Monastero

Last year my husband Patrick and I went to Europe, where we took more pictures than I could possibly have imagined for the purpose of painting (check out a few pics in my blog here).  We had a wonderful time and while it was a complete and total whirlwind, it cemented my love for Lake Como, which if you've followed my blog at all, is a recurring topic of conversation.  I would LOVE to go there for a longer period of time instead of just a few days to really soak in the culture, food, and scenery.  It is really just one of the most majestic places on the planet.  Since coming home, I have painted a few of the pictures that we took there, one being of Villa Monastero, located on Lake Como in Varenna.  This scene is a 24"x36" oil on canvas.

Villa Monastero is now a convention center and botanical garden, and is also often used as the backdrop for fashion magazine spreads (not surprisingly).  The day we snapped this picture, it was a fair bit cloudier, but the flowers were just as amazing.  Funny thing to note...the sign behind the yellow roses is actually for a bathroom...ha!  We need bathrooms this beautiful in the U.S., wouldn't you agree?!

I hope this reminds you of your happy place, and if you are ever making your way over to Europe and need a great suggestion on a stop, shoot me a message and I'll tell you ALL the places to go and see in Lake Como!