Two New Paintings

Two new paintings that will be included in my solo art show, part of  the  first place won in painting in the Pontremoli in Art competition last May.

There isn't a date yet but that's just as well because I need time to get all the details together and also to keep painting.

These new paintings  still use the spinal column as theme but with "motion" as the sub-title.Infact, they are entitled, "Connections-Motion 1 and 2, oil and wax on panel, 50x50cm.

It goes without saying that my mural project at Hotel Fontermosa fontermosa.it has been momentarily abbandoned to taken up again as soon as this wave of torrid temps leaves us. Most probably September will be the best time. The temps should be cooler.......

I'm On My Way. . .

a possible theme for cement blocks

closeup of the cement blocks to be decorated

 
 THE beginning of my mural project brings with it days of research and preparation.  I am in doubt about how to prepare the cement blocks even before starting to paint.  Will I "paint" on the smooth surface of the blocks or do I want to create some kind of relief surface using cement or glue? What colors, that is paints, should I use for permanancy under sun and rain esposure?   Lots of questions that I have to answer before I start. I have time and will take this slowly.  Here, in Italy, the heat of summer is already unbearable (thank goodness for the hotel's business) but it would be complete suicide to begin now.  I'll probably wait until September to actually begin the decorative work at Hotel Fontermosa (www.fontermosa.it) so I'll have time to work out my approach.

In the meantime I have found four slabs of cement block to use as trial surfaces.  My  husband, generous as always, had them in his warehouse and delivered them here at home for me to work on, A close friend who specializes in restoration of frescoes and wall paintings  has offered to help me choose the materials (paints, sealers, sizing, etc)

3  of the cement slabs propped up on the wall outside

  

Now they have to be washed carefully to get rid of dirt and color.  After they dry they have to be sized to seal the porous surface and so allow the paint to adhere well and be as permanent as possible.

In the previous post I wrote that the theme would be Etruscan.   Here are some possibilities:

botanical

animals

All photos are taken from reproductions of Etruscan wall paintings.

Just some ideas.  Would love to hear  suggestions from you.
Will write soon.

New Challenges

my next project

OK! I admit to have played hookey for a bit but I needed time to unwind after that whirlwind period of show preparation. Now most of it is over.  I still have the show going at the bank in Impruneta but that will end on Monday after a month. The personal show  that is part of my prize from the show in Pontremoli hasn't been decided yet so, in the meantime, I am again painting and preparing panels for it.

But I have a new project. . .  the cement blocks in the photo.  I will be decorating them in some way. . . a murales. . . something that I have never done before but it is very exciting. At this point I am researching materials as well as considering the theme.  Most likely it will be an Etruscan theme since this is the same hotel, Hotel Fontermosa, www.fontermosa.it  that I decorated years ago with Etruscan themes.  The blocks, really ugly, had to be placed here at the entrance to protect and reinforce the hill behind. During heavy rains  the erosion has triggered dangerous landslides that fell into the entrance area below.

Thank you for visiting. I promise to write again soon.

. . .three days!

"Connections - Red #1"  50x70cm  oil, cold wax on paper on panel

It took me 3 days to fully register and believe that I was actually the first place winner catagory painting at the "International Competition of Art 2015 Donna di Fiori" held in Pontremoli (MS) on April 25.

The reason ?  Probably the lengthy process from beginning to surprise ending that was involved. In early February the application was filled out and sent to the organizers of Pontremoli in Art 2015 with a photo of the painting I presented.  This was a juried show, therefore, the first selection was made via photograph. Once the selection was finalized and I was notified to be part of the group of selected artists, payment was made to cover costs of a catalogue and organization. Next, the painting had to be delivered to the city hall of Pontremoli.  My husband and I took it up personally. It was a beautiful day making the 2 hour drive  pleasant.  Beautiful to see the mountains and the white marble quarries where Michelangelo selected his marble. It was market day in Pontremoli that
Saturday so I had to take the painting into the city center on foot.  As I walked through the crowd with my canvas tucked under my arm, I asked for directions from a sweet lady along the way who wanted to take a peak at my painting. Maybe she brought me luck.

