Love Stories from an Italian Vacation

It all started with a dream and a passion for photography and Leonardo’s portrait of Mona Lisa. One memorable month in Puglia, Florence, and Milan, Italy, turned that dream into a series of unforgettable moments. Following my passions created memories that will last a lifetime. If you ever get the chance to travel, I say—go! The beauty of Puglia’s olive groves, Florence’s Renaissance art, and Milan’s vibrant energy can inspire your creativity as they did mine.

Love is a wonderful teacher.

“A life without love, is no life at all,” said Leonardo da Vinci. These words resonate deeply with me. Love is not just a fleeting emotion; it is a powerful force that shapes our actions, fuels our passions, and transforms our lives. It’s the cornerstone of creativity, the foundation for growth, and the lens through which we view the world’s beauty.

Leonardo da Vinci’s life embodies this principle. He’s the inspiration for my series, The Art of Success and other books on creativity.

Leonardo’s life teaches us that love—be it for art, learning, or humanity—is greater than fear and more powerful than failure. His relentless curiosity and his passion for learning serve as reminders that our setbacks and challenges can be the catalysts for growth and innovation.

Learning from Leonardo

Leonardo pursued his greatest loves: learning, acquiring knowledge, and living authentically. He turned his failures into stepping stones, experimenting and refining until he created something extraordinary. What stands out most to me is how human he was. In many ways, Leonardo da Vinci is just like you and me.

He experienced self-doubt, had family struggles, and often felt abandoned. He faced moments of failure when his projects didn’t succeed or when others tried to undermine his talent. Money worries sometimes forced him to take on work he didn’t enjoy, and he worked under tyrants who didn’t always appreciate his genius. Yet, through all this, Leonardo channeled his emotions—both joy and suffering—into his work. He remained true to his love of art and inquiry, and this perseverance led to his enduring legacy.

the failure behind one of Leonardo’s most visited and revered paintings

Check out this video about the failure behind one of the world’s most visited and revered paintings The Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci https://vimeo.com/84022735

Doing what you love, as Leonardo did,  is such an important part of success – and persevering in the face of failure.

In my Art of Success survey I loved the question someone said they would have loved to ask Leonardo da Vinci,  “What gave you persistence despite the obstacles?”

Setbacks only made Leonardo more determined to succeed. Leonardo once said, “Obstacles cannot crush me; every obstacle yields to stern resolve.” 

One of the many things I do to stay sane(?!) and motivated is to create and surround myself with inspiring quotes and memories.

A fabulously passionate bookshop owner took this photo in her magical bookstore in Puglia, Italy. I added the quote today to remind me how it is a luxury to have time, silence and solitude.

Could it be only be ten years ago that I seized the opportunity to follow my passion for photography and combine it with a research trip (yes, research… ) for the novel I am finally bunkering down to complete. It’s been a 10-year odyssey—the only failure will be to give up!

“They had a dream and look how far it took them,” ~ Carla Coulson

You may enjoy this wee video about our time together: http://carlacoulson.com/they-had-a-dream-and-look-where-it-took-them/

Below are several of the photos I took during this fun and fab time.

Learning the art of Fresco in Florence

One of my many highlights was learning the art of fresco in Florence—and going to see Leonardo da Vinci’s fresco, The Last Supper, In Milan.

The wall painting was commissioned by Ludovico Sforza, the duke of Milan and Leonardo’s patron during his first extended stay in that city. Leonardobegan working on the painting in 1495 and, as was his manner, worked slowly with long pauses between sessions, until he finished in 1498. 

Seeing the painting was bittersweet. Sweet to be in Milan where Leonardo once lived and worked and to have the opportunity to visit the painting. Bitter, because, as I explain below, so little of his original work remains.

The Last Supper

After centuries of maltreatment, the Last Supper underwent an extensive and controversial 20-year restoration that was completed in 1999 (I visited in 2014).

Restorers worked in small sections to remove previous retouches, layers of grime, and coats of varnish while adding beige watercolour to the parts that could not be recovered.

The restoration of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper was controversial for several reasons:

1. Loss of Original Detail: Critics argued that the restoration removed too much of Leonardo’s original paint, leaving behind an interpretation rather than the authentic work. Since much of the original fresco had deteriorated beyond recognition, the restorers relied heavily on educated guesswork to reconstruct missing portions.
2. Use of Watercolor Additions: The decision to use beige watercolor to fill in irrecoverable sections sparked debate. While the approach was intended to distinguish the additions from Leonardo’s original work, some critics felt it compromised the integrity of the painting.
3. Length of the Project: The 20-year timeline raised concerns about whether the extended exposure to chemicals, cleaning, and human interaction could have further damaged the fragile artwork.
4. Aesthetic Choices: Restorers had to make subjective decisions about color tones and details, leading to criticism that their choices reflected modern artistic interpretations rather than historical accuracy.
5. Philosophical Debate: The restoration reignited debates about the ethics of restoring fragile, iconic artworks. Should a masterpiece be heavily restored to enhance its appearance, or should it be preserved in its deteriorated state to honor the passage of time?
6. Public Expectations: Many people anticipated a dramatically improved version of The Last Supper. Instead, the result revealed the fresco’s fragmentary state, with large areas reconstructed in a way that highlighted the extent of the damage.

Ultimately, while the restoration aimed to preserve The Last Supper for future generations, the controversy underscores the challenges of balancing preservation, restoration, and historical integrity.

Perhaps that was why I never ‘felt’ Leonardo’s soul…how little of his hand on the brush remains.
By the time the 20-year restoration began in 1979, as little as 20% of Leonardo’s original painting remained.

To limit further damage I, and other people who wanted to see his masterpiece, are only allowed to view it for 15 minutes before being moved on. Still, it was nice not to be crammed in a tight space with too many people making a racket.

Passion as Your Guide

When I walked through the sun-dappled streets of Puglia, wandered the art-filled streets of Florence, and felt the modern pulse of Milan, I thought of Leonardo and his unwavering dedication to his craft. His ability to find beauty and meaning, even amidst life’s trials, reminds me that pursuing our passions is never a wasted effort. It’s through these pursuits that we find ourselves and create something meaningful.

As an artist, author, and photographer, I’ve learned that love—for a place, a subject, or even an idea—is the most powerful inspiration. It’s what allows us to see the world differently and share that vision with others. Whether it’s capturing the golden light on a Tuscan hillside, the intricate details of a Milanese cathedral, or the laughter of a stranger in Puglia, love is at the heart of every image.

Mona Lisa, pencil and charcoal, Cassandra Gaisford

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