I resume: A crouched child covers his head with both hands. He opens one eye and looks around, bewildered, at a world lashed by the wind. The grandfather hugs him, wraps him up warmly. He takes his tiny hand and whispers, “don’t worry,” before accompanying him outside on one of the very first walks of his life.
In the scorching heart of August, Valletta presents itself as a city frozen in time, carved in golden stone that challenges the gaze and heats the air. A few steps echo through its streets emptied by the sun, where the eye seeks refuge in the shade of a balcony, behind the corner of a door.
The facades, sand and honey colored, shine with bright light, but they are enlivened by the “gallariji” – wooden balconies painted in bold shades, emerald green and cobalt blue – that look out like silent observers above the pavement.
Above our heads, strings stretched between the houses hold colored paper lanterns, light as cheerful thoughts, ready for the celebration of the Assumption. Red, yellow, indigo and emerald, they dance in the breeze of the nearby sea, between shadow and sun, waiting for the evening when the city will wake up in a bright explosion of faith and joy.
In this suspended moment, my painting captures the warm breath of the city and its hidden heart, which beats slowly, waiting for the party.
TITLE:
The suspended quiet of Valletta
SUPPORT:
Cotton canvas on frame
SIZE:
65 x 80
TECHNIQUE:
Oil on canvas
DATE:
June 2025
SERIAL N.:
20250602
NOTES:
Subject taken from one of my photos and made entirely with a spatula
Ride the summer like a rebel queen, the girl on the Vespa crosses the rows with the wind in her hair. Her gaze, proud and light, reveals the secret of the Versilian hills, where the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay mature silently, between caresses of the sun and scents of youth.
Behind her, like a portal in the sky, Monte Forato watches over the Apuan Alps, witness of childhood walks and whispered loves.
This is a sip of timeless Tuscany, a toast to life that runs, to beauty that doesn’t ask permission, to wine that preserves memories in a bottle.
If it weren’t for Enzo, who allowed me to set up my easel and paint, I would have no choice but to sleep on the deck chair. The Apuan Alps watch over me from above, while in front of me, the beach stretches out before a shimmering sea that fades into the horizon.
My daughter-in-law posed as a model, and my son, as a photographer, captured this scene, which I then transferred onto the canvas.
TITLE:
The beach bores me
SUPPORT:
Cotton canvas on frame
SIZE:
50 x 60 cm
TECHNIQUE:
Oil on canvas
DATE:
August 2024
SERIAL N.:
20240802
NOTES:
Entirely created with a palette knife, except for the face
ART EXCHANGE: ITALIAN AND AMERICAN ART MEET IN NEW YORK
Sponsored by the Rambaldi Foundation under the umbrella of the 2025 centennial celebrations and organized by the Rambaldi Promotions Cultural Association in collaboration with the Culture Lab of Long Island City, the exhibition “Art Exchange: A bridge between Italy and America” is a one-of-a-kind event that aims to unite Italian and American talents, creating an artistic dialogue that embraces cultures, styles and visions.
The exhibition was curated by Daniela Rambaldi and Tess Howsam, with the collaboration of Simona HeArt for the artistic coordination of the Italian artists and Giuseppe Lombardi.
The exhibition, which will be held in New York at the Culture Lab in Long Island City, from March 6 to April 20, 2025, will be an unmissable opportunity to admire works of the highest quality, discover new talents and reflect on the power of art as a tool for universal connection.
ITALIAN ARTISTS ON SHOW
The Italian participation in the exhibition is represented by a heterogeneous group of 75 artists, each with their own stylistic signature and a unique contribution to the contemporary art scene.
AN EVENT OF SOLIDARITY AND CONNECTION
In addition to celebrating art, the exhibition stands out for its commitment to supporting emerging artists and cultural activities. The proceeds from the sale of the official exhibition catalogue in the United States will be donated to the Culture Lab LIC, to continue supporting artists and their creative initiatives.
TOWARDS ITALY
Following the success of the event in New York, the exhibition will continue its journey in Italy, from July 17 to August 24, 2025, at Palazzo Gagliardi – Vibo Valentia, in collaboration with the Municipality of Vibo Valentia and A.C. Rambaldi Promotions.
American and Italian artists will have the opportunity to exhibit their works, further strengthening the cultural exchange between the two countries.
The Milan Cathedral and the spires are a recurring theme in my works.
I particularly love this great work of man, created in over 400 years by a multitude of Lombard artists and artisans. I compose this grandiose Cathedral about 3400 statues, 135 spires, 200 bas-reliefs, and 96 gargoyles. Each angle, each photograph, offers a different spectacle of the masterpiece that is even more fascinating at night.
In this photo the Madonnina is framed from below, relevant and valuable compared to a Milanese moon, slightly red due to the city air very compromised by pollution and modern debauchery.
After a couple of Friday nights I really wanted to try to paint a subject by myself, which I took from the folder of postcards intended for watercolors and which I usually buy during my travels.
Lisbon Trams are certainly a fun element, on which to play and practice the use of color. My idea was to make the tram appear from the fog, from the front and in one of those small uphill streets that characterize this poetic and highly inspiring City.
Obviously, it is not easy for a neophyte to invent from scratch.
Every year, the Medical Evidence Division of MeTMi S.r.l. (ECM Standard Provider n. 5 of the Italian Ministry of Health) produces 8,000 copies of an identification card, sent to each healthcare professional who has participated in the Refresher Courses.
The cards, which reproduce each year the work of an internationally renowned author selected by a jury of experts, have become a collector’s item over time. This is also thanks to their personalization with the name of the participant.
In 2024, the work depicted on the cards was the painting “Giardini BAM – Gae Aulenti“.
It’s a surprise. A green meadow in bloom in the center of Milan, all to be discovered and appreciated. A walk that, after an unlikely square crowded with glass buildings and spires, leads you to the heart of a park that you don’t expect to find in the center of a metropolitan city.
A spectacular view of nature where the soul unfolds and people stop in surprise to admire a nature that until recently had been forgotten.
This work was used in 2024 for the printing of the “Attendance Cards” of the participants in the ECM Courses of Medical Evidence – Milan (see link)
This lighthouse is built against the Vauban military fort of the same name and aligned with the Portzic lighthouse. It is 26 meters high, reaching 34 meters above sea level, and stands on a giant rock jutting out into the waves. Its main role was to ensure entry to the port of Brest, and for this reason, the French Navy requested its construction in 1839. The lighthouse is built in cut stone extracted from the Aber-Ildut quarry, under the supervision of Louis Plantier, an engineer who participated in the installation of about fifteen lighthouses in Brittany.
My painting reproduces a photo that takes the lighthouse from a very low angle, capturing the moment of sunset inside the arch of the stone bridge.
I chose to do it entirely with the spatula and I discovered how important it is for this tool to be flexible and of the right size to enhance each detail. The effect of the spatula is important, especially in the modeling of bodies and masses such as rock and stone.
I chose a canvas that developed the painting horizontally and in large dimensions, which required much more time and work, with particular attention to capturing and replicating the colors in their right temperature.
I also loaded the lighthouse light with color, more than it is in reality, because I like to highlight the importance of its function in navigation and in life.
