas of one of my paintings as much as this one and really be there once again.
“Chianti Vineyards” 24 x 36
After the first amazing week exploring Italy with my family, Richard and I drove our daughters to the Florence airport for them to fly home. We had an additional week to spend and decided to pack a bag and head south. We rambled through the Chianti wine country, heading towards Sienna, wanting to explore the “typical” Tuscany with rolling hills and vineyards after our stay in a more mountainous region. These couple days were some of the best of our trip. I think it was the sense of adventure, having no agenda and being spontaneous to just explore along the way. We visited small villages and enjoyed tastings at various wineries of fabulous wines and olive oils. I can honestly say we enjoyed exploring the small towns and scenic roads much more than the big cities. One of those afternoons we found a room “in the country” which turned out to be in a small villa right in the middle of a vineyard! I spent considerable time photographing before we headed into town for dinner. On the way back down the dirt road we thought we saw something, my husband quickly stopped the car and turned off the lights…fireflies all around, what a gift!
“Passion” 24 x 30Touch of Heaven was the first painting from the amazing poppy field Richard and I stumbled across in the Chianti Wine country. While there, also photographed some beautiful close up poppies, a different perspective on my field! I loved the way the sun glowed through the poppies and the way they danced in the breeze… As I studied my photos and began painting I kept thinking “passion”, maybe it was the red blooms or the romantic setting, but this kept coming to my mind. You might think romantic passion for my husband and of course I went there first and yet there are many other things to be passionate about in life as well. We all need a little passion…or a lot! For me it’s my faith, my husband, my daughters, and family and friends. I am certainly very passionate about my art. In addition, I have a passion for people and causes and truly wanting to make a difference in the world in some way. What are you passionate about? If you have lost your passion, fight to get it back. Think back to a time when you had it, what changed? What changes do you need to make to bring it back? What is really most important in life?
“Monterosso Dawn” 24 x 48Richard (my husband) and I spent the last couple days of our journey back in Cinque Terre in the village of Monterosso. We booked a hotel room for the night right on the beach and spent the afternoon relaxing on lounge chairs and sipping fruity drinks. We then strolled the beach after dark followed by a fabulous seafood dinner. The next morning, I rose before dawn wanting to capture the sweet light on the buildings. I threw my sneakers and ball cap on, kissed my husband goodbye, grabbed my camera backpack and out the door I went. We actually stayed on the back side of this view so I hiked around the bend, down the ramp, through the edge of town, and up the other side on the cliff top path where I sat with my Cappuccino waiting for the sun to rise high enough to hit the buildings. So beautiful, what a gift and an amazing moment in time to capture! Not only is this the finale to my series but it really was such a wonderful and relaxing finale to our trip as well. 
We hoped you enjoyed this visual and inspiring journey. The artsist is a valued client of Villa Vita International. If you would like to create your own artist escape or workshop in Italy, please
call Villa Vita at 1-866-590-8181 or email us at info@villavita.net.