The next step was a request to know whether or not I would be present at the festivities and show.  The organization had generously offered rooms at great prices and I accepted.  Since the 25th of  April is a National holiday in Italy we decided to program a long weekend of vacation in Pontremoli.
I booked a room for two nights at a bed and breakfast which turned out to be in the Villa of Artists where the school, Studio Giambo, has their headquarters and studios. It goes without saying that I was getting more and more excited by the program and the event itself never thinking, I swear, about winning or not. It was to be a "fun" weekend. A welcome weekend to encounter other artists and art lovers.

But, there was a "BUT".

 I had already pulled my trolley out and begun to decide what to pack when that night my husband came home with the shivers and a sore throat.  No decision was made, waiting and hoping that it would be all over the next day but it wasn't. Strangely my reaction was very calm. I had completely accepted the inevitable. We just wouldn't go.  No problem.

So, on the 25th the day  was quiet and long with no news from the show which was normal.  ------until....... until around 9:00 that evening  when I got a telephone call. It was a friend of mine, also participant in the show and member of Art-Art, the organization that I belong to in Impruneta and had introduced me to this competition. ". . .excuse me if I call you at this hour but I just came back from Pontremoli and I didn't have your number. You won first prize for painting .. . ."
She, by the way, won first prize in the category sculpture.

The prize is a satisfaction enormous in itself, but also entails a future personal show in Pontremoli at a date to be announced,  Lots of work to be done................

The latest addition to the Red series, Connections.Connections

Connections Red, #6   50 x 60cm   oil, wax on panel.

Everything's happening at once...!!!

Impact - 70x90cm oil on canvas

 The month of May sees me in shows on 4 different fronts. I honestly don't know how it all  happened in the same month. I didn't try I assure you because getting everything organized is proving to be complicated to say the least....framing, shipping, delivering,  etc. etc..

The first show will be inaugurated on April 25 in a mountain town called Pontremoli, in the province of Massa in the region of Liguria.  It is very near the beautiful white marble quarries in Carrara where Michelangelo chose his materials. This is an international juried show of artists and will last until May 10 with possibilities of personal shows to follow.

I will then be in another show at the Gallery IAC of Art-Art, Impruneta, running from May 2 thru May 10.  I will be presenting 4 paintings including the one you see above.  The theme is "Music".

Connections #6   50cmx60cm  Oil, wax on panel

From May 1st (a holiday in Italy) Mayday, thru to May 30
I will exhibit a variety of my work, 8 paintings, both on canvas and on paper, at the Bcc of Impruneta, the Cooperative Bank of Credit which is situated in the central piazza of the town of Impruneta. Every month the bank donates their window space to artisans and clients in the area as an important venue.The newest of my Connections series (at the right) will be one of the paintings included.

And last, but not least, because I did it last year as well and had a great time, I'll participate with Art-Art at the Slow Food and Art Fair that is held annually at Greve in Chianti. This is a one day event, on April 10 which is the clue of all my dates.  How I'll make it to remove everything  from everywhere I don't know.. . .I'll find a solution ...........

RED. . .Almost One Year.

Connections - Red 5    oil, wax on panel    50x50cm 

Almost a year has gone by since I decided to limit my palette with red as dominant color. (blog post "Red- - -Who's afraid ...") I started out very hesitant. Inspired by the force and brilliance of the color itself, I was still intimidated. By combining it with  black I intended to soften any harshness but that was silly as you can well imagine. That was the beginning.

Now that I am on my fifth painting with red as protagonist I'm feeling happily at ease, in fact, liking the choice. I've learned so much.  I can thank, (never enough), Janice Mason Steeves for her counseling: to play, to accept challenges, to simplify, to be aware of contrast, . . . . .

I don't have a general plan for the sequence of my paintings. I used to do drawings as preparation but now, one after the other, I rely on intuition.  One painting is naturally the stepping stone for the next.  Something just clicks in my mind inspiring the sequence. I've noticed in the recent paintings the appearence of new colors. From the begining using mostly red and black, now lights, yellows, oranges and greys, are  presenting themselves. A sign that red has become a part of me and not a fearsome, intrusive element?

My theme is always the human body, the spinal column in particular.  My next project, constantly on my mind, is to be able to put into words why this particular part of the body is so important for me.