Henny Penny Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic/linen 11 x 14 27 x 35cm
Castellino Blair Pessemier Acrylic/linen 13 x 18 inches 33 x 46 cm
The sunny side LaurieFox Pessemier Acrylic/linen 9.5 x 13" 24 x 33 cm
Up the hill Blair Pessemier Acrylic/linen 12 x 12" 30 x 30 cm
Castelletto Serravalle Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic/linen 13 x 9" 33 x 22 cm
Grape Vine at the Church at Castelletto Blair Pessemier Acrylic/linen 9.5 x 14 24 x 35 cm
Grapes on a colored wall Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic/linen 11 x 16" 27 x 41 cm
Saturday morning Blair Pessemier Acrylic/linen 18 x 15" 46 x 38cm
Houses near the Ferrari Museum Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic/linen 9 x 13 22 x 33cm
Towards Montecorone Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic/linen 12 x 12" 30 x 30 cm
Artnotes: Time for less
After writing more more more, I am now writing less less
less. It’s been a very busy week, action
packed with events and travel.
Last weekend, we celebrated the Ferragosto, 15 August, the
day Mary, mother of Jesus, was assumed into heaven (she went up there like a
balloon when one lets go of the string).
Our teeny town had a full week of celebration, culminating in the Sagra
(big community dinner), dancing to a live band (a la old Italian wedding in
America) and fireworks. Blair and I danced a slow one, and I was close enough
to the fireworks to see them leave their cylinders, following the red white and
green up into the sky. It was quite a
display, enjoyed by a couple hundred people.
Earlier in the day were the religious activities we observed from just
outside the overpacked church. A
wonderful local marching band passed, in procession, past our house and the
town. The next morning the Blessed
Virgin statue was carried, on the shoulders of strong men, up the hill and to the church at the Sassi.
As if that weren’t enough, new friends in town took us out the
next day to eat at the Cantacoco, nearby.
I had gnocchi with truffles – a rare and unusual treat, followed by a
goat stew. I wish I could have saved a
bite for every day.
On Tuesday a friend arrived and we trekked around
Bologna. Bologna is a beautiful city,
and Blair says we have only seen about a third of it. I may have mentioned Bologna is a city of
loggias, covering terrazzo sidewalks. In
the 90 degree heat the shade is greatly appreciated. There is also a wide array of cool drinks
served at this time, and I enjoyed a lemon ice cream coffee concoction standing
up at a Bologna bar.
We traveled outside of town as well, to Verona. It was such a Renaissance city as I have ever
seen! Of course, the balcony of Juliet
is a big draw – tourists from the world round were plying the cobbled
streets. My favorite part was the
private Giardini Giusto, gorgeous formal Italian gardens in the style of the
Boboli or Borgheses. When I was in art
history school, I spent a significant time studying gardens and loggias of the
Italians – it all came flooding back like a warm wonderful wave.
The thing about “doing” is that I need time to process all that
information. A long car ride, a
leisurely morning in bed usually does the trick. Or, writing artnotes.
