Artnotes: The Magic Outdoors

 

23 July 2022 Roccamalatina,MO Italia

Magical Dragonflies  LaurieFox Pessemier  Acrylic/paper  25 x 17"  63 x 41cm  290.00

I am rebuilding the Fountain of Youth.  Every day I drag a few more rocks to the edge of the basin, trapping more water for our plunge.  Berlino, the Spinone (a notorious water dog) hates the water.  Yesterday he wouldn’t even come with us to swim. We float among the most beautiful damsel flies:  brilliant royal blue; emerald green; nearly transparent cordovan.  I float and they inspect me:  one large fish.  They eat mosquitoes, who have been plaguing me to the extreme this season.

Blair Swimming in the Fountain of Youth (2021)  Laurie Pessemier  acrylic/canvas16 x 18"  40 x 46cm    550.00

Berlino may have been traumatized from the day before when a snake snared a dormouse on the banks of the creek.  He barked (a rare event).   I had a hard time discerning the encounter, both participants well camouflaged but not from one another.  It is a far cry from Paris

Nazim Hikmet,Turkish Poet  LaurieFox Pessemier  Acrylic/canvas  13 x 9"  33 x 23cm  400.00

After our dip, if Berlino is with us, we take a walk in the woods.  On Thursday, there was a new rocky pathway across the river to the sulfur spring.  People used to drink this water for health, but I can’t really feature it.  There was a  sign posted to a tree:  The Magic Place; another tree bore a poem by Nazim Hikmet (perhaps my favorite poet; Turkish) and nearby Herman Hesse.   We rarely see anyone else here in these woods, so it seemed even more magical.

Phoenix Rising (for Burning Man)  Blair Pessemier  Acrylic/canvas 60 x 48"   150 x 120cm  commission

On Friday, without Bernie, we went to the Chiosco la Quiete for a drink.  Stefano is the owner – he used to work at an Italian restaurant in New York City.  This place, run by him and his sister is only open in the summer.  We order Stefano’s special concoction with Campari.  I eat the entire bowl of potato chips.  We speak briefly about this punishing heat (he isn’t wearing a shirt; “is this ok?” he asks. Sexy in fact, but not in an aftershave ad way) but go on to discuss the state of no available workers, and Brexit, and the area.  It is so much fun, we promise to come back with our guests.

My limbs stay cool as night falls and we eat our dinner outdoors.

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