A Pleasant Surprise!!

This trompe-l'oeil in the courtyard entrance to Palazzo Martelli invites you to discover yet another secret treasure in the center of Florence. An out-of-the-way palace not usually on tour guide visits but my Saturday morning surprise, a guided tour, by a friend.

Museum of  Casa Martelli, a home-museum unique of its kind, created by a noble family over the centuries, and not the result of reconstruction and arbitrary integration. The complex and exhibition includes sculpture and paintings of the 17th and 18th centuries.

The majestic staircase that leads to the museum

We arrive at the museum after climbing this monumental staircase. At the top, at one time, the statue  "Il Giovanino" by Donatello reigned. (Now in the Bargello)

"Il Bagno"   ( The Bath )

 Completely decorated with trompe-l'oeil affrescos, this room is called the Bath. In the recessed area  to the right  a marble bathtub is set among the ivy and flowers depicted in the fresco. The dimmly lit room is  suggestive enough on its own but Saturday  morning a string quartet concert was scheduled at 11 and they were rehearsing here while we looked on. Four young and accomplished musicians.

 

The ballroom where concerts are held.

But, the sights that really were amazing to see were the rooftop views of Florence and her monuments as seen from a terrace  that is being restored at the top of the museum.  We were priviledged to see the city from there. I confess that I didn't have my camera with me so these pics  are off the web.  Sorry!  It won't happen again........

Florence rooftop view

rooftop view

Visiting Pontormo

I have already revealed my love for Pontormo in a previous post.  the  strength and innovation of Pontormo's work is notable. But, yesterday afternoon, my visit to the current show of works by Pontormo and his contemporary, Il Rosso Fiorentino was breathtaking. The vibrant colors, the volumes, the textures of various fabrics, silk, velvet, transparent veiling made me want to touch  as well as look, they were so real.

Fascinating was the famous “Visitation” which was used by Bill Viola as the basis for his video, also in the show, the first room of the show.
(see the link  http://youtu.be/fj17foaKAVU)

I would also like you to see the visit made by Bill Viola  to the studio where the restoration of Pontormo’s Visitation was done in preparation for the show.
 http://youtu.be/ULW45vncMXk

This is a partial view of Viola’s video.
 http://youtu.be/Dg0IyGUVXaQ

The Visitation (1528-29; Parish Church of Carmignano, Italy),  portrays the joyous moment at which Mary tells her cousin Elizabeth that she is expecting a child.
The video by Viola begins with two women--one middle-aged and the other younger--engrossed in conversation. After several minutes pass by, a third woman enters the scene and interrupts the dialogue by greeting the older woman. Through facial expressions and gestures, it becomes apparent that the middle-aged woman knows her well, while the other less so and maybe not at all. The third woman whispers something into her friend’s ear as they embrace, further isolating the other woman. An undeniable awkwardness becomes apparent as introductions are finally made and small talk is exchanged among the three.
Viola wasn’t interested in restaging Pontormo’s painting, He used it to create something new, something more contemporary although in the same spirit of the Renaissance artist’s work.

Pontormo for me is a precursor to Modern painting. He uses  volume and large brilliant color fields in a way that recalls the styles of many contemporary artists.

A DAY OUT. . .

Renaissance  Florence and the Etruscan Tomb
Take a walk with me to visit one of the Etruscan Tombs that make up the history of  Florence.

This Etruscan tomb, named the Tomb of the Montagnola,   consists of an artificial mound of earth of about 70 meters in diameter. Discovered in 1959, it dates back to the mid-seventh century B.C. and is located at the outskirts of the city of Florence.

Here we are approaching  the entrance.

Look at the approach to the door of the tomb, those huge slabs of rock at the left, somehow hand cut and placed one above the other, form the entrance way.


Clay, softened and thick, was the only mortar used
to keep these stones in place.

This is what we saw beyond that small iron door at the entrance.

The structure of the Barrow or mound consists of  an external corridor, an internal vestibule with two lateral cells and a final circular chamber with a dome-shaped roof and central pillar.

This is the vestibule or main corridor. To the left and right are the two small chambers and ahead, beyond the passage in the center is the circular chamber.

Notice the ceiling and the placing of the stones that form the roof.  They are in an inverted V shape and remind us of the engineering feit achieved by Brunelleschi when he built the dome of the cathderal in Florence. The blocks of stone, at times a few meters wide, were arranged in overlapping rows up to the top of the construction ending in an acute arch.

 I couldn't help but admire the warm, golden color of the rough stones which were carved from  nearby Monte Morello.







This is the the small chamber to the left of the main corridor.

Again note the amber tones of the rocks and the huge blocks that were used.

 This is the small chamber to the right.

Here is the circular chamber with its central pillar that doesn't touch the ceiling but stops just a few inches before.





Again, look at the amazing circular placement of the stones on walls and ceiling.

There was a sense of quiet and peace within the walls of this tomb. Amazement at the simplicity of the  structure. . ..            wondering at the people who dwelled within.

Digesting my Paintings and Moving On. . .

Connections - 50 x 70 cm  oil on paper

As usual. . . It  takes time for me to digest my paintings!

This last painting, published in the previous post, was missing something that I couldn't put my fingers on.  I
kept constant watch,  looking at it in every way possible,
from a distance, upside down, in black and white as Janice taught me. . .  Until. . . .finally it struck me that it lacked COLOR, strong color.. . . .It was grey and lacked contrast.

