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Jun 28, 2021
I was walking in San Gimignano one day and came upon this doorway. I loved the combination of natural textures of stone, wood, and metal. And the colors were so warm and inviting!
Doorways are so interesting, don’t you think? Not only are they welcoming, they are a transition between the outdoors and one’s home.
They also tell a story. For example, everything about this door looks hand-crafted. See how each brick and stone is a different size? I also love the archway inset into the cream and gold wall of stone blocks. Inside the archway terra-cotta bricks provide a wonderful contrast to the stone that surrounds them.
Archways were used by the Ancient Romans to distribute and channel the weight of construction allowing them to build higher than was previously possible. But to me they provide grace and softness to angles necessary for construction.
In the Middle Ages, San Gimignano was a prosperous town famous for harvesting saffron (the world’s most expensive herb), Vernaccia wine and excellent wool.
The wealthy families built 72 soaring towers that housed their businesses and well as their residences. The height they achieved was a marvel of their time, almost creating a skyscraper effect in the Tuscan countryside. Today thirteen towers remain and they still impressive!
In my painting...
The wall is hand-cut local stone, in irregular sizes. Pale gold blocks are interspersed with light cream.
Smaller terracotta bricks fill the inside of the archway.
A young tree is tucked next to the doorway in front of the window and
blue mailbox.
The terracotta street echoes the color of the bricks inside the arch.
The transom above the door lets in light and sports pretty grillwork that matches the lower window.
The door is a rich bronze color, inset with ten panels. Another five panels run down the left side of the doorway and are adorned with a small gold plaque.
There is a double window to the second floor with an artfully shaped railing.
Are you ready to see me paint this charming doorway in a Tuscan village? Watch the video below to see a time-lapse of me painting “Un portone a San Gimignano”!
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This means you can use the camera on your phone or tablet and superimpose any piece of art onto a wall inside of your home or business.
To use this feature, Just look for the "Live Preview AR" button when viewing any piece of art on this website!