Italy - Rome, Bologna & Puglia

I've spent many holidays in Italy and keep returning to enjoy the incredible culture, architecture and food. 

In Rome I love the Pantheon, an ancient Roman building overlooking the busy square of Piazza della Rotunda, lined with restaurants and cafés. A great meeting place in the city, popular with both locals and tourists. The lighting from the activities in the square warms the structure of the Pantheon and it is this light which I have tried to capture in my paintings, together with the bustle of activity during the late autumn evenings.

In Viestri on the Gargano peninsula, I came across a trabucco. This is a large wooden fishing machine typical of the coast southern Italy. The platform is supported by legs made from large wooden logs which glowed a silvery pink, reflecting the setting sun. Behind it stretched the calm blue sea and darkening sky. It looked almost organic, as if it was growing out of the hard, hostile environment.
Having been invited up to the platform by two fishermen, proudly showing me how the system worked and their catch of cuttlefish, I wanted to capture this magnificent historical monument in all its glory.