Olive Tree, Villefrançhe

Delfino
Artique
Published in
1 min readApr 11, 2023
Olive Tree, Villefrançhe, oil pastels on canvas 16"x20" ©Delfino Cornali 2023

My favorite running route in Villefrançhe passed this mature olive tree overlooking the bay. Two red steel chairs made themselves available to passers-by — this being January, to feel the full effect of the Mediterranean sunshine. The day I first passed this setting, I knew I would one day render it in pastels, and over the course of a month, I took various photos of the scene. Early morning. Late afternoon. Midday.

On this particular Monday, the morning breezes were just beginning to blow into the bay, the winds ruffling the surface of the sea. Mondays were quiet in town, many of the seaside restaurants closed.

In this piece, I wanted to capture the shape and dance of the olive leaves as the wind moved them. Long, rectangular strokes as a motif — the gnarled bark of the tree in black & greys; the gravel beneath the chairs in tans & violets.

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Delfino
Artique
Writer for

Pastel artist, bread baker, runner, backpacker, traveler, gardener, mosaicist, @home in the Idaho foothills w/my partner Michele enjoying owl/coyote serenades.