“Rosanna’s Garden”

September 17, 2016

On rare occasions, I am so moved by a photograph I simply cannot rest until I have painted that image. This happened back at the beginning of 2015 when, trawling the Internet for inspiration, I stumbled across the work of Rosanna Castrini, a professional landscape and garden designer, botanist, writer and photographer who lives in near Turin in Italy. This beautiful lady’s photographs are simply stunning, imaginative, and blew me away. Therefore I was not surprised to learn that the photograph I had fallen in love with, “My Prairie Garden” had, in fact, won her the title 2014 International Garden Photographer of the Year.

That photograph stayed with me to the extent I was moved to make contact with Rosanna to request her permission to use some of her images as reference photos for my paintings and in, particular, the award-winning photo. Rosanna agreed, saying she was honoured by the request. That was back in November 2015.

Life and welcomed painting commissions intervened until last month, I was able to start work on the painting that had been sitting on my shoulder and in my heart, screaming to be unleashed. Progress was slow, the detail intricate; it was certainly a piece not to be rushed, and I enjoyed every brushstroke I put down on the 56cm x 46cm canvas.

Yesterday, I signed the work as complete and promptly sent a photograph of it to Rosanna in Italy, wishing for her to see the painting before going public, hoping she wouldn’t be disappointed with my efforts. On the contrary, she was delighted with the result. I am so thrilled and proud now to send “Rosanna’s Garden”, as I have entitled my interpretation, out into the wide world. I hope you like it too.

Addendum:

In July 2018, “Rosanna’s Garden” was awarded Second Place by the Society for All Artists, in their July Challenge.