Bosco

Miss Murphy, an inspiring teacher, often led small groups of her students into the Tuscan countryside for immersive field trips. On one such adventure, Iris and three classmates climbed olive trees, gently scraping ripe olives from their branches with small hand rakes.

Two decades later, Iris returned to Florence, spending a week in Miss Murphy’s studio, where the two reconnected over their shared love of painting. Set high above the terracotta rooftops of Florence’s historic center, they created together, painting in oils and exchanging memories. During this week, Iris completed a trio of Tuscany-inspired landscapes, drawing from the golden autumn light and the rich, earthy tones around her. This particular piece envisions a hillside sprinkled with early autumn wildflowers at the border of a “Bosco,” or woods in Italian. Using small brushes borrowed from her teacher, Iris painted while savoring Chianti and olives, capturing the warm, late-afternoon light that bathed the studio in a soft glow, reminiscent of the Tuscan sunset filtering through.