I used to run after Pepper around the red wall, me in slippers, him with the bone. Until age, little by little, came to claim my breath, and I would collapse, exhausted, into the armchair.
Then, from behind the wall, his happy muzzle would appear, one eye lit with mischief, as if to say:
Shall we play?
TITLE: Drop the Bone
SUPPORT:
Cotton canvas on frame
SIZE:
50 x 50 cm
TECHNIQUE:
Oil on canvas
DATE:
March 2026
SERIAL N.:
20260302
NOTES:
Subject from one of my photographs — created with a palette knife.
After our close encounter with the legendary Catfish, here comes the second porthole: the water is clearer, the currents have changed their mood, and in the background an ancient sea story resurfaces… a ghostly sailing ship that seems to whisper, “I was here before you.”
And then he shows up, full-on “captain of the neighborhood” energy: Choco, the Sharkdog. He has the determined look of someone who knows the routes—yet also that goofy, affectionate vibe that catches you off guard and makes you smile: just scary enough to earn respect, but sweet enough to deserve a treat.
Around him: curious fish, tiny bubbles, seaweed applauding softly, and a red coral that looks like underwater fireworks.
TITLE:
The captain of the seabed
SUPPORT:
Cotton canvas on frame
SIZE:
60 x 60 cm
TECHNIQUE:
Oil on canvas
DATE:
Jan 2026
SERIAL N.:
20260102
NOTES:
Fictional subject, created solely with a spatula.
AI used exclusively for preliminary studies; final work created by hand. When I use AI, I treat it like a sketching lab. For example, here I gave a precise brief—subject, lighting, materials, even a lens effect—and then corrected the output with specific indications (swimming direction, movement of legs/ears, and subjects on the seabed). AI doesn’t decide: it speeds up the study phase. The ethics lie in two things: not opaquely copying other people’s material and honestly declaring that it is a design tool, while the final work (and the artistic choices) remain mine.
The invisible ones. We pass by them, we pass them at every corner of Milan. The city is full of these people who have left the world and live their solitary life. Many times the only companion is hairy, silent and patient, with whom they manage to spend the night sharing a little warmth and affection.
