This is a painting by Pino - the painting that first inspired me to pick up a brush. I have a very bad replica of this girl sitting in my dining room on an easel. Pino's an Italian artist whose influence was Pre-Raphael, Macchiaioli and Impressionism. (wow, I feel artsy saying that - not that I have much idea who Raphael and the are Macchiaoli yet, but i will.)

He's my absolute fav - and damn, he just died at 71 on May 25th. I've been trying to find him online for months, but thought his name Piso. I love the soft, romanticized quality of his work. It's exactly how I want to paint. I'm very near to dropping $95 for his art book - right out of my grocery money. Art or bread? No question there...

I'm also discovering I like painting waaaaaay better than scritch scratching a pencil across a page. The broad strokes of colour & emotion far surpass my love of graphite and eraser bits...although I have clipped a black & white pencil drawing of a gritty old man, that's captured my imagination too.

And these are the next two I'm going to try...