Breathing and Working, Sunny Days are Here Again

Breathing and Working, Sunny Days are Here Again

Looking Through Ponte Cestio, Tiber Island6×8″Oil on Panel© Kelly Medford, 2012While out working on a commission, I decided to have a little walk and enjoy the afternoon sun. I walked down to the infamous Tiber Island, an island in the middle of Rome’s Tiber river. Coming down the stairs, I was struck by the impressive feat of not just this bridge, but the many crossing the river, making life more enjoyable for the pedestrian in this traffic crazed city.I sat down on some stairs and got out my little thumb box, happy to relax and paint something, not because it’s work, but to document the joy I was feeling watching everyone out basking in the afternoon sun.Taking my time, several hours to paint this, correcting and adjusting, I realized just how much of the time I am in a hurry, having to get here to do this, then there to paint that when the light is “right”, as if the life of a city-landscape painter were stressful- time to get some perspective back here!The real reason I started painting Rome last fall was to give myself a project, some organized way in which I could get to know the city, to sit and experience it one painting, one slice of life at a time. Painting this brought me back to that place and let me know just how lucky I am to be able to live and work in the eternal city.This bridge crosses between Tiber Island to the other side of the river, it is truly splendid in its huge, white marble blocks with the quaint lamp posts lighting our way at night on top. It is actually one of the oldest bridges in Rome, originally built in the 1st century completely from travertine marble and was Rome’s first bridge crossing to the west bank of the Tiber from the island. It was partly dismantled during the 19th century to widen the river channel. I just love the rounded shape not only of the arches below, but the curve on top as well- highly paintable!If you’ve been to Rome, but have never taken the time to relax and rest, this is one of the best places to do that. There’s great gelato nearby and the noise of the roaring traffic above is temporarily forgotten.If you like this painting, you can buy it here.