Francesco Fontana came to us LIVE from Italy on Friday, April 1st at 10:30am Pacific via Zoom to share his watercolor techniques and favorite color palette.

Here’s a quick Q&A with Francesco:

Why do you make art?
I wish I knew! I may say to express myself, to send a message to the world, to free my mind – many reasons, it’s a mystery to lots of artists.

How long have you been painting? Did you have formal art training?
I have been drawing since I can remember. I went to art school in Palermo, Sicily then I entered Architecture, but quit soon. I took several painting workshops with class instructors in Italy and abroad. I have been painting regularly for about 25 years.

Are you a working artist or a hobbyist?

I am a full-time painter.

What inspires you?
Inspiration come from everyday life and travels. For a long time it has been landscape, now I am also focusing on figurative art in the context. It allows me to tell more stories.

What kind of music do you listen to while painting?
I listen to my favorite programs on the radio. But for music, my playlist includes great singers and composers, such as Sia and Amy Winehouse.

Have you had a mentor?
I’ve had many good teachers, but my mentor actually was my shrink! I owe him – he helped me to embraced being an artist for good. You know, motivation, self-confidence and direction can be a struggle.

Do you paint every day?
Yes I commit to painting every day, even little things – but with obligations, classes, marketing, interviews… I succeed about 4 out of 7 days.

Do you paint one piece at a time or work on several at the same time?
One at the time, but I’m getting organized to do more simultaneously.

Do you create a concept piece first?
For my recent larger studio works, I do make plenty of studies and reflect a lot before hitting the canvas (paper).

Do you prefer painting in studio or plein air? 
It goes with the season. In the spring and summer, I enjoy plein air, but I keep studio projects too.

How many core colors do you use?
About six in a single painting, sometimes even less.

Tubes, pans or sticks?
Definitely tubes

When do you know that your piece is finished?
When dinner is ready! Well, now I work on pieces that take days or weeks, so jokes aside, I struggle. When I feel it’s almost done, I leave it facing the wall for a few days then I check on it and see if he needs anything else. Usually just the signature!

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Join us online each week for an Up Close and Personal Conversation with Daniel Smith CEO and Owner, John Cogley and guest artists from around the world. On Thursdays (2:00pm Pacific), John highlights various features of our products and answers your questions. On Fridays (10:30am Pacific), a guest artist follows up to share how they incorporate those features into their art. Click here for the upcoming week’s Zoom links.

Check our Facebook page for news about upcoming guest artists or to watch past replays. Each Zoom meeting is also recorded and shared on our YouTube channel. La traducción al español está disponible – selecciona el canal en español en Zoom.