Past Present Future

Bologna Gate  Blair Pessemier   Acrylic/linen    25 x 40"   70 x 100 cm   

Into the Night   Laurie Fox Pessemier   Acrylic/linen 12 x 72"  30 x 183 cm

View of Cervo   Blair Pessemier  Acrylic/linen  13 x 18  33 x 46 cm

 Pine by the Sea  Blair Pessemier  Acrylic/linen  13 x 18  33 x 46 cm

Lemon Tree Blair Pessemier  Acrylic/panel  12 x 12  30 x 30cm

Learning to sail     Laurie Fox Pessemier    Acrylic/linen  11 x 16"   27 x 41 cm

Fisherman's house    Blair Pessemier   Acrylic/linen  13.5 x 17.5"  60 x 45 cm

Ranunculas in full bloom    Laurie Fox Pessemier  Acrylic/panel   12 x 12   30 x 30 cm

Not so sunny-rise    Laurie Fox Pessemier   Acrylic/wood  10 x 14"  25  35 cm

Ranunculi in a Pot   Laurie Fox Pessemier   Acrylic/linen  16 x 19.5   40 x 50cm

Guys at the beach   Laurie Fox Pessemier   Acyrlic/linen  8 x 10"  20 x 25 cm

Wave    Laurie Fox Pessemier   Acrylic/linen  11 x 16"  27 x 41 cm

Past Present Future

For years, I have been wanting to go to the floral market at San Remo Italy.  Back in the early 00’s, when I was painting flowers all the time, we made a special trip to the Riviera di Fiori, the “flower Riviera” to see the greenhouses and flowers.  That time, we never got to the proper wholesale “mercato”, based on a bum steer from the hotel.   It has been the story ever since, and I’ve been by San Remo several times.

This trip, we actually got up to the entrance, but were too late for the flowers, almost.  In the dumpster outside, were a plethora of Ranunculi – I reached in and grabbed 2 dozen bunches!   It actually worked out perfectly, as I would have chosen these very flowers, and I didn’t have to produce my less-than-current business license (from France, not to mention) and these were totally FREE.

We’ve been painting a lot here in Cervo, Italy.  It has a lot to do with no interference and a change of venue, I think… NOBODY here speaks to us, which is a bit of a shame.  Meanwhile, I plan outings to new places where at least we can order dinner, ask directions.   I cannot understand what is making these people so grumpy – I realize we are tourists, but some don’t even offer a buon giorno when faced with ours.  It is unlike the Italy I know, from Rocca Malatina to Bologna to Modena. 

I tell people I moved to Italy because Pasquale, a Roman, moved into our building in Paris. Every morning he would greet me with a big smile and a “Good Morning, Laurie”.  I told Blair I wanted to move where he came from.  We got close (to Rome), but chose to be closer to friends in Modena and Castelfranco.  And everyone in Rocca Malatina wishes Blair, Harika and me a BUON GIORNO, or SALVE or CIAO!

Blair is working on a big painting and I am painting lots of smaller work.  My vistas are inundated with my favorite painting color, turquoise.  This also allows me to use the opposite color, my true favorite color, red.  I like to paint smaller, and try as I might to do the big painting, it just doesn’t suit me.  My memory eye is smaller, I guess, than Blair’s is.   It is like the screen at the movie theatre – if I must move my head/eyes to take in the whole scene, the effect is lost.  Small, I can recall/translate just how those dogs looked at the beach; how that fellow was holding his hand, the color of the sunlight as it peeked (and now it’s gone) through the clouds.  And even though I mostly paint en plein air, I depend on my mind/memory to define certain aspects of the picture.     It might account for Blair’s greater precision, and my humor.

I am constantly thinking about my home in Rocca M.  I’m cooking up ideas for the basement, which is a wonderful windowed space full of summer plants at the moment.  I am thinking of year round herbs, and a little wine tasting room down there.   I’ll hook up some wonderful light bulb system a la the champagne caves at Moet Chandon (can we serve it?).    It will be cool in the summer.    Ah, future.