FERNANDO CIDONCHA
ARTURO'S GARDEN
Arturo’s Garden is a forthcoming picture book created for my son. Told through original paintings and verse, it follows Arturo as wind and rain transform the garden he loves—and as an unexpected seedling reveals that change can also bring new life, beauty and connection.
I plan to publish the book independently, with its release currently scheduled for 20 October 2026. A series of events in and around Florence will accompany the launch.
Further information about the book and forthcoming events will be shared here and through the mailing list.
THE STORY BEHIND THE BOOK
I never imagined that I would become a father. When Arturo came into my life, the experience transformed me: it changed the rhythm of my days and made me think differently about what I wanted to create and pass on. We have painted together since he was very young, and reading with him every day has become one of the most intimate and beautiful parts of our life. I wanted to make a book especially for him—something he could keep, created from the love, wonder and transformation that fatherhood brought into my own life.
The story grew from a series of paintings about a garden transformed by wind and rain. What first appears to be disruption gradually becomes an opportunity for discovery, friendship and care, as Arturo finds a small sprout and helps it grow into an oak. The illustrations were painted in oil on board, with the paint thinned to create the transparency, movement and delicacy of watercolour. For me, the changing garden reflects something essential about becoming a parent: life does not remain exactly as we imagined it, but the unexpected can open the way to something entirely new and beautiful.