Little Italies: A Slower World in 6x6 Inches
There’s a certain hush in the narrow alleys of Italy.
A quiet joy in the clink of a coffee cup, the open window, the lemon tree that always seems to bloom.
That’s the frequency I painted from.
And this week, I released it.
Little Italies is my newest collection, a series of 6x6” impasto oil paintings capturing vignettes of Italian life in miniature:
stone archways, bougainvillea spills, turquoise seas, laundry lines, café tables, shutters cracked open to sunlight.
These are not just scenes. They’re reminders.
That life can be slow.
And beauty doesn’t need permission.
Each piece was created using my signature palette knife technique, bold texture, thick color, unapologetic joy. The challenge? Translating that onto a tiny square canvas. And yet, somehow, the smallness made them more alive.
They’re flying off the shelves already, and I’m grateful to the collectors who felt the pull.
🖼 A few are still available here:
As I painted, I kept returning to one phrase:
“Italy gets it right.”
Not just in architecture or cuisine, but in how they live:
Time is art. Meals are connection. Days are for savoring.
This series is my love letter to that rhythm.
And perhaps a soft invitation:
To make a little room for your own Italy.
Even if only in the quiet corner of a wall.
A window. A shutter. A vine. A pause.
Lisa Elley
Professional Palette Knife Artist
