Italian Gardens
Italian Gardens today have many parallels with paintings. Sir George Sitwell’s, “An Essay on the Making of Gardens being A Study of Old Italian Gardens, of the Nature of Beauty, and the Principles involved in Garden Design” describes the Italian gardens in 1909 as: the old Italian gardens today have with their air of neglect, desolation, and solitude, in spite of the melancholy of the weed-grown alleys, the weary dropping of the fern-fringed fountains, the fluteless Pans and headless nymphs and armless Apollos, have a beauty which is indescribable, producing upon the mind an impression which it is difficult to analyse, to which no words can do justice.My research in 2004 of the Italian gardens revealed a similar sentiment and through my studio practice I have endeavoured to depict not only the feelings of neglect and melancholy that I associate with the gardens but to capture some of the mystery, haunting beauty, and magic which is evident even today.
Italian gardens
Italian garden series
(2005)
oil on board
30 x 35cm
Italian garden series
(2005)
oil on board
30 x 35cm
Italian garden series
(2005)
oil on board
30 x 35cm
Italian garden series
(2005)
oil on board
30 x 35cm
Italian garden series
(2005)
oil on board
30 x 35cm
Italian garden series
(2005)
oil on board
30 x 35cm
Italian garden series (diptych)
(2005)
oil on board
21.0 x 62.5cm
Italian garden series (diptych)
(2005)
oil on board
21.0 x 62.5cm
Italian garden series (diptych)
(2005)
oil on board
30 x 35cm
Miscelaneous gardens
The Hermit’s garden
(2005)
oil on linen
46 x 46cm
Garden of love
(2005)
oil on canvas
46 x 46cm
Poet’s corner
(2005)
oil on linen
45.5 x 53.0cm
Topiary
(2005)
oil on linen
30 x 25cm
The Garden of Villa Garzoni
(2006)
oil on canvas
61.0 x 91.5cm
Castle garden
(2004)
oil on board
21.0 x 60.8cm
Monastery garden
(2004)
oil on board
21.0 x 60.8cm
Garden of desire
(2006)
oil on board
30 x 35cm