Poetry in lines and colors

“Black birds storms appear in the air,  a dark prophecy over Rouen sky” Last October I was asked to contribute with an illustration to a limited edition of a book celebrating 40 years of career of  Italian singer and composer Alice . I immediately thought about illustrating the few verses above, taken  from a song by Italian musician Mino diMartino , included in Alice ’s latest cd “Samsara”. The text of the song is an intimate, evocative portrait of Joan of Arc, strange topic enough for a pop music song! This is the genesis of this acrylic on paper (cm 30 x cm 25), which I titled “Il Cielo di Rouen” (Rouen Sky). Hope you like it!

This week's Illustration Friday topic Myth suggested me to take out from the drawer this very old piece (1982, I think) which I titled Proteus. The old sea-divinity of the Greek mythology who knows everything about present, past and future and is capable of changing form and aspect to escape inquiries  is here a sort of modern dancer or ice skater. Hiding his face with a mask he tries to run away to avoid answering questions, but who is chasing him?

merry Christmas and a happy new year to you all! do you prefer the black and white version? here it is:

Snow… a most proper topic today! This morning when I opened the window I found my town all covered in soft and white snow. And it was still falling, fairy and obstinate like in a Pieter Bruegel painting. Adults  didn't  appreciate very much the surprise: too much trouble to reach working places, gates blocked, soaking shoes. But for the children at the school bus stop it was pure bliss. My illustration “snow” is from The Sketchbook Project 2012  and I like to pair it with the song “Snowflake” from Kate Bush album “Fifty words for snow”, a delicate, surrealist piece of music. The text is a dialogue between a woman and a personified falling snowflake. “the world is so loud, keep falling, I’ll find you”. Kate Bush - Snowflake