Artnotes: OOPS

 Quince Blossoms  Blair Pessemier   Acrylic/wood  24 x 16"  60 x 40 cm 

 Spring Snow   Blair Pessemier   Acrylic/wood  24 x 16"  60 x 40cm 

 Birds Eye view of the Duomo   Laurie Fox Pessemier

​Snow from Antonella's Window   Laurie Fox Pessemier   Acrylic/linen  13 x 16   33 x 41cm

   View of Florence  Blair Pessemier   Acrylic/wood  16 x 24   40x 60cm

Artnotes:  OOPS

I woke up on Wednesday morning to the sound of SNOWPLOWS!  I hoped the lily-of-the-valley I put in the ground two days before could stand it.    I wasn’t altogether disappointed, however, because I felt a bit cheated of the opportunity to paint snow in February.    We ran up the hill (after Harika, who LOVES snow), built a snowman and I slipped and slid back down the hill laughing hilariously.  I am not laughing now, as my sciatica is intense, and I am seeking a witch doctor (acupuncturist) here.

We brought our paints to the Italian teacher’s house.  She has great views from her windows, and she is an artist herself.  The three of us set up and painted nearly the same scene, with drastically different results.

We stuck with our plan to go to Florence on Thursday – and we were rewarded with sunshine and warmer temperatures.   It seems we are in a rainy season, and as our trips to Florence are mainly for painting, we have been limited.

This time, we went for the Oltrarno side of Florence – across the Arno from the Duomo, Uffizi, etc. and up on the hill looking down.  We both painted there amid the tourists:  from all nations, really, and surprisingly uninterested in what we were doing.  My approach was like that of a bird, seeing the monuments of the city, and the snow covered (Apennines) mountains behind. 

Those deep reds and yellowy stuccoes predominate, like a Renaissance painting.  I kept having to pinch myself – yes, we’re really painting Florence!  It was thrilling.   We made a small detour to San Miniato afterward, but the church was closed.  The outside is really impressive, though, with bands of green and white marble,  and a gold mosaic over the portal.

Now it is time to sell paintings, and I spent the other days of the week making posters for our show (25,6,7,8 March), and brochures to give to furniture stores.  If you have any show ideas for this summer in the USA, send them along.

Nearer to home, we planted red gladioli after the snow, and windowsill herbs.  We’re hoping the weather holds now, but as the days get longer, spring can’t be far away.