Dreaming Of Lake Como

"Morning Ferry, Varenna" Watercolor by Derek Gundy

It really has been five long years since we've been to Italy. Too long... I find I have been indulging in flavors that transport me back to this magical country if only in my imagination.

One of my favorite places is Lake Como. Here there a stunningly beautiful small towns at different points of the lake, with many of the major towns accessible by ferry. Three central towns form "ferry triangle", so easy to hop on a boat and go from town to town. The towns are Mennagio, Varenna, and Bellagio.

All three are gorgeous places to be, but I have to say my hands down favorite has to be Varenna. A quiet town on the east side of the lake, it is a 15-20minute ferry ride from popular and bustling Bellagio. Varenna stretches out along the edge of the lake, with winding pathways guiding you along just feet above the surface of the water.

Here on our first trip in 2002, we met Giorgio, owner of Il Pozzo, a gem & jewelry shop right in the heart on Varenna, just step from the Lake. Giorgio's shop is in the orange building right in the center of this painting. This is one of many watercolors in a series on Varenna I'm working on right now in the studio. His shop is on the 1st floor, and he lives on the third.

"Varenna, Lake Como, Italy" Watercolor by Derek Gundy

It was on Lake Como in 2002 that we got engaged, and Il Pozzo was one of the first places we started looking for a ring for my bride. While we didn't find the engagement ring there, we did purchase several beautiful handmade pieces made by Parrini, a small jewelry maker from Florence. When Giorgio learned we were to be married, he immediately went to work making a special necklace for my fiance, when he told us in English what he was doing it translated as "fertility necklace"...so funny, so sweet, so generous...we had known the man for 10 minutes and he was creating a gift for us.

It was this friendship which kept bringing us back to Lake Como year after year for the next 4 years... in our more recent trips we have had wine and meals with our friend Giorgio. Each year we purchase new pieces from him and he always remembers us. The whole experience has made Varenna most special in our hearts beyond the jaw dropping beauty of the town.

 It is always nice to have a friend in Italy.

New Wine Art

Lately I've been producing new work in my Artistic Wine series...you can see all my wine paintings at www.artisticwine.com. Here are the latest. For some of these I have had naming contests on Facebook, where the person with the winning title gets a free print of that painting sent to them, and a naming credit on my website.

Amy's Wine House, contest winner Gregory Wren
original watercolor $400, prints for $15 & 30

Designated Dreamer, contest winner Jeannie Dail
original watercolor $400, prints for $15 & 30

Tidepool, original watercolor $400
prints for $15 & 30

Untitled, naming contest ends Friday July 27th
original watercolor $400, prints for $15 & 30

A burst of new work!

This winter I was able to produce some new paintings. The first piece is PDA, or "Public Display of Affection" a 24x36 Acrylic on Canvas for $1200. It fits with my wine art series and features another Octopus (as in 20,000 Liters Under The Sea)...and the second is a departure from my "normal" work, titled "Journey to the Other Side", a 36x36 Acrylic on Canvas for $1500. It features the turtle and the scorpion fable, with all kinds of other issues mixed in.


This has been a winter full of lots of challenges, and the work definitely reflects the nature of that. As we turn the corner into spring, I have a busy teaching schedule...and very much looking forward to it.

I hope you all enjoy the paintings.

Drawing Included in new Juliette Aristides Classical Drawing Book

I'm very pleased to be included in Juliette Aristides new Lessons in Classical Drawing book, which was just released in November. Juliette came to teach a week long Classical Still Life workshop in Poulsbo in 2010 and took notice of some structural drawings from my drawing class. Being asked to submit work for the book was an honor enough, but I'm very pleased to be part of such a class act of a book. There is even a DVD which features drawing lessons, as well as some great scenes in Florence & Venice. For anyone who is an artist or wants to become one, I highly recommend the book. Below is the drawing of the Caulking Gun which was included on page 95 as an example of cylinders.

Sunflower Seas: The Sequel

Years ago I created a painting called Sunflower Seas. It featured my old man character "Alfred" on a quest for a giant fish from the depths of the yellow water. Clouds came to life like fish. Alfred's dreams often become reality. This piece sold in 2009.

Here is my newest visitation to this story. Sunflower Seas II: Fish On. Here Alfred has finally hooked a fish, and a big one at that. This is an 18x24 Acrylic on Canvas and is available for $600.

To purchase this painting, Email Me.

20,000 Liters Under The Sea

My latest painting is titled "20,000 Liters Under The Sea" a little play on the novel by Jules Verne. Here the Octopus is wrapping its tentacles around a bottle of wine...trying to get it open of course! This painting will be hanging at Sogno Di Vino Wine Bar & Ristorante in Poulsbo, WA beginning Friday July 1st. It will be hanging right by another new piece "Life In A Bottle"....


The two pieces will go well together. Each original painting is available for $1200. If you are interested in purchasing please contact me. Keep in mind I also do commissions if my work is inspiring other interesting ideas you would like for your art collection. For more of my wine related artwork, visit ArtisticWine.com.

Message In A Bottle

The focus lately has been on my wine related paintings, as I received my business license for Artistic Wine on May 1st of this year. Having painted and sold images like these for years, it was finally time to make prints and form some sort of business with it. I've always loved mermaids, and what a great subject to imagine in a wine bottle...floating along, even with a little wine left in the bottle. Here is one of my latest "Mermaid In A Bottle: Peeking Above The Surface". It is painted with Golden acrylics on an 18x24 canvas. $600 . Prints available soon. Visit my Artistic Wine website for more wine related work.