Artnotes: All We Can Do is Laugh

 

The Silent Observers   Blair Pessemier 12 x 16"  30 x 40cm  Acrylic/canvas 450.00 This has been one of those “life in Italy” weeks:  joys and tribulations, bundled into one package  We still don’t have Berlino at home, but we are hoping he will be delivered Saturday afternoon.  Saint Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of Italy, as well as the animals. People take animals quite seriously here - the mayor of Rome was not reelected after the shooting by the police, of a wild pig in a public playground near the Vatican.    Berlino with Laurie    Blair Pessemier  Acrylic/canvas  15 x 18"  37 x 45cm  450.00  It is quite touching that Pasqualina and Friends care so much about Berlino.  They monitor how he reacts to us each day we go to take him for a walk.  “Piano, piano…” they tell us.  Slowly, slowly, he will adjust to you.   At this point, any of the dogs seem willing to come home with us, and Berlino holds himself proudly as we return from his walk.   He still loves the shelter:  I can understand how he feels, because the people who work there are some of the nicest I have ever met. Ladies in Skirts  Laurie Fox Pessemier acrylic/canvas  18 x 9"   375.00 each  3 for 1000 He might have come on Thursday, but the Province of Rieti has decided to take up the pavement on our pedestrian street, via Dante, and replace it with ancient cobblestones (maybe the ones they are removing from Rome?). The shelter was concerned the jackhammering might traumatize Berlino.  The actual street goes back as far as the 1500s, and exposes what was an early but still operating wastewater system.  I couldn’t believe it but running water inside the house proved it so.  Aside from all that, Blair found a really wonderful stone he wants to make into a step. Octopi   Laurie Fox Pessemier  Lithograph  7 x 5"  17.5 x 12.5 cm  85 each  3/200 My kitchen lithographs have temporarily taken a turn for the worse, as two stores here have replaced their former low quality aluminum foil with “more resistant”.  This may be an advantage in cooking, as the old foil was like kleenex, but this “resistance” makes the surface harder to etch.  I did manage one decent print after leaving the plate in the acid for nearly 20 minutes – formerly I just needed to pour the coca-cola over the top for 5 seconds.   This deduction wasn’t forthcoming:  I made a dozen failed prints with different paper, different cola, bottled water before the aluminum foil discovery. Mimosa  Blair Pessemier Acrylic/canvas  20 x 10"  50 x 25cm 450.00 So it has been a week of ups and downs, fun and games in sunny Italy (and it is sunny!).  All we can do is laugh. Crow with Nestbuilding Material   Laurie Fox Pessemier  Lithograph 7 x 5"  17.5 x 25cm  85.00 INVITING All Artists to present their Work:   Paint, Literature, Crafts, Food.... Pessemier's Sunday Salon Weekly on Sunday  No Reservation Necessary   How it works: Bring a piece of your ART: that could be visual, like painting or printmaking; or literary, as in poetry or prose; or crafts, like metalwork or knitting; or food, or music...you get the picture.  Something you made, or feel particularly inspired by.  You have about 5 minutes to present, and we'll ooh, ahh, or answer questions you have.  You can also come and see how we work before diving in.  Just show up on Zoom at a minute or two before the hour.    Rome 8PM ; NY 2 PM; LosAngeles  11AM  (GMT 19:00) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85625088767?pwd=WldKRk9VbUVITWtRS0FFK2JwdGEwQT09 Meeting ID: 856 2508 8767 Passcode: 887182