Her bags are packed and she’s ready to go. Long Island City-based artist and fine arts educator, Clare Stokolosa, is returning to her favorite Tuscan hilltop town in Italy, which overlooks a picture-worthy valley with breath-taking vistas of rolling hills and mountains. 

She says the color and light are inspirational for painting. “I was introduced to Cortona, a magical place, and I have not stopped going back. It has changed over the years, as many more people speak English and there are more tourists, but it still holds its magic,” said the Astoria native whose grandparents came from Naples.