The Little Daffodils

Thursday, August 6, 2026

Wall Art: A Quiet Canal in Venice (Fine Art Print)

This piece A Quiet Canal in Venice, Italy watercolour painting, is one of my favourites from the Venice series, today I wanted to walk you through a few different rooms this painting has found itself in — the light, the mood, the furniture around it — because I think the answer to "where does art belong" says a lot about how you actually want a room to feel.

A Quiet Canal in Venice, Italy, my watercolour painting, is available as lovely wall art, giclee fine art print in my Etsy shop DeniseWongArts. It's printed on 100% cotton Canson Arches Aquarelle Rag (310gsm) by my printer partner WhiteWall from Germany.

In a sun-filled living room

There's something about hanging this painting where natural light actually reaches it — the warm ochres and terracottas of the buildings seem to pick up the daylight and hold onto it, almost like the canal is still catching afternoon sun. In a bright living room with sheer curtains and a leafy plant nearby, the painting doesn't compete with the space — it just adds another layer of warmth, like a window that happens to look out onto Venice instead of your street. A simple natural oak frame works beautifully here; it stays out of the way and lets the palette of the painting do the talking.

If your living room leans more contemporary — think a white leather sofa, warm wood coffee tables, a few burnt-orange accent pillows — a softer pewter or antique silver frame can add just enough formality without feeling stiff. It picks up the cooler stone tones in the buildings while still letting the warm canal water be the star of the piece.

In a gallery hallway or entryway

Hang this painting in a hallway with proper museum lighting and a deep charcoal or navy wall behind it, framed in gold with a dark mat, and it stops being "a nice painting" and becomes a moment — the kind of piece people pause in front of on their way through your home. This is where a more formal, gallery-style frame earns its keep. The dark mat creates breathing room between the artwork and the wall, the way you'd see in a proper exhibition space, and it makes the sun-drenched colours of the canal glow even more by contrast.

In a Home Office

Above a wooden writing desk, this painting does something quietly wonderful: it turns a workspace into somewhere you'd actually want to sit for a while. There's a reason people hang travel art near where they work — it's a small, constant reminder that there's a whole world outside the inbox. A black-and-gold frame here adds a touch of old-world elegance that suits a desk with brass lamps and leather accents, without feeling overly formal for a working room.

In a dining or kitchen nook

Near a farmhouse table and bar stools, especially in a space with big windows looking out onto the street, this painting acts almost like a second window — one that happens to open onto a Venetian side canal instead of the view outside. A slim black frame keeps things clean and modern here, letting the architecture and light in the painting take center stage rather than the frame itself.

In a reading corner

Tucked above a velvet armchair with a small side table and a stack of books, this piece changes character completely — it becomes intimate rather than grand. This is where a warm wood-toned frame, like a rich walnut or cherry, feels right; it echoes the wooden shutters and doorways in the painting itself and creates a cosy, layered look, especially next to greenery and soft textiles.

In a bedroom

Above a headboard, this painting brings a gentle, restful energy — the pale blue sky and warm stone tones read as calm rather than busy, which is exactly what you want in a room meant for slowing down. Whether the walls are a soft dove grey or a deeper blue, a light natural oak frame keeps the mood airy. This piece is the kind of scene you'd want to look at first thing in the morning.

A quick note on choosing a frame

Natural oak or light wood — best for bright, airy rooms (living rooms, bedrooms) where you want the painting to feel like a window rather than a statement piece.
Black or slim modern frames — best for contemporary spaces where you want clean lines and don't want the frame competing with existing decor.
Gold or ornate frames — best for entryways, hallways, and more formal rooms where the art is meant to be the focal point, gallery-style.
Warm wood tones (walnut, cherry) — best for cosy, layered rooms with mixed textures — reading nooks, snugs, spaces with lots of plants and soft furnishings.

There's no single "correct" way to frame a piece — it really comes down to whether you want the painting to blend into the room's mood or stand apart from it.

Bring a piece of Venice home

A Quiet Canal in Venice, Italy is available now as a fine art giclee print, printed on 100% cotton Canson Arches Aquarelle Rag (310gsm) by my printer partner WhiteWall in Germany — you can find it as lovely wall art or as a fine art print in my Etsy shop, DeniseWongArts.

It is available in 6 sizes: 13.6x14.6in, 17.6x18.9in, 21.6x23.3in, 25.6x27.6in, 29.6x32in, 33.6x36.3in

If you're an interior designer sourcing art for a client, or simply someone who's fallen in love with Venice from afar, I'd love for this little canal to find a wall in your home too.

