"The Italian School"
"Saint Sebastian"
(Italian Painting Technique)
Oil on Canvas
After days of making preliminary drawing "studies, this is a completed painting of Saint Sebastian. I completed this painting in Florence. It took me over a week from the preliminary sketches to the final drawing that was then transferred to canvas in the classic tradition of The Italian School. What's interesting, however, was how during the process I was visited by a creative spirit from my normal "Expressionist" style that relies on feelings, emotions, intuitions, and inspiration to create a work of art. During the process, I was called to paint a skull, a wild animal, and a standing pillar from Ancient Greece. This "literally" just appeared on the canvas as I was painting. I kept thinking to myself, "Oh no. Not now!"
Naturally, strict discipline in following the steps using only the preliminary drawing is required in classical painting! My creative spirit had gone off track and off the rails from the Italian method. So my teacher was initially concerned about my falling back into "my old ways" as an Expressionist that relies on "being in the moment" and letting my creative spirit take over in creating whatever it wants... Also, no one at the academy approved of what I had done to the painting. They did not like that I broke the rules of "discipline" and had not followed the preliminary drawing correctly. They were right. I broke the rules, but after discussing it in depth with my teacher, we both agreed that I had done something "original" and genuinely inspired so we left the creative elements. In this painting, I wanted to be "authentic" and not paint a pretty picture for the approval of others...
I am so grateful to Stefano, my Italian Teacher, who helped me so much during my time in Florence. As I reached the final stage in this particular painting, he helped me so much with the final touches, so I insisted that he do me the honor of sharing the credit by signing his name along with mine. So that's why the signature is signed "Davide e Stefano." "Stefano, you are a Godsend and I will always be grateful to you!"