Thank goodness for travel. It gets me to take out my brain and jump on it (“it gets all caked up”, as Mark Twain said). It doesn’t have to be big travel, just a change of scene, far enough away you can’t walk back. |
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| We drove two hours to drop off Blair’s commissioned painting in Castiglion Fiorentino, ate lunch and pressed on to Stimigliano for the night; well, two. The house was stuffy as one might imagine after two months of near-100 degree days. Via Dante, 7, is part of the outer stone structure on the west side of the town and gets particularly hot. We were only obliged to run the portable airconditioner for half a day to freshen things up. |
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 | Rose Hips Laurie Pessemier Acrylic/ Paper 23.5 x 17" 63 x 42cm 275.00 |
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| We’ve been trying to figure out what to do with our gallery in Roccamalatina. Someone suggested teaching children to paint, I thought about hanging nudes, and we talked about painting curtains on the window to create a peekaboo view. When we were in Modena this week, we saw a gallery show of car exhaust systems made into speakers – interesting. How, you ask, can going to Stimigliano help you decide about your gallery 250 miles away? See here, that’s the miracle of travel, and taking out your brain: new ideas, a different perspective! |
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 | Seated Nude Laurie Pessemier Acrylic/canvas 16 x 10.5" 40 x 27cm 475.00 |
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| I spent time in my studio in Stimigliano, near the genius who lives in the wall. I settled into my chair, and picked up a book. It was a collection of short stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I’d not seen the book before (the genius rearranges things while I am away) and read the story of the Maypole. It is a fabulous tale of dancing bears and Indians, Green Men and Springtime images, all eventually squelched by the dread Puritan. Nathaniel Hawthorne was from Salem, Massachusetts, where the witches were from (I was born not so far from there). His stories reflect his Puritan surroundings (remember the Scarlet Letter? An early banned book) and cast them in a different light. He lived in New England most of his life, and was a friend and neighbor of Herman Melville (Moby Dick). But that’s all another story. |
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 | Streets of Paris Blair Pessemier Acrylic/canvas 23.5 x 16" 60 x 40cm 490.00 |
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Why not, I thought, racing back to the house to Blair, make a show based on the Maypole and the fun and slightly naughty images associated with it? We can set it up at the gallery, take photos and propose the show to other galleries, museums, et cetera? Maybe.
We carried back a selection of fantasy paintings, clowns, monkeys and such to Roccamalatina. It may just be crazy thinking, but it sure beats the everyday. |
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 | Rhymo, the Dancing Monkey Laurie Pessemier Acrylic/canvas 16 x 13" 41 x 33cm 425.00 |
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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. 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.
No selling, no networking until after everyone has presented. |
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