A Mystery Tour
Urban scenes to travel along
Francesco Fontana is a contemporary watercolorist who's paintings gently emerged and dissipate on the paper. Watching him paint is to travel along on a magical mystery tour as his images emerge through the washes. Francesco delicately layers his color in hard and soft edge shapes and a completed painting leaves areas for the imagination to fill.
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Francesco creates atmospheric urban landscapes through strong architectural based translucent watercolors. His tonal paintings are a complex layering of washes with hard and soft edge brush strokes that define objects and subjects.
Images of urban street scenes emerge and float across the paper. There is a magic and energy to his paintings as he leaves much to the imagination by not defining all objects too clearly
Barbara Tapp, April 2016
Urban scapes emerge and float across the paper. There is a magic and energy to his paintings
My Artist Statement
I recently returned to figurative art. I find that a lot of storytelling is possible within a face and a body in a given context. As I grow, I look closer in the eyes of those I love. And it's a deeper look I like to work with in the intimacy of my studio.
Nonetheless I am still inspired by my travels. Places and people offer me new scenarios and feelings to pour onto my painting. Europe, Usa, Asia, all cultures suggest diversity of which I want to be the eye witness. Art is a lens that translates the outside world for me to understand it and connect to humanity.
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This painting practice is more on location (en plein air). Sometimes just draw sketches to develop later on, with the help of memory. As long as I can tell a story and share a feeling! Francesco Fontana