Local artist, Luca Gasperi, recently returned from a two-month art residency in Bermuda.
Every year, the Masterworks Foundation selects two artists to visit the British island and paint at the Dockyard Terrace Gallery and Studio. In return for the opportunity, Gasperi taught five watercolor classes and donated one painting to the foundation.
Gasperi spent much of his free time traveling throughout Bermuda on foot, ferry or bus with his sketchbook in hand. His memory and sketches were the only references for his paintings, a departure from the photographs he typically uses for reference in his artwork.
Gasperi also spent a few days exploring Bermudan farms, even pitching in one day to help Tom Watson, a local crop farmer. He also received a tour of the many farms and fields from Ministry of Agriculture employee Tommy Sinclair.
Gasperi is not only an artist on St. Croix but also an organic farmer, so he was immediately drawn to the local agriculture. The island became famous for its exported Bermuda onions and Easter lilies. Impressed by the beautiful fields and strong farming tradition, Gasperi was easily inspired by the imagery and people of Bermuda.
A reporter with The Royal Gazette, Nancy Acton, described the artist's work , ". . . whether it is in nearby Somerset, where he walks, or traveling in a bus, Mr. Gasperi usually has but moments to sketch what takes his fancy – be it someone walking down the street, plowing a field, whitewashing a roof, or gardening. The big details he carries in his mind – the colour of the water or building, the movement of trees, geographical details, the play of light, and body language, for example – until he gets back to his brushes."
By working in such a manner, Gasperi said he is able to “record the sense and image as you are painting. You are building colour and atmosphere. It is a wonderful way to paint."
Brimming at day's end with memorized details and momentary sketches, Gasperi painted at Dockyard, an old British naval complex situated on the West End of Bermuda. While on Bermuda, Gasperi presented two art shows at the Masterworks Front Street Gallery in Hamilton. The first show, held in early December, included original artwork from the Bermuda Atlas and Gazetteer by G. Daniel Blagg, a book Gasperi designed and illustrated in 1997, and watercolors of St. Croix from the artist's personal collection.
The second show opened in mid January and features 15 watercolors painted during his two-month residency.
Gasperi is currently working on a Crucian collection in the same sketchbook-technique. For more information, please call Luca Gasperi at (340) 773-2386.
