Raffaele Ciccolani came to us LIVE from Italy on Friday, November 4th tramite Zoom per condividere le sue tecniche di acquerello e la sua tavolozza di colori preferita.

Here’s a quick Q&A with Raffaele:

Perché fai arte?

I‘ve always been drawing and painting (and playing) since I can remember, so making art has always been a way of expressing myself. No special goal to pursue or rules to follow, just a normal way of traveling through life. What has come out of that process may not have been actual “art” all the time of course, but it was the essence of that travel anyway.

Hai seguito un corso di formazione artistica formale?

No, I only had a formal training for my main job, which was teaching. Now after retiring, I am a full-time working and teaching artist.

Cosa ti ispira?

As for subjects, I mainly get inspiration from landscapes. As for creativity, everything can inspire me – books, art history, abstract words, fine art critics, students and teaching.

Che tipo di musica ascolti mentre dipingi?

As a musician… I absolutely prefer a non-music environment while I paint. Do musicians usually look at artworks while composing music?

Hai mai avuto un mentore?

My main cultural mentor was my University professor Gino Stefani, who taught of History of Music. He always suggested a semiologic approach to every field regarding communication and expression. He was a friend of the late Umberto Eco, whose University courses I also attended in the 1970s. My watercolor mentors are to be found in books by J.S. Cotman, E.Lear, J.W.M. Turner, E.Wesson, E. Seago, R. Hilder and J. Fletcher Watson. I have been fortunate enough to have some correspondence with the latter. Also Eastern contemporary masters, which we have only been able to know and follow on the web in the last decades, are of great inspiration.

Dipingi tutti i giorni?

I do not paint every day. I need blank periods made up of  thinking and studying days. Then at a moment’s notice, I go paint!

Dipingi un'opera alla volta o lavori su più opere contemporaneamente?

I usually work on a piece at a time, but I often paint some pieces in one session – I do prefer to work very quickly! Sometimes I work after stating a concept or an inspiring idea-trigger, but I mostly go with the flow, especially en plein air.

Preferisci dipingere in studio o all'aria aperta?

I do prefer to paint en plein air, but I feel like I am en plein air even indoors, since I never had a “true” studio.

Quanti colori principali utilizzi?

I use very few core colors all the time, but I have been limiting myself to very restricted palette sets. In the last decades one of my main interests has been the effort to study, understand and exploit the lessons that color triads teach us painters. My perfect set is three colors, three brushes, and a water cup.

Tubi, padelle o bastoncini?

I prefer tube paints, though I sometimes also use pans when traveling – staying light is a must. It may seem funny, but tube paints are still preferable for quick sketches. I consider using sticks mostly for “filling” whole pans in special sets.

Come fai a sapere che la tua opera è finita?

I know that a piece is finished… mostly too late! Only at this age am I beginning to let a painting flow and stand on its own in its “unfinished look” glory.

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Unisciti a noi online ogni settimana per un Conversazione intima e personale Con John Cogley, CEO e proprietario di Daniel Smith, e artisti ospiti provenienti da tutto il mondo. Il giovedì (ore 14:00, Pacifico), John illustra le diverse caratteristiche dei nostri prodotti e risponde alle vostre domande. Il venerdì (ore 10:30, Pacifico), un artista ospite interviene per condividere come integra queste caratteristiche nelle sue opere. clicca qui per i link Zoom della prossima settimana.

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