Duomo
Portami al Duomo translates to “Take me Home.” If you’ve ever been to Italy, you may recall visiting a church that was known as il Duomo to the locals. As well as its literal translation of home, Italians use the word Duomo to refer to their local cathedrals. A Florentine friend once explained to me that the Duomo is the home of the people’s hearts. The Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina are that home of the heart for me.
Turbolenta
In Italian, Turbolenta means stormy. This piece was inspired by the sudden afternoon thunderstorms of Appalachian afternoons.
Nuvolosa
In Italian, Nuvolosa means cloudy. This piece was inspired by the wild colors and shapes of my childhood's skies.
Vallata II
In Italian, Vallata means valley. This piece was inspired by the gently rolling landscape of the Appalachian mountains.
Crinale
In Italian, Crinale means crest. This piece was inspired by the sight of mist and light rolling over the ridge of the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains, where I grew up.
La Volta
In Italian, La Volta means the vault. I have always loved to lie on my back and stare at the sky through the canopy of leaves above, and that was the inspiration for this piece.
Offuscata
In Italian, Offuscata means dim. This painting was inspired by the sudden quieting of skies as clouds roll in on a summer afternoon.
Pioggia
In Italian, Pioggia means rain. This piece was inspired by the way the world goes soft and blurry when it rains in the wild.
Schiarendo
Schiarendo means clear or brighten. This piece was inspired by the moment after rain when the clouds open up and the light floods through.
Radura
In Italian, Radura means clearing. This piece was inspired by sudden clearings in deep woods, and the shock of sunlight against shadow.
Piano
Piano means quiet. This piece was inspired by the way I feel in the mountains -- the lightness and the quiet.
Cima
In Italian, Cima means ridge. This piece was inspired by the mountain ridge that framed my childhood.
Viaggiatore
In Italian, Viaggiatore means traveler. This piece was inspired by many walks taken among forests and mountains in the Appalachian Mountains, realizing my own smallness in nature.
Chiara
In Italian, Chiara means bright, or clear. This piece was inspired by contrast between a bright sunny day and forest shadows.
Luce
In Italian, Luce means light. This piece was inspired by the spill of light between mountains, its presence seeming almost liquid.
Venti
In Italian, Venti means winds. I wanted to create a piece that literally embodied the feeling of mountain winds, which always feel both stronger and cooler than I expect them to.
Aurora
In Italian, Aurora means dawn. This piece was inspired by a soft, misty sunrise.
Immensità
In Italian, Immensità means immensity. I wanted to somehow show the vastness of the mountains and the feeling I get when looking at them -- small, but not insignificant. In my smallness, I feel a deep sense of belonging and rightness.