Winter is reflexive, contemplative and dark. There may be the distraction of the holidays and the particular activities associated with them, but the overall impression is different. Winter is colder and the clouds rest more heavily in the sky. There is a general hardening which is coupled with inactivity and inerzia. It is a wonderful time to paint for me.
While I was painting this painting, I saw a man coming in my direction from afar. I was painting in a part of the square which was quite isolated so his movement towards me was noticeable. I expected the worst.
At first glance, he seemed to be a homeless person but this impression changed as I heard him address me from about 10 metres away. He was just dressed heavily for the weather. He said to me in Italian and then in English. ‘Here, it is cold,’ he said and his arm outstretched. In his hand was a coffee in a plastic cup. Complete with sugar and a stirring stick.
I looked at him and didn’t say a word. I put down my brushes and took the coffee in my own hands. I thanked him in Italian. He turned and walked away in the same direction from which he had come.
hekkk