Painting Process: "The View of Vernazza"

Vernazza, Italy is one of the five villages in the Cinque Terre along the Italian coastline. It’s a colorful place in person, but it’s fun to exaggerate that vibrancy even more in a painting!

It all starts off as a sketch. I spent at least a week clearly laying out a plan before I begin painting.

Then I apply the first paint, starting with the further back areas such as the sky and water.

I then paint the rest of the “base”, which includes the hillside, rocks, concrete, beach, and the first layers on distant buildings.

It’s coming along further at this point as I add in foreground buildings and begin to add windows.

Finally it’s done, as I add the frontmost buildings and the rest of the windows and finishing details! From start to finish this painting took about four months, and I really enjoyed capturing the vibrancy of Vernazza!

A close-up detail shot from one of the most complex corners of the finished painting:

Prints of “The View of Vernazza” are available in my Etsy shop as canvas, gicleé paper prints, and greeting cards.

UPDATE #1:

A fun story about my Vernazza painting made the local newspaper - Greet Kirkland Magazine in 2023! Read think story about a local Kirkland resident who connect with this painting.

UPDATE #2:

In September 2023, I got to visit Vernazza, Italy!