Wall Art: A Quiet Corner of Nesso, Lake Como, Italy (Fine Art Print)

There's a bend in Lake Como, just past Bellagio, where a little stone bridge arcs over a stream running down from the mountains into the lake — and the water there turns the most impossible shade of turquoise you've ever seen, almost too vivid to be real. That's Nesso, and it's the moment I wanted to capture in A Quiet Corner of Nesso, Lake Como, Italy: sun-yellow buildings wrapped in ivy and red shutters, a weathered stone footbridge, dense green hillside pressing in from behind, and that impossibly bright water below.

Today I wanted to walk you through a few different rooms this painting has found itself in — the light, the mood, the furniture around it — because I think the answer to "where does art belong" says a lot about how you actually want a room to feel.

A Quiet Corner of Nesso, Lake Como, Italy, my watercolour painting, is available as lovely wall art, giclee fine art print in my Etsy shop DeniseWongArts. It's printed on 100% cotton Canson Arches Aquarelle Rag (310gsm) by my printer partner WhiteWall from Germany.

This artwork is suitable to be framed using different types of frames such as wooden frame, and this one, a classic frame, with or without matt is fine. My fine art prints on Canson Arches Aquarelle Rag include a 0.79" white border on all sides — ideal for framing or matting. Different types of frames and colours will suit different interior settings even the furniture and decors in different room.

Hang this piece somewhere with proper gallery lighting and a deep charcoal-blue wall behind it, framed in gold with a dark mat, and the colours genuinely glow — that's the effect of putting a saturated, sunlit painting against a cool, dark backdrop. This is where a more formal, museum-style frame really earns its place. It's the kind of painting people stop in front of, phone half-raised, the way you'd pause in an actual gallery.

This fine art print is available in 6 sizes:

12.6 x 8.8in

19.4×13.6in

25.3×17.6in

31.2×21.6in

37.1×25.6in

43.1×29.6in

Tucked above a velvet armchair, next to a leafy plant and a stack of books, this painting becomes something closer to a window than wall art — that dense greenery in the painting practically continues the plant beside it into the frame. A natural wood-toned frame suits this setting perfectly; it lets the painting's own colour and texture carry the room without adding competing tones.

The artwork on the wall during a special event, perhaps a wedding, a special gathering with family and friends or this is a corner to display your beloved painting, a quiet moment to cherish.

Because this painting is already so rich in colour — that saturated turquoise water against acid-green foliage — it works best in a room that gives it space to breathe rather than competing for attention. In a bright, neutral living room with a white sofa and warm wood tones, the painting becomes the clear focal point without any effort; the eye goes straight to that band of green water. A simple natural oak frame keeps things calm here, letting the painting's own colour do all the talking rather than adding another visual layer.

On the wall and above your old or newly bought cabinet.

Above a headboard, this piece brings genuine energy into a room — more vivid and alive than a muted palette, which some people love for a bedroom and others find a touch much. If you love colour and want your bedroom to feel a little more like a holiday than a retreat, this is the piece for that. Against a soft lavender or dusty blue wall, the greens and turquoise in the painting pick up and echo the room's own cooler tones, while a light oak frame keeps everything feeling airy rather than heavy.

And a good night sleep with the serenity of the artwork on the wall of a lovely bedroom.

This Nesso Italian village artwork creates a moment of peace and calmness and also refreshing to the mind when you are at work or studying. Above a wooden writing desk, this painting brings a real hit of green, almost like having a window onto a hillside rather than a cityscape. It's the kind of piece that makes a desk feel less like a desk and more like a spot you'd actually choose to sit at. A natural oak frame keeps the look warm and grounded, especially paired with brass desk accessories and leather details.

A quick note on choosing a frame

If you're trying to decide how to frame a piece this colour-rich for your own space, here's my tips:

Natural oak or light wood — best for most rooms with this painting; because the colours are already so saturated, a light, simple frame keeps the whole thing from feeling overwhelming.
Gold or ornate frames with a dark mat — best for entryways, hallways, and gallery-style walls, where you want the contrast between a dark backdrop and the painting's brightness to do the work.
Avoid heavily patterned or busy walls behind this piece — because the painting itself carries so much colour and detail, it tends to look best against a clean, fairly neutral wall.

There's no single "correct" way to frame a piece — it really comes down to whether you want the painting to blend into the room's mood or stand apart from it. With a painting this vivid, though, I'd lean toward letting it stand apart.

