A Charming Coastal Town

A few years ago, we were contacted by an interior designer ​​​​​​​​requesting a large diptych of an Italian coastline for his client. As fate would have it, I was in Riomaggiore the previous year while I was teaching a Cinque Terre plein air workshop - so had color studies and source material on hand.

 

 

   "Riomaggiore #1" (left diptych)​​​​​​​​                                 "Riomaggiore #2" (right diptych)​​​​​​​​  

48 x 40" oil on linen, studio paintings from plein air studies, 2016, Private Collection

I love the gentle layering of generational homes and little businesses nestled together, hugging the hillsides. I was told that women and children used to run into the hills when church bells rang warning of invaders by sea, (the only logical point of attack!) I love the sounds of the fishermen and families calling to each other, bells on bicycles, and a trumpet player practicing at his window two hills over. These are the sounds that can sink into a painter’s psyche and memory… as we get to stand in the same place for an hour or two. We try to capture, yes, the light effect, but oh! So much more!

Due to the specifics of the commission, and the space and lighting of the room that would become the painting's home, I worked with soft colors within a tight, high key value range. Really fun!

Later, we discovered the patron's family had strong emotional ties to this charming coastal town. Talk about alignment! Thank you fates and muses!