Product Description:

8"x14.25" archival giclée print on luster photo paper

Comes ready to hang with a FREE simple hanging frame & mat (11"x17" with frame) 

(This piece has an acrylic front rather than glass, making it lighter and easier to transport)

*Watermarks will not be on physical print* 

Notes on the Piece: 

L'Aria D'Italia aka The Aperol was a commission for my cousins Kim and Amy, who wanted a larger-than-normal painting with a lot of fun details. Although it depicts the foggy shores of Italy at sunset, it was actually painted from a photo mockup I made in New York. In order to achieve accurate color reflections and ambient shadows, I printed the ocean backdrop (a photo I took of the Italian coastline in 2019) and arranged this shot as though it were an ordinary still life in front of it. I then digitally removed each of the objects and their shadows so they could rest atop the balcony. This speaks to the title of the work, as the composition isn’t actually Italy, but the spirit of an Italian dream. The end result is essentially a self-portrait of both my desire for an Italian vacation as well my physical location here. An example of this is visible in the glass of the spritz. The wet reflection isn’t the sun setting on the Italian coastline, it’s the windows of my bedroom, the Manhattan skyline, my curtains, and my little plants.

Unlike other pieces, I designed this painting to be incredibly demanding of your attention. I used forced perspective to make the balcony protrude from the canvas and I painted each of the objects to be right against the edge on both sides. Everything looks like it could fall if you walk by too quickly. Some extra fun bits about this piece are that the sun is actually setting behind you, the objects form a triangular composition structure, and the orange garnish forms an “S” shape with the slice inside the drink. Although it’s a horizonless scene, the orange garnish on the rim of the spritz acts a bit like a sunset.

Overall, it is a classical, romantic scene of the Adriatic coast, with a lot of space, hidden details, and a certain “grandeur” reminiscent of a Disney film. It’s a hopeful, secondary take on my glass and fruit concept and my largest piece to date. 

Prints of L'Aria D'Italia will be professionally scanned and giclée printed on luster photo paper so that all the little details and canvas textures are visible.