It is a delicate explosion of color, the gentle stroke that arrests the passage of time in the changing landscapes of Predazzo and its surroundings. It is the artistic expression of Francesca Gabrielli, a decorator and painter who is now retired but still continues to paint, recounting the territory and nature that have always had a special place in her life.
Francesca Gabrielli was born and raised in Predazzo. Since her childhood Francesca has loved to draw and paint. When Francesca finished compulsory school she found employment as a saleswoman at Bazar Giacomelli, a store selling flowers and toys, in front of Hotel Ancora. She worked there for eight years and perhaps, who knows, it was this riot of colors and floral scents that influenced her choice of one of the subjects that had always been the protagonists of her paintings.
In the fall of 1980, Francesca began to collaborate with Dario Pavesi, who in those years had a business on Via delle Coronelle where objects of various workmanship and sizes were decorated.
It is here that Francesca deepens the technique of watercolor decorations; first on small objects such as napkin rings then on increasingly larger objects, from umbrella stands to benches.
When, after a few years, the company for which she worked seemed to be nearing closure, Francesca set up on her own, continuing to decorate objects, first with the help of her brother Giorgio and then on her own, finally arriving at the point where she bought the space on Via Fiamme Gialle where she still exhibits and paints.
Francesca’s clients include not only stores and businesses in the Valley, some are beyond regional borders and some beyond national borders, in Germany. Among the most important and lasting collaborations is one with a wholesaler in Holzkirchen with whom the working relationship soon turns into a lasting friendship between the two families so much so that Francesca is often invited to decorate their objects at their headquarters in Germany.
In the meantime, Francesca also begins to paint a few pictures; among her favorite subjects are floral compositions but also many landscapes and views of Predazzo, which day after day Francesca rediscovers on her outdoor walks. And then there is Medil, “the village of women” the place where her mother was born and that still today, despite the havoc left by the storm Vaia, manages to offer fascinating and evocative views.
Since 2011 Francesca has been retired but you can still find her painting in her studio with a display at 7/d Via Fiamme Gialle.
Via Fiamme Gialle 7d Predazzo
