Blue Parrot, Mother's Bliss 2019

Cristiano Tassinari painted "Blue Parrot, Mother's Bliss" with an expressionist brush and a real eye for colour. I imagine him, mixing up those pinks and greens, maybe in his studio in Bologna, Italy. I love that he isn’t afraid to let the paint be paint: thick dabs and visible brushstrokes sit next to thin washes. It feels so playful, almost like a conversation between the artist and the canvas. Look at the way the parrot perches with its green body, blue wings, and colorful face. See how the brushstrokes give it life. The backdrop of pink flowers is a nice contrast to the darkness of the wooden table. Tassinari has definitely looked at the work of other painters. He is part of an ongoing conversation with artists from the past. Each mark is a kind of embodied thought. It’s like he’s saying, “Here’s what I see, what I feel. What do you think?” Painting is a way of seeing and thinking all at once.