evening light and figs from the magic house

After making myself paint most of the day ( enthusiasm and inspiration and energy a bit lacking) I got my camera and decided to go for a walk. it was the time of day when the light is just lovely. The white houses are tinted slightly yellow in the shadow and dazzling white in the remains of the sun.

After spending all day inside painting little details it was bliss to be outside. I strolled downhill and decided to see what my house looked like from near the little house which has been in so many of my paintings. I have not been along that road before and looked back.

As I was standing in the road trying to get a photo of my house the man from the little house came out and invited me in to try a fig.

I have been looking at this house with its bending roof, piles of stones, grapevine

and garden falling down the hill in front of it, dotted with little shacks (hens in one) and vegetables, fruit trees and olive trees since I bought the studio. The very first article I ever wrote here was written sitting looking at it. It has been in at least a dozen paintings and countless photos.

So now I have been on the veranda , have seen the grapevine close up, realised that distance makes things more interesting especially when a liitle imagination is added. I don't think I want to see more of it incase it shatters my illusions. (It was never really going to be the gingerbread house I suppose.?)

So I came away with some illusions left and a bag of figs.

Walking round Dirupo I still find streets I have not been in before and this time I found a little street of old houses where the brick work was exposed. They were beautiful and looked like they were being restored so there were patches of different types of bricks. It looked like a sort of brick patchwork.

Old doors are lovely, but the fading sunlight highlighted everything and made even ordinary things stand out.

I walked for about 30 minutes and on the way back passed several people sitting outside their doors either singly or in groups. It was that time of day.

There are lots of steps in between streets and it's fun exploring. I have never yet not been distracted into taking another route by wondering just where that set of stairs went. It is a bit like a maze only with houses , not hedges.

I finally ended up back at my studio and went for another look at the little magic house. It looked gorgeous , cute , quaint and mysterious in the setting sun. The roof , with its red tiles and quirky shape nestled into the trees beside it and the grapevine shadowed the green wooden door. The old man sat on the bench looking out at Pisticci. I waved and smiled.