Sunday, August 23, 2015

Time for less


 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.

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