My first painting from our European trip is a very special one to me. I painted this for our friend from Kansas City, who did so much to help us have a wonderful stay in the Lake Como area. John lived in Como after WWII. He and his family left everything they had in Croatia before the war and came to Italy seeking safety from the Nazis. His family found tremendous help from the Italians during the war. He and his family were hidden from the Nazis in Florence and later came to Northern Italy. John attended school in Como City and made friends with people from Laglio. His friend, Aldo, found us our bed and breakfast i Laglio and had us to his home for dinner. John did so much to familiarize us with the Italian culture. I knew this view of Laglio from the Lake would bring back some good memories for he and his wife Evie.
I liked the repetition in shapes and color that the homes supplied. I thought of Cezanne painting at Mont Sainte-Victoire near Aix en Provence when I was trying to decide how much detail to add the these cubistic shapes. Like all villages we saw in Northern Italy, each village centers around the church so the steeple became my focal point. The ebb and flow of warm and cool colors became the challenge du joir. The large yellow villa on the left is George Clooney's home.
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