When you live in a bold and cosmopolitan city such as New York, you’re bound to open your eyes, and sometimes your heart to some of the latest and exciting things all around you. Case and point, last week, just when I was walking up to the Dorchester building on East 57th Street, I reluctantly stepped inside the Wally Finlday Galleries after my husband encouraged me to do so.

But once we were shown around by the gallery director, I was delighted to discover the works of Italy’s most important living artist, Nicola Simbari. What attracted me the most about his art was the techniques that were used, and their results – masterful paintings on canvas, brilliantly achieved by a palette knife. This technique became his signature look almost immediately after he started to paint at the ripe age of 13. The second thing that impressed me was how well he was able to translate the feeling of summer into his paintings. The Mediterranean came alive with each stroke of his palette knife. His semi abstract impressionist works are a breath of fresh air, and today, they remind me that since August is here, it’s high time to enjoy those long, lazy summer days – before they vanish in the wind.

Color, Energy, and Emotion: Nicola Simbari, Woman Emerging