The Artist's Blog

It is easy to get lost in this amazing place, and losing oneself in Venice can be one of life's greatest pleasures. That view, that cafe, that little trattoria will find you, and claim you for its own. It will be your view, your cappuccino, your place in Venice, not just for sharing with the world, but comforting your soul.

"Buon Giorno Venezia"   40x30

Even in darkness the city reveals itself through shifting light - reflections mirroring empty bridges, sleeping gondolas, quiet alleys and closed cafes. All of it is so dreamlike, ephemeral and seemingly impossible to comprehend.

"Dusk in Venice"

I first saw Venice at night. It was a chilly November eve and the city was shrouded in a silent, insulating fog. Sounds of water lapping on the canal walls echoed a melancholy that accompanies a late autumn mood in Italy. The summer sun had gone and with it the hoards of tourists; it seemed as if the life of the city was turning inward. Saint Mark's Square was empty save for the last pigeons working overtime, and in the distance someone was playing violin.

"Evening Light, Venice"

"Gifts From the Sea"  16x32

I have since returned to Venice many times and always with a sense of amazement and awe. The November light of Venice had captured me, but the beguiling memory of that magical first visit keeps calling me back. Like water, it is best to let yourself flow through the city, resist direct and clogged routes, and get lost - give it over to the spirit of discovery and the unexpected.

"Murano Sunset"  24x30

It amazes me how humans can forge an existence with such grace and elegance in such an improbable place. How decay, corrosion and erosion etch the most beautiful patinas of time on structures built in the unlikely medium of salt water. Slowly, relentlessly and like rust, never sleeping, water works to reclaim all that Man has done and return it to the briny deep.

"Venetian Espresso"  6x6

"Cappuccino"  6x6

"The Little Blue Wall, Venice"  42x34

"Peace Laundry, Venice"  24x18

The rainbow colored bandiera della pace, or peace flag, is a common sight across Italy. In Venice, where laundry hangs from the windows, it adds charm, warmth and soul to a canal view.

I will return once again to Venice this autumn, that place of water and wonder, and gorgeous cold, crisp, sunny skies will welcome me back.