Aside from the Italian art prints and other prints you may know me for, I also do commissioned work.
A few months ago, I was commissioned by Tutto Pronto, a lovely Italian restaurant in North York, to do a piece of unique artwork.
The owner, Anna Maria, had a special connection with and love for doors, so I thought for a while about how to incorporate doors into her piece.
She especially liked old doors, and I can understand why. They do give off a beautiful vibe. But how could I pick up on that in her piece?
After mulling over it for a while, it came to me. Why bother trying to capture the beauty of an old door in your artwork when you can use an old door as the canvas in the first place?
Sometimes the simplest answer is the best.
Anyway, I went down to the local Habitat For Humanity store, and picked up three old doors to use.
For this piece, I wanted to work like the painters of old did, so I set the doors against my garage wall and painted by firelight. You can get a glimpse into my process here:
The space in which I worked. Inspiring in its medieval feel.
The family beginning to take shape
Coming together…
The finished product on the wall at Tutto Pronto!
Other than doors, this piece is inspired by old posters from the 50s in Italy. These posters were used to advertise the food and liquor you see in a lot of restaurants today. I wanted to recreate that style without being too obvious, so instead of food I illustrated one of my favourite Italian moments – “Family on a Vespa”.
Starting with pencil on the doors, I then outlined it with pen and then slowly layered on the acrylic paint using a pastel version of the colours of the Italian flag.
Contact Francesco Galle
If you like this piece, you can get a print of it on this website on almost any canvas you can think of (except doors). You’ll also find many of my other prints available, inspired by Italian culture, Canadian landscapes, love, and much more.
If you’re interested in commissioning me for work, feel free to contact me using the information on this site.