Chianti, Italy

Stacy Sweeney | Chianti, Italy | 2024 | Oil on canvas pad, PVA glued to a shellaced and sanded MDF board | 12″x16″ | original photograph by Chris diDomizio

I’ve got to that spot. I’ve earned the right to that spot. Nobody did it for me. Nobody can take it away from me. I spent as long as it took on this painting. I would not be moving on unless I did every aspect of this exercise correctly. I just say, “This is where I am; this is as good as I can paint today.” I juggled a see-saw composition, harmony, transparent color, opaque color, the green palette, the blue palette, the horseshoe palette, earth tones including Naples yellow scumbled over the mid-ground, complimentary grays, ariel perspective, radial lines, gesso, glaze, contrast, texture, pattern and shape — all at the same time. I let go of the time stamp that’s done exactly in a certain time frame. I enjoyed the moments. My favorite part of the painting is the yellow flecks of color below the spiraling bundle of Cypress trees.

~§tacy §weeney