Can’t wait to see what you make from this trip!

Looking forward to what inspiration you bring back to your art!

I wonder what you’ll paint first when you get home.

– friends, family, social media folks

Enthusiastic comments like these were expressed a lot before and during my trip to Italy last fall and winter. It was really gratifying to learn that so many people were interested in my trip and my art process. I tried not to think too much about “being inspired” as I travelled because that can be a slippery slope into trying to force something that isn’t really there or being too selective about what I think people would want to see. So I tried to take a “che sera, sera” approach – what will be, will be.

I was however expecting to be inspired by the usual riches Italy has to offer – grand architecture, spectacular vistas, and the general “dolce vita” life… and I was. But looking at my camera roll and my sketchbook, I seemed to be preoccupied with smaller subjects, the little details – wall markings, miniature gold leaf painting, door fixtures, the perfect cup of coffee, iron railings, tiny sculpture, small patterns. Basically lots of little stuff!

So, what was the first thing I painted when I got home? Two small segments of a floor.

Not just any floor though – a 12th-century mosaic floor found beneath the current floors of the Venetian church of San Zaccaria. One part of the floor was excavated and incorporated into the current floor in the Cappella dell’Addolarata. The other section of floor is in its original spot exposed beneath the Sant’Atanasio Chapel, under glass.

I’ve long loved mosaic work and being able to see these floors was humbling. Here was the work of artisans who carved and cut each unique marble or stone fragment for these beautiful designs, calling on their inspiration to complete this difficult repetitive art. And more than 850 years later, we are still marvelling at it. As I was painting these miniatures, my admiration for their work grew as I saw how they were creating harmony with shape and colour without any reference, which is no easy feat.

For each of these miniature paintings, I also incorporated another of my inspirations from the trip – various shades of shimmering gold mica watercolour. The original floors had a bit of sparkle present in some stone, but I played with more of it in these 2 pieces. I’m very pleased with how they turned out but unfortunately the photos aren’t able to pick up the shimmer.

It looks like some new inspiration has taken hold with these first two pieces of 2024. Likely this inspiration will show up in more of my new work as I’ve been inspired to explore the beauty in the small stuff!

In my next few posts, I will go back to sharing more paintings from last year that you haven’t seen yet. I jumped the queue to get this post out to you because I’m excited to be inspired and painting again!

These two paintings are currently available for purchase in my shop here.