Artnotes: Fa la la la la

 

Mums for Harika   Laurie Fox  Pessemier  acrylic/newpaper 25 x 17"  63 x 42cm  250.00

Looking for things to do this week (we no longer have to walk our dog), we drove into Rome from our Stimigliano apartment.  A friend is staying at the apartment, and frankly, 3 people are just not possible there.  Two and a dog, ok.   I can only spend so much time in the adjacent studio.

Another Dog?  too big for us     Laurie Fox  Pessemier  acrylic/newpaper 25 x 17"  63 x 42cm  290.00

So, we drove to the Eternal city and visited an ancient Alchemy site that Blair wanted to see (which was actually cordoned off, and he had to roll under a fence to get in) at the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele.  My goal was to see Bernini’s Ecstasy of Saint Teresa d’Avila – but it turned out  that the church, Santa Maria della Vittoria, was closed for renovation until the 13 October.   We weren’t discouraged – being in Rome is a treat in itself.  Plus we have an excuse to go again.

Sappho    Blair Pessemier  Acrylic/canvas commission

We set our sights on a Chinese restaurant (we eat Italian ALL the time).  We sat at a sidewalk table, and watched the world pass by:  well-dressed business people, tourists (still, not many), workers, petition bearers, mothers with baby carriages, all nationalities.  An old gypsy woman tried to pick Blair’s pocket, easily foiled, and he bopped her with his umbrella, Ruth Buzzi style.  We listened to a raucous argument between a Chinese diner and his girlfriend on the speaker cellphone -- maybe it wasn’t fighting, only exhuberant Chinese.  A car wrongly parked at a construction site across the street was gingerly towed (using straps around the belly) to a parking place – only in Rome.  We laughed and drank white wine.

Four Early Oranges  Laurie Fox Pessemier  Acrylic/paper  17 x 25"  41 x 63 cam  290.00

We eventually retrieved our car and drove the 45 minutes back to Stimigliano.  There we heard  the shepherd bagpiper announcing the return of his sheep to our Sabina pastures for winter.  It made me think of Christmas “while shepherds watched their flocks”.  A chill wind blew.

Three Red Onions  Laurie Fox Pessemier  Acrylic/paper  17 x 25"  41 x 63 cam  290.00

Today, we bought a new Christmas tablecloth from the North African itinerant salesman who comes to our house.  He threw in two sponges as a gift.  What are you doing for Christmas?  We decorate, a tree adorned with candles; we make wreaths; cook a turkey; we visit the living nativity; if you join us you may even have to sing carols.  Fa la la la la.

Roses in a pitcher  Laurie Fox Pessemier  Acrylic/paper 17 x 17"  41 x 41cm  200.00