A Watercolor Journal of Florence

by Douglas Lew

“If I were to analyze myself I would say that I paint broadly in the style of contemporary realism. I prefer paintings that are unexpectedly well-composed and convey a solid drawing – not a copy of a photograph but of imagination and knowledge.

I enjoy a good abstract painting though it leaves me a bit dissatisfied, for without the discipline of drawing I feel unchallenged either in painting one or viewing one. I strive to achieve a sense of force and lightness, of energy and ease, a careful carelessness and a sense of the poetic.”
(Douglas Lew)

«Florence has fascinated travelers for centuries – among them writers, artists and musicians. Rinuccio in Puccini’s opera Gianni Schicchi sang, ‘Florence is like a tree in flower’.
Doug captures not just the sights but the textures of Florence. He understands that Florence is not only its famous historical monuments, but also its markets and restaurants, its doorways and window grills, and its neighborhood displays of intimate apparel lines of laundry. Florence through Doug’s eyes includes even its tourists, who flood its streets in search of art, history, and gelato. Doug’s watercolors exhibit a trained eye, a spirit of creativity and technical excellence. The returning visitors to Florence will delight in his details that prompt a re-examination of the familiar. And the first-time visitors will cherish this book because it captures, in a very individual way, the Florence that casts a spell over nearly every visitor. It is a virtual mosaic of this city that has been beloved to so many through the ages.”
(from the Foreword by Lyndel King, director and chief curator, Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis)