Artnotes: Singing Along with Billie Holiday (and an addenda to last week)

 Last week, the final paragraph of Wild Water was lost.  I am writing it here:

On our morning walk with Berlino (7 am) I watch an Italian man tending his grapes.  He is older, sinewy, skin the color of polished wood to match his brimmed straw hat.  Baggy grey green trousers and an oft-washed short sleeve shirt make him look like the “grubby old men” I refer to at the café.  He inspects his vines holding the bud in a surprisingly tender gesture.  It is as if he is one with his plants, his land, his scorching sun.  I have never really experienced that feeling, except sometimes in the water.  I lived most of my life near asphalt, concrete and painfully cut grass (who thought of that