Well thanks to FRANCESCA PRATELLESI's art you can do just that! For this amazing painter is of Maltese descent! Here she tells us more about her oil paintings and current collective exhibition in Zabbar. Don't miss it! Writes Erika Brincat

Dear Francesca, your mother is Maltese but you were born and raised in Tuscany. Is it a nice place to grow up and live?

Yes sure, Tuscany is one of the most beautiful parts of Italy. It's a wonderful place to live especially if you are a landscape painter like me. I was born in Siena, a medieval town south of Florence, surrounded by amazing countryside. Tuscany has also a lot to offer to visitors, and our art cities, history and landscapes attract millions of people every year. The food is delicious and we produce some of the finest wines in the world!

Where do you live exactly?

I live in a very pretty village called Iesa, about 30 minutes south of Siena and 45 minutes away from the beaches. It is right on top of a ridge and within a beautiful area of unspoilt Mediterranean forest which is not exploited by tourism. Very close to us we have thermal springs and a river, called Farma, where we go swimming in summer. The way of life is very relaxing and we all know each other as we are only 200 people.

What led you to painting as a profession?

The idea of becoming a painter was always in my mind, and I was attracted to colours and paints since I was very little. I had an aptitude for drawing and 10 years ago I first tried oil, which soon became my favourite medium. At first it was just a hobby but I had a very flexible job which left me with plenty of free time to practise painting. Now I paint most of the time but I still work once in a while, taking people on tours around Tuscany. This job enables me to meet wonderful people all the time but also to explore and discover new places, providing plenty of inspiration for my paintings. It's a very good combination.

The Tuscan landscapes seem like a natural inspiration. Which scenes and flowers draw you the most?

My favourite subjects are wildflowers, oak trees and vineyards. I like to paint what I see around me, things from my environment that grab my attention. I paint landscapes most of the times, and as here we have four seasons and the countryside changes quite a lot during the year, my paintings change accordingly. My aim is to communicate my love for nature and my homeland through my paintings.

Have you also painted any Maltese landscapes?

No I haven't, however, I have painted the occasional seascape - my oil painting By the Sea for example is inspired by Malta. I have also painted a cat in Valletta and I remember drawing for hours in my nanna's house in Attard, in the afternoons in summer, many years ago.

You have put together a blog where people can find out more about your process as an artist. Do tell us more....

The blog is called Painting Tuscany and I share all my posts on my Facebook fanpage, Francesca Pratellesi Painting Tuscany. I also have a website www.francescapratellesi.com. Nowadays thanks to the internet artists have a lot of opportunities to share their work and establish a direct relationship with people.

Both the blog and the fanpage are a lot of fun and they have helped me meet other artists, share my paintings and also keep track of my work.  It also helps me stay focused because I know people are expecting to see a new painting every week or so.

Although you live in a remote village in Tuscany, some of your works are available in Malta. Where can we find them?

You can find some of my works at Lily Agius Gallery in Cathedral Street, Sliema.

You are participating in the Malta Contemporary Art & Artists Exhibition, currently being held in the Sanctuary Museum of Zabbar, can you please tell us more about this exhibition?

It's an exhibition with works of seven Maltese artists and three foreign artists. The exhibition will run until this coming Friday, 25 September. I'm very happy to participate with two paintings and I hope people will enjoy it.

For more information visit http://francescapratellesi.blogspot.it, www.francescapratellesi.com