Last year, we chose not to travel. Changing homes and cities had taken their toll and basically we were too wiped out to think about packing or unpacking anything else! That meant I didn’t get to my reliable art muse in 2024 – Italy. (If you’re a little familiar with this blog, you’ll know how much Italy is responsible for a lot of the energy behind my artwork.) Luckily though, I did find some inspiration in my new city that had some reminisces of Italy!

To escape home renovation chaos, I would go for walks and regularly walk past one particular house in my neighbourhood. Unlike the other houses on the street with their subtle landscaping of begonias and petunias, the front yard of this house was filled with tall sunflowers, leaning towards the sun. I’d smile remembering the Italian versions in Tuscan fields from vacations past. But I’d also giggle, appreciating the audacity of this homeowner who had chosen not to follow gardening convention and opted instead to make a bold statement with these beauties!

So while I couldn’t get under the Tuscan sun last year, I fortunately found an Ontario equivalent to inspire this new miniature painting!

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