The photo I took of this painting by Sylvia Gude in Cortona did not come out very well so I did not include it in my blog. She recently emailed me this photo so I am posting it so you can all appreciate it. This crooked old arch had some really difficult angles and she handled it beautifully. Love her rich stone colors too.Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sylvia's painting done in Cortona, Italy
The photo I took of this painting by Sylvia Gude in Cortona did not come out very well so I did not include it in my blog. She recently emailed me this photo so I am posting it so you can all appreciate it. This crooked old arch had some really difficult angles and she handled it beautifully. Love her rich stone colors too.
Back home in California and picking up speed
I am back home in California now and getting back up to speed, literally. When I first arrive home from anywhere else in the world I am always struck by the fast pace we Americans live. Driving home from the Bay Area, Sylvia and I could not help but notice how fast everyone was driving and the crazy lane changes made by some drivers as they tried to go even faster.
We Americans work harder, longer, faster and worry about money more than any society I have visited. We take pride in our ability to "multi-task", we eat in our cars, and we hire people to do things we don't have time to do (like mow the lawn). Our magazines offer recipes for meals that can be prepared in 20 minutes, gyms offer fitness programs that can be done in 30 minutes, restaurants advertise "fast service" its all about time. rush rush rush.
In Europe dinner in a restaurant takes hours, all evening if you wish. You own the table until you ask for the bill. And you must ask. It is considered impolite for the restaurateur to make you feel you must leave by bringing the bill when you have not asked for it. No one cares about the time.
Every evening in Italy everyone takes a walk and visits with everyone else. The piazzas and streets are filled with people; mom's and dads push baby carriages, toddlers and kids run about, grandparents stroll along or sit on a wall or step. Cafes and bars are busy and it seems many people don't go home until the wee hours of the morning.
One night in Cortona, we were walking back to our hotel after dinner in the rain and were amazed to see the Piazza Della Repubblica was empty. Then we noticed a crowd of people standing under a stone arch all talking, and smoking (of course, this is Italy). So the rain did not put a damper on the visiting, the crowd just moved from the open piazza to stay dry under the arch.
So now I am back home and all the economy news is bad, politicians are playing that same old blame game they always play, wars are still being fought and people are rushing about with worried looks on their faces. As for me, I do my small bit by volunteering to help elect a new batch of politicians to replace the current batch of politicians that got us into this mess. Who knows if they will be any better... after all they are politicians too!
I think I will go paint a painting now, as getting into that "zone" one gets into when painting is the best stress release I know.
We Americans work harder, longer, faster and worry about money more than any society I have visited. We take pride in our ability to "multi-task", we eat in our cars, and we hire people to do things we don't have time to do (like mow the lawn). Our magazines offer recipes for meals that can be prepared in 20 minutes, gyms offer fitness programs that can be done in 30 minutes, restaurants advertise "fast service" its all about time. rush rush rush.
In Europe dinner in a restaurant takes hours, all evening if you wish. You own the table until you ask for the bill. And you must ask. It is considered impolite for the restaurateur to make you feel you must leave by bringing the bill when you have not asked for it. No one cares about the time.
Every evening in Italy everyone takes a walk and visits with everyone else. The piazzas and streets are filled with people; mom's and dads push baby carriages, toddlers and kids run about, grandparents stroll along or sit on a wall or step. Cafes and bars are busy and it seems many people don't go home until the wee hours of the morning.
One night in Cortona, we were walking back to our hotel after dinner in the rain and were amazed to see the Piazza Della Repubblica was empty. Then we noticed a crowd of people standing under a stone arch all talking, and smoking (of course, this is Italy). So the rain did not put a damper on the visiting, the crowd just moved from the open piazza to stay dry under the arch.
So now I am back home and all the economy news is bad, politicians are playing that same old blame game they always play, wars are still being fought and people are rushing about with worried looks on their faces. As for me, I do my small bit by volunteering to help elect a new batch of politicians to replace the current batch of politicians that got us into this mess. Who knows if they will be any better... after all they are politicians too!
I think I will go paint a painting now, as getting into that "zone" one gets into when painting is the best stress release I know.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Cast of Characters, Cortona Italy Painting Trip
The gang's all here on the steps where the Carotonese have been meeting for centuries.
Celeste from Texas rolling pasta
Marie from Mendocino with her painting of the Tuscan countryside
Linda and Sylvia enjoying their Italian lunch.
Tommie raising her glass to good times in Italy.
Bonnie on the farm in Tuscany.
Cathy the famous artist and her roadie Pete
And our wonderful hosts, Patrick and Angela of ToscanaAmericana.
If you would like to join me on my next Watercolor Workshop with ToscanaAmericana, this time in Santorini, Greece, here is the link to learn more about it.
September 12, 2008 our final day in Cortona
A busy day spent finishing paintings, taking photos and doing last minute shopping. We had a "show and tell" at 6:00pm and I quickly photographed more of the students paintings.
Celeste did beautiful pencil drawings all week, but my camera just could not pick up the drawing. She began painting some of them before we left the site, and will paint the rest from her photos when she returns home. When she paints these lovely drawings she works from light to dark in layers. This one is close to being finished and is so lovely I wanted to share it with everyone.
Tommie captured the charm of this lovely window, copper pipe and all in the little village of Lucignano.
Here is another page from my watercolor journal, sorry my writing is too small to read. This was painted in the garden behind the Museo di Ocesano.
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