-day two --Forte Belvedere show

My pictures!!!!! today bought the cable to connect to my PC and . . . VOILA'

hubbie looking out onto Boboli gardens below

the walkway that runs completely around the fort

view of Neptune's pool in Boboli

Pitti Palace in the distance

homes along the wall and in the distance Via S. Leonardo and the little church where I was married......

me there,  part of the line!

the Kaffehouse, one of the constructions in Boboli gardens, now unused.

K

Looking at Firenze!!!!!!!

These you've seen in the videos?
 

Bye for now!!!

18 August - Show HUMAN - Sculptures by Sir Anthony Gormley

 


After weeks of being barricaded in the house in an attempt to escape the heat, we finally went out today!!! Alleluya!!!! The rains have cooled things down so we went to see this fabulous show in the most fabulous setting in Florence...Forte di Belvedere.

www.fortedibelvedere.it (unfortunately I FORGOT my camera but will insert links)  -sorry.

https://youtu.be/MY7AS2RrN1Ahttps://youtu.be/MY7AS2RrN1A

 Gromley himself states:" Rather than choose works able to adapt themselves to the measurements of   the  site, I DECIDED TO PUT IN THE SHOW WORKS THAT ARE THE DIMENSIONS OF MAN, WORKS THAT CONSENT TO THE MASS AND TO THE FORM OF THIS EXTRORDINARY CONSTRUCTION TO EXPRESS ITSELF."

He continues: " My desire is that the visitor reflect on the way in which he presents himself  confronting the space that surrounds him."

Each visit to the Fort is like climbing to the top of the world, the world of Florence anyway, the world of the Renaissance. We are high above Florence with a 360° view of the city: Brunelleschi's dome, the Pitti Palace, Piazza Micheangelo......every monument possible is at our feet, in miniature.

I tried to take pictures with my cell phone (old and not internet connected) so as soon as I can, IF I can, I'll post them....

The heat hasn't been conducive to painting but I have been preparing for my show in September, the show that was part of my being 1st prize winner in the juried exhibition last May. Doing things like checking out paintings I want for the show, preparing titles, re-writing a sort of statement. . .  etc, etc....Lots of  odds and ends.

Hope your summer is going well, (not as HOT as ours).  Will try to be back soon.....

A COOL, COOL, SHOW !!!!

my book hangng  at show in Pontremoli

It was a COOL show in sense of temperature (here we are still gasping under 100° temperatures daily). . . not in the slang sense meaning GREAT, although it was that too.       Judge for yourselves. . . . . .

entrance to the show in the undercroft of City Hall

The suggestive setting of the undercroft of City Hall, ancient stone walls, suggestive arches and niches. . . . We are 28 artists participating with a varied approach to the subject as you see  below. 

And more. . . .

Part of the undercroft still houses ancient stele found in the area but most of this important collection of sculptures, testimony of the ancient culture of this area called Lunigiana, has been moved to a new museum space in the Piangnaro Castle of Pontremoli.

I am happy to say that this will be the setting for my personal show which will be held in September.  More about that later . . .

More Book-painting Pics

Front Cover

Back Cover

The Open Book

IL LIBRO DELL'ARTISTA.0

the open book Measuring Space 100x75cm

I will be participating in an Art Show, The Book of the Artist.0 opening on Saturday in Pontremoli, the same town that sponsored the competion in May that awarded me first prize for painting. It is a last minute thing but I had a book-painting done in the past that I decided to propose. We will be taking it up tomorrow  It is so hot here in Florence that I don't have energy for doing much, not even painting. Will  write again when things cool a little.......

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.