Recently we had the opportunity to stay for a week in the Centro Storico of Civita Castellana, the ancient Faleri Veteres. What a treat! Hosted by our friends Giorgio and Lucia we arrived on the eight hundredth birthday of the Duomo, a Cosimato survivor with an original decorated portico, a wooden structure rarely seen today. We gave our first workshop here in fall of 2001 and have been going there ourselves since 1998. We like this place, not only for its ancient associations, but because of the rich artistic history associated with it. By the early 19th century, almost nowhere except Rome was more visited by painters than here. The ancient associations along with scenes of the eroded red tufa cliffs standing almost two hundred feet above the river beds have been drawing artists to this area since the seventeenth century. So even after more than a decade we are still the artistic newbies here. But enough with the chit chat, I want to use this article to show some recent paintings. And I mean recent because these were all made last week.
For these first two paintings, Maddine (top) and I went to one of the first places we ever painted here, to get a refreshed image of the famous Monte Soratte.
Maddine painted these oak trees (above)at Faleri Novi while I painted the gate from inside the walls (below).
Closer to town Maddine painted the San Gallo fortress above, while I painted a nearby tower below.
Maddine's small Sous Bois above contrasts in scale her long distant image of the San Gallo fortress.
The painting below, 15 x 15 cm, by me depicts a small part of the old town of Civita Castellana.
We had a great time, great food, saw some very nice people, all while doing what we like to do the most, paint. Not only that, but we are going back in a few weeks to do it again. Shout out and a big thank you to our friends, Giorgio and Lucia, Alessandro and Silvia, Maria and Enzo,Cristiana and Saverio, Alessandro, Eleonora and Andrea (tanti auguri).
