La Pasticceria (The Pastry Shop)

If you're beginning to notice a pattern here with the Italian scenes, you're onto something!  My most recent inspiration is again from the majestic Lake Como, however this time, my inspiration comes from the sweet memory of eating delicious Italian food.  Incredibly hungry, my friend Susan and I stumbled upon this restaurant for its perfect location on the water.  Next to it, a pastry shop (Pasticceria as they say in Italian) sits nestled within soft pink walls and shady trees.  The view itself looks practically edible!

This 5" x 5" miniature oil on canvas makes me want to take a long walk around the water after a big bowl of spaghetti carbonara.  Oh boy. I think I need to stop writing as my stomach has started grumbling...this painting is making me hungry!

If you want to check it out along with my other Lake Como scenes, click here: La Pasticceria

Reflections of Bellagio

One of the most special trips I've ever taken was to Lake Como, Italy, in March.  As it happened, my dear friend Susan and I both happened to be in Europe (albeit in different countries) and decided to meet up for a weekend.  As both of us had never been to Lake Como, it was an easy decision for us to meet there to check out the sweeping views of where the mountains kiss the lake.  On top of it all, impressionist paintings of Lake Como are part of what inspired me to begin painting, so what better place to visit, right?!

The image above is from a photo that I took as we crossed over the lake to Bellagio, a town (really a municipality) that rests at the intersection of the three branches of the "Y" shaped lake.  It has great shops and cafes, with one of the best features being the incredible silk tie and scarf shops.  Little did I know, Lake Como is a world leader in silk production and I was able to take a little piece of its claim to fame home with me!

This painting is part of my miniatures collection, standing at a petite 2.5"x 2.5".  To see it up close, click here:  Reflections of Bellagio