Gift for my host family

So something I've been procrastinating is obtaining a gift for my "host family." I put that in quotes because none of it seems real. I don't have any details on who, when, where, or how -- except that she or them is/are in Florence within 30 minutes. I say she or them because it could be a couple or it could be an elderly lady.. only time will tell.

It actually really makes you think - what could represent where you're from? That wouldn't be completely tacky or useless? I was pretty hesitant about bringing buckeyes or some Ohio State themed gift.

And then, my friend suggested something like this off Pinterest, but I wasn't sure about the weight and practicality of bring you know, wood and nails onto an airplane. After a copious amount of brainstorming and numerous options, this is what I ended up doing -- and fell in LOVE with the idea!

It's an 8x8 canvas, for $4 from a craft store. I picked this scene because I felt the perspective of the landscape draws you, and it's saying, Here's a glimpse of Ohio! Come in and see!

I wanted to give some close ups, so you can really see the texture!

I will admit that I struggled slightly with taking photos of a painting from different angles. It's like combining my 2 love

Things I struggled with:

- figuring out a background color

- the texture for the background. I used acrylics, and decided to experiment with impasto, which is really fun stuff, but not really retractable. That's what gives that older, historical feel to it.

- I realized afterward that purple is the mourning/death color for Italians… so hopefully it'll be okay!

I love this idea so much and wanted to keep it for myself! I'm really thinking about doing one for each state I've lived in, or start a series, and do different seasons, or something! It's small, manageable, and functionally cute. 

A great DIY painting project.