for over 30 years, my work has been concerned with the portrayal of light, structure, color, and the specificity of place and time. landscape, still life and interior imagery have all been a part of my repertoire.

i have traveled to europe several times. each trip has inspired me, both by the art history that abounds there, and by the architecture, landscape, light, and now the people that i observe. i try to travel with an open mind as to what i will focus on for the resulting paintings. each time i’m amazed by the new inspiration in these old countries. i love the patinas of the old buildings and have begun to see them as works of art, unintentional as they may be. the combination of peeling and fading paint with posters and signs became compelling subject mater for me on this recent trip to italy. personal dramas observed also became subject matter for me. never before did i wish that my italian had progressed beyond “where is the cash machine?” when we observed a wedding in the town of morimondo. (for the record,” dov’e il bancomat” will get you to the cash machine.)

most of my paintings are oil on linen. oil paint has tremendous depth and luminosity, which particularly suits my subject matter. i start by gluing belgian or italian linen onto hardboard with rabbit skin glue. i then make an egg-oil emulsion rabbit skin glue gesso according to traditional recipes. the resulting painting ground is more absorbent than acrylic or oil based gessoes. i also use this gesso in the hand finishes on my frames. the frames are custom milled and I do all finishing and metal leafing of the surfaces.

each group of paintings that i do is a connected story. the story of these paintings is that of my love of italy, and the fascination it holds for me. i hope you feel like you have joined me in my travels.

view ann belov's etchings and hand colored lithographs

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