These are the ruins of an ancient mansion built by the Romans in Sirmione on Lake Garda in northern Italy.  In 2013, teaching with Fitchburg State’s program in Verona, we visited here briefly one afternoon at the end of a very interesting field trip to a tortellini factory and Palazzo Te in Mantua.  However, the 30 minutes before closing was not enough time to draw and study these ruins in Sirmione.  So I returned that weekend to study these ruins on my own.  I found these arches, with their views onto  the lake, to be most inspiring in terms of their shapes and negative spaces.  I am fascinated by the idea of looking through arches to different views in the distance, as I am interested in looking through trees in New England to distant views.    I usually work in series, so this was the one that inspired me for the summer of 2013, after we returned from teaching with Fitchburg State’s program in Verona.

Roman Ruins I: Villa Catullus Sirminone Italy, July  2013 pastel and pencil on Arches paper  32”  x 26”  $700 unframed.

Roman Ruins II: Villa Catullus Sirminone Italy, July 2013 pastel and pencil on Arches paper  32”  x 26” $700 unframed.

Roman Ruins IV: Villa Catullus, Sirminone Italy, July  2013 pastel and pencil on Arches paper  26 x 32” $700 unframed. 

Roman Ruins VII Villa Catullus, Sirmione Italy, July  2013 pastel and pencil on Arches paper  26 x 32”  $2000 framed.

Roman Ruins IV Villa Catullus Sirminone Italy, July  2013 pastel and pencil on Arches paper  32”  x 26” $700 unframed.

Roman Ruins V: Villa Catullus, Sirminone Italy, July  2013 pastel and pencil on Arches paper  32” x 26” $700 unframed .   

Roman Ruins III Villa Catullus Sirminone Italy, July  2013 pastel and pencil on Arches paper  32”  x 26”  $700 unframed.