Rome: Quiet Light
Maybe you think of my work as bright and bold- I am in love with the high contrast of Italian light and shadow after all.
But since we’ve had a moody fall I took advantage of this quieter light to get out and paint. This industrial area just along the Tiber River is in the process of being cleaned up and made more human friendly, meaning you can actually walk around here, especially now that there is a new pedestrian bridge here.
The Gasometro, Ostiense
9 x 12″
Oil on Paper, mounted
$600
Available here
The best part about painting on overcast days is that they give you plenty of time to work since the shadows aren’t constantly on the move.
I loved the idea of painting the contrast of a somewhat industrial scene but in this soft light. More and more I am drawn to everyday subjects, not idealized.
This neighborhood, called Ostiense, runs along the Tiber and has been an industrial area of the city beginning in the late 1800s and through the 1900s until it became somewhat residential. The area gets its name from one of the original Roman gates to the city (present day Porta San Paolo) at the beginning of the Via Ostiense.
There are so many facets to Rome that it will take a lifetime to scratch the surface and document even a small fraction of this city. The sheer amount of layers of history from ancient to contemporary is fascinating and exciting and endless.