Sophie Cangelosi, Priscilla in Scillato, acrylic on birch panel, 18 x 24 in., 2024.
Priscilla in Scillato is a piece I hold close to my heart. It depicts one of my dearest friends picking and tasting grapes in the courtyard of a farm we stayed at together while visiting Sicily. Bordering this imagery are blocks of blues and yellows that were found around the farm property, as well as patterns found in the wrought iron gates at the entrance.
We spent a lot of time in this courtyard; admiring the various grape varieties as they were ripening, laying in the grass with the farm dog, and walking through the rows of citrus trees around the property. We witnessed the hard work and patience that farming requires—specifically during a drought and a summer that brought record heat—along with the sensual splendor that is abundantly found in earthly flora and fauna. Recently, I read this quote by Lao Tzu: “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” To garden or to farm is to surrender to the natural paces of the earth and let it be your teacher season after season.