This was my first commission after leaving The Florence Academy of Art in 2009! It was so long ago I didn't have a website or even a computer. I had just moved to Chicago and was navigating the city without a smartphone (I got lost A LOT)! A dear friend living in Florence asked if I was interested in doing a commission for her friend Mario, I said yes without seeing the painting first. Luckily The Art Institue of Chicago had a book of Quadrone's work so I was able to get a high-resolution image of this painting to work from. With my friend Judy helping me with the language barrier, Mario gave me my first commission! Copy of Giavanni Battista Quadrone "Ritorno dalla Caccia" 18" x 24" oil on canvas. I worked on this painting for over 1 year in between moving apartments and art studios, babysitting jobs and waiting tables! Fortunately I've always had great roommates who do not mind the smell of lindseed oil and turps!
Mario and I in Judy's shop in 2013, my first time seeing Mario after he received his painting! Thank you Mario!!!