So I went to work.  I built up the colors.  Greens and violets that were vibrant and gave it more interest. Lights and darks that reinforced the structure.

And, Voilà.  That is:  Ecco!  Here  you have the last version.

(That is for now!X&zz)

Playing . . .the Game of Painting

Connections    50x70cm        oil on paper

I have finished the last  painting that I will be presenting to my mentor, Janice Mason Steeves, in a few days.  This time, I can really say that I experienced the "fun" in painting  that Janice has always said is a must.  That loosening up that eliminates any tension, any self created fears of making "mistakes". janicemasonsteeves.art blog.

First, I layed in my lights and darks using an idea from the value studies done previously for Janice. I decided to use a limited palette of blues, yellows, greens and black. My brushes were large as were my spatulas.  I didn't want to fall into the temptation of creating small details and minute forms so LARGE painting instruments were best.

As usual, my forms are  internal anatomical shapes  but this time, once they were in position  in the overall  design, I began to have fun distroying them. At first I used a large, homemade bamboo pen that I made years ago and "drew" into the wet paint breaking up the solidity of the forms. Then, using only my spatula, I built up the negative space around my forms with thick layers of paint concentrating on lights and darks, forms and movement. Again, I wanted to lighten the forms by breaking into them so I chose to use a brayer which picked up  and deposited color  creating movement and light within the forms.  I scraped and rubbed away the color. Nothing was "sacred".  Nothing untouchable.

What I wanted to achieve was a less formulated composition, to express the strength that is an essential part of these forms without making the whole too heavy.

I was in a rush to begin working for my fourth and final session with Janice but I wanted to work on a panel, not canvas.  I  had to wait too long for the delivery of the ordered  panels so decided to work on paper.  I sized the paper with gesso, pinned it to my painting panel and began.  Maybe the use of  paper gave me the strength to mess around, to "distroy" and to go ahead again.









These are the instruments I used. Spatulas, a brayer, my bamboo pen and . . . a Ferrari red spatula sent to me by Janice and "fun" to use.








Thank you for visiting. Hope you will leave a comment.

Progressions in my Revolution

first rough draft

I have finally finished my second series of paintings done for the mentoring program I am following..

The first  "rough draft" is on the left, the finished painting is below.

I have deleted details and forms from the first draft that I felt were confusing the reading of the painting.

I find myself searching for simplicity, trying to express my ideas by using a clearer and stronger imagery.

This, all thanks to the guidance of my mentor, Janice Mason Steeves , and by applying her suggestions to make use of   design and limits in painting. 
janicemasonsteevesartwork.blogspot.com

finished painting . oil on canvas - 50 x 70cm

second draft

The second rough draft is on the left.

The finished painting is below.

My aim was to make my statement as clear as possible, to create strong forms with color and use  a variety but a balanced series of values.

 finished painting - oil on canvas - 50 x 70 cm

At first glance you probably say that the first drafts are nothing like the finished paintings. . . there is no connection.  But if you look closely, all I have done is to pare down my ideas, limit my content, and strenthen my statement. I am still occupied by the human body and it's structural forms whether they be external or internal. My anatomical forms are often coupled to architecture because the body dwells within architectural spaces and is a balanced, proportional structure in itself.

The first painting is related in color to its first draft but a few details have been eliminated, too many small forms  detracted from the conception of the whole. In my revolution I seem to be searching for larger spaces, unifying my statement by eliminating what is superfluous. Most often, when we explain an idea using too many examples, including too many references, we create confusion, not clarity. Here, the anatomical forms dominate in size and in color and suggest unity of construction through the strength of design.

The second painting was already limited by me in color and forms presented. It is clearly the spine, the central column supporting the human body but also the structural column that is the basis of architecture and construction. By reinforcing  my color and creating larger forms there is  a stronger  image whether it be anatomical or architectural. I prefer now to suggest  connections between anatomy and architecture, no longer feeling  it  necessary to include minor details.

A Revolution is in Progress

quick schetch for new work 1

 A Revolution is in Progress . . .








 There is a revolution going on in my head . . . in my work.

 At this point  I am at my third session of the mentoring program that I am following with Janice Mason Steeves, amazingly talented abstract painter and teacher.

     see link below


    http://janicemasonsteevesartwork.blogspot.it/                                                                                       
                                                                                                

quick schetch for new work 2

These schetches  were part of a preparation exercise. Quick work, playing with color and forms, working on drafts of architectural drawings, done for Janice, my mentor, in preparation for my 3rd session. They were the basis for my next paintings, 50cm x 70cm, still in the finishing  process.

Still in the finishing process. . . what I thought was finished for the third conversation was only a "brutta copia" as they say in Italy and means a "rough draft".   I am working at making amends. . .!!!

THEN. . . after discussing my work, Janice gave me a new homework assignment.  I was to do small excercises in value.
Black and white value schetches looking for the solutions in design, balance, working only with black and white. This has worked wonders for me and is coupled with the notions of limits . . .simplicity . . . balance.

my value studies

These value studies were fun to work on and became, slowly, revelations for me. The forms can be strictly geometrical or anatomical as mine are. Each square can hold  7 forms (or less). They, in turn, will be divided into various values . . . from the highest, white, to the lowest, black.