Rome!

 It's that season again, the time of year when I attempt to fill my well in far-flung places. I'm on the road, looking for inspiration, this time to Rome and Greece. 

Without realizing it, we landed in Rome during a major holiday, celebrating Rome's founding, with people dressed up in togas and breastplates strutting down the boulevards. The lines at the Vatican and Coliseum were soul-crushing, but off in a side gallery I found... her:

Despite all the noise and craziness, there was peace here, a reminder of the transcendence of art.

Everywhere on the streets, in the cafes, in the parks, everyone was acting so Italian--expressive, waving their hands, kissing their girlfriends. It bled over into the art, too, such as in this pieta at the Palazio Venezia: 

 

Culture feeding art, in the galleries or in the streets...

 

We took refuge in the gardens of the Villa Borghese one afternoon, and I was so surprised and delighted by the hydrochrometer, a clock built by Giambattista Embriaco in 1872.

 

Traveling is exhausting, my internal clock is all confused still, but the sudden moments of art grab me in the midst of the crowds and tell me: Art Is Important. 

 

Paintings that have something new to say...

  

Sometimes I look at old paintings in my racks, and it feels like they're asking for the next chapter. The old story is done, and something new is needed. 

 This first painting was based on an old RCA Transmitting station in Point Reyes, at the end of a long avenue of cypress trees. I loved the house and the landscape, but it felt lonely. It felt like it was time for a party...

 

 

 

 

This painting was inspired by a building at Fort Point with long rows of doors. Back in 2023, I wanted to communicate the courage to look into the darkness, but three years later I'm more interested in looking for hope.

 

 

 

I loved the people in Dinner Party, Yellow Sky, but 7 years later I thought I could make the sky more dramatic.

 

 

This woman had been knocking for 5 years. It was time to open the door!

 I painted this wedding scene after a friend's wedding, but recently I decided that I want to broaden the scope, lengthen the table, and invite everyone in.

Trefoil Arch was inspired by the arch in Central Park, but the dark tunnel felt threatening. Here again, I want more hope these days.

 

And Point Lobos also needed more light and a different traveler.

 

In looking at Marc Chagal's paintings, I often see dates of his work that span years or even decades. I understand that now. The work keeps speaking and growing, reflecting the artist's journey.