Barna is a village above Lake Como, with a quiet, timeless atmosphere. We walked to it from Menaggio, climbing the steep gorge and entering an ancient side street. With clear weather the shadows were crisp, the colours rich and the scene engaging. I took several photos and this painting is the first of a few I hope to complete.

Why this scene? Well the light coming through the gap between the buildings and hitting the wall and foliage was wonderful and a challenge to replicate. The textures of the walls and path surface are also strong features and I wasn’t sure how to capture them effectively without them overpowering the picture. I think I’ve done ok.

But is the picture a strong enough scene to generate interest from the more casual viewer. I’m not sure but I think that its more interesting as a painting than a photo. I wanted to create intrigue, ‘what’s around the corner?’ . What is actually around the corner will be another painting.

Barna, Italy