Artnotes: Perch

 

Honeysuckle  Laurie Fox Pessemier 10.5 x 18"  27 x 46 cm  Acrylic/canvas 450.00

It has gone from Spring to Summer this week in Italy. In fact we are gearing up for our first heat wave of the season.  We are still in Stimigliano, which is a warmer than Roccamalatina.

Lake Vico in 2020  Perch  Laurie Fox  Pessemier Acrylic/canvas 10.5 x 16"  27 x 41cm   450.00

Today we packed into the car and drove to Lago di Vico, about an hour from here.  It was Berlino’s first foray to the lake, and he went wild with joy.  He isn’t a swimmer yet, but rolled in the tall grasses and ran around the trees at the lake.  He is still on the leash, because he is a dog who focuses on almost anything but his own name, and can’t be distracted. I donned my swimsuit, which seemed a bit drastic at first, but as I basked in the sun, I felt like taking a dip.  I always regret it when I DON’T swim, so I forced myself rather than be disappointed.   It took me three tries, but I eventually got all wet, and swam a few strokes.  It was delicious!   This may be my earliest swimming, ever.  Of course, it was only me, a black dog and a ten year old boy in the entire lake.

Summer Past at Lake Vico (2021)  Blair Pessemier  acrylic/canvas 9 x 14"  24 x 35 cm  450.00

Legend has it that beautiful Lake Vico was created when Hercules threw his club into the ground and created a hole that was soon filled with water from a nearby stream. Actually, Vico is a volcanic lake formed some 100,000 years ago, extremely clear, with a pebbly bottom.  Near the shore the water was surpisingly warm, dropping by significant degrees as it deepened.

Lemon Tree in a Pot   Laurie Fox Pessemier  Acrylic/canvas  12 x 16"   30  x 40 cm 450.00

There were lots of fish that resembled large tadpoles, with big, bullish heads and narrow ends.  I am not sure what they were, but they bumped into my feet and legs if I stood in the water.  It was kind of exciting! Lake Vico today  is used as a drinking water reservoir, so powered motor crafts are prohibited on the lake’s waters. It is thought that in ancient times the lake’s water levels were much higher, brought down by a culvert built by the Etruscans. The lake hosts many animals like the pike, perch and eel, and its high elevation and location mean the area around Mount Venere is rich in beech forest, as well as chestnuts and hazelnuts.   The chestnut trees are fantastically large and wild looking, Blair always comments on them.

Walking by Lake Vico (fall, 2021)  Blair Pessemier  acrylic/canvas 19.5 x 16"  50 x 35 cm  550.00

Berlino met a Czechoslovakian wolf dog there – with brilliant yellow eyes and sharp teeth that snapped in his direction (their bite is 10 to 15 times stronger than a regular dog).  He sat in the bar area with his owner, as we sat in the restaurant eating perch.    The water glimmered bright blue as we sat on the deck with Italian families and dogs and celebrated lunch.

Hazelnut Grove on Lake Vico   Laurie Fox Pessemier  Acrylic/canvas  8 x 19.5"  20 x 50cm 450.00

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  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85625088767?pwd=WldKRk9VbUVITWtRS0FFK2JwdGEwQT09 Meeting ID: 856 2508 8767 Passcode: 887182