Bring a piece of Lake Como home

A Quiet Corner of Nesso, Lake Como, Italy is available now as a fine art giclee print, printed on 100% cotton Canson Arches Aquarelle Rag (310gsm) by my printer partner WhiteWall in Germany — you can find this fine art print in my Etsy shop, DeniseWongArts.

If you're an interior designer sourcing art for a client, or simply someone who's fallen in love with Lake Como from afar, I'd love for this little corner of Nesso to find a wall in your home too.

Thursday, July 30, 2026

Medieval Italian Hilltop Castle Beneath a Full Moon, Watercolour Painting (Completed)

Buongiorno! The 31cm x 16.5cm watercolour painting is done! This painting will be available to purchase soon in my Etsy shop DeniseWongArts.

I have took videos of the painting process. I'll do my best to share the video in my Youtube channel, and then post the video here.

The Latest Visitors in my Garden: Palm Civet (Toddy Cat!), Squirrel and a Frog

Any idea what animal is this? Ok, by now since the names of the animals already stated on my post's title, it is easier to know that this creature is a Palm Civet or a Toddy cat!

It showed up on the roof of my house about two days ago. At first, I thought a large cat had showed up, but no (and yes; it does look like a large cat). I wasn't aware it has been living inside the roof of my house (with baby toddy cats!) as I heard the sound of baby animals crying whenever this large cat showed up.

Can you spot the cat? Yes, it is wearing sunglasses! Nope. Alright, the cat is on the left, and was about to cross to the tree branch to reach the fruits (small jackfruit/chempedak, a fruit tree planted by my late father) which has strong sweet smell. But when it saw me it immediately walked back to where it came from, most likely the entrance to the "inner sanctuary" of the roof where it has a family there.

Can you spot the cat? At this moment of time, Toddy the cat showed up again after disappeared for a few seconds; it climbed onto the fruit tree and was very close to the fruits by now. But it stopped, and watched me, and studied me from the top! And after a few seconds, it walked back to the roof again.

It is not a small Toddy cat. It is pretty large with rather long tail. A large wild cat indeed!

There it was studying me from top, again. It has cute face.

It was looking at the floor many times, I wonder why.

A large Toddy cat. Beautiful creature.

What if I only saw the back of it? Will this frightened me? Because from this view, it looks like a strange wild animal. A wild monkey? Nope, that is Toddy the large cat.

This is another wildlife encounter! It is a squirrel! Here in my garden, there are, if not mistaken, two types of squirrels that live here. This type is fatter and has a white line across both sides of its body. All the squirrels here are very cheeky, playful and energetic. In this photo (a screenshot from one of the videos I took of it), it is feeding on the small jackfruit.

There, maybe it is the same squirrel, on the same day. It was watching me and was approaching me.

It was getting very close to me!

Very curious, cheeky and energetic squirrel.

And this frog. It had a the most pleasant swim in a big water container in my garden about 8days ago. And since I needed to throw away the rain water from the container, I had to scoop it out and move it to another "pond". Here the frog seems very happy and contented with whatever Providence has prepare for it, or it has complete confidence in me that it is in good hands, hence it was very relaxed and steady.

I will share the videos of Toddy the cat, the squirrel and the frog soon in my Youtube channel.

Friday, July 24, 2026

Burano Canal, Venetian Lagoon - Watercolour Painting

Buongiorno! I am delighted to share my latest Venice watercolour painting (16.5cm x 31cm) - A sun-drenched canal in Burano, lined with colourful houses and moored boats, arched by a small stone bridge and shaded by an overhanging tree. This painting will be completed this week and will be available to purchase in my Etsy shop DeniseWongArts. It is painted on 300gsm professional watercolour paper.

Medieval Italian Hilltop Castle Beneath a Full Moon, Watercolour Painting

A 31cm x 16.5cm watercolour painting that I started working on a few days ago — a medieval Italian hilltop castle stands on a rocky cliff beneath a luminous full moon, set against a deep blue dusk sky. This painting will be completed this week, and it will be available to purchase in my Etsy shop, DeniseWongArts. I do worldwide shipping to selected countries via DHL International Express, with delivery taking around 3 days only.

Life in Venice: A Venetian Cat, a Gondola, and a Restaurant at Venice Canal, Watercolour Painting

I have been working on little watercolour paintings of Venice, this is one of them! For the last 2-3 months, I have been looking at and studying hundreds of images of Venice. This painting is painted from my imagination and feelings — the Venetian cat, the gondola, and the restaurant at the Venice canal. If you'd like to purchase this original painting, it will be available in my Etsy shop today. It is painted on lovely 300gsm professional watercolour paper.