View from My Window in Florence

[Grapes]

I never appreciated this oil painting and I actually erased it back then. I regret now but at least I have a photo. So, I post it here so it is documented and lives in memories. Also, the subject is strange to me as I hardly ever paint buildings or street views. I'm not good at them - every now and then I give them a try.
I stayed in this room in Florence and it was my view so I decided to paint it. Oil on wood, 20x30 cm.

 

[Jade]

I think you are good at them, Grapes. Nice perspective.

 

[Grapes]

Thanks, Jade!
I moved the chimneys to the painting from the left side where they are just behind the window frame. I thought they are cute city pipes to be in the painting.

 

[Jade]

Isn't that the beauty of art.. we can just move things around as needed and make them look better! I like the way you did that.

 

[Donna T]

You made the most of that view, Grapes, especially that beautiful tiled roof. I’m glad you didn’t include the air conditioner but moved the pipes. Nicely done!

 

[Grapes]

Jade, so true ! With camera we can't move things around except with photoshop of course, although I don't know if AI can do it nowadays.
I often wonder what are us the artists needed for these days as AI supposingly does in the future oil paintings for us and 3D printers have already done them for a while!?

Ah, I remember I took a photo from the window to more left where the chimneys are but in that photo I didn't get the light correct so that the painting would show clear. Photographing can be so tricky.

Donna, thanks. I found peculiar details in this window view and I decided to put them together and try a painting. The thing that I wasn't happy with this painting was mainly that I painted the walls of the buildings very polished without any textures and that was the thing that made me wipe it out. Silly thing really because today I just work more on them afterwards.

 

[Jade]

I think if art is about the journey not the destination, people will always be doing it. I was talking to an artist the other day irl, and we were saying that it could make such a difference to people's wellbeing to be creative. In the UK, it seems like only kids and elderly people are routinely encouraged to do it. It's nice that you could work with the two drawings and make it work best. AI can't do that!

 

[snoball]

I like this! Rooftops and that unusual perspective make very interesting paintings. You do building really well.

 

[Grapes]

Thanks, Sno!
When I painted this I also didn't like my composition but now I think it's not that bad. I mean what else can you do when the view is what it is ....

 

[Jo Castillo]

Nicely done. I have a couple of those I didn't like and later liked them in photos. Ah, the journey.

 

[Grapes]

Jo, thank you!
Also, we the artists have so many paintings packed in storage that just a photo of some of them is more than enough.

I just noticed I posted this painting to pleinair. I usually don't count my paintings from window as a pleinair, others do, though. This could be on the category 'painting from life', too. On the other hand entire Florence is like a living room. You go to any piazza and it's built the way you feel like in your own living room. Of course a luoxsurious one. I remember reading some writers wrote in their books or painters in their notes about Florence that way. So, when look out of your window you feel like you're standing right on the street.

Jade, your right about art being a journey. That's how we should take it. Some can make money out of it but then it's closer to work like but always a journey. I always wanted to document for myself my journey but don't really know how. Wanted to include in it my pleinair destinations, what I've learned and also the studio work. Oh well, just dreaming I guess.

I think in my country all ages do art and are encouraged but not all do art, of course. That makes the circle very small also we're only a population of 5 million ppl.
Art in general is not appreciated here and sales are extremely difficult you make. I think the reason is that from the very beginning art is not emphasized as a valuable asset to life. Nor do we have much history with art, maybe only from 1800 on, very different to France, Spain and England for example.

 

[Jade]

Thanks Grapes. Have you thought of documenting your art journey in YouTube like the link I shared? Another good way to earn and draw attention to your work...
Interesting to hear the history and approach to art in Finland. Quite different to the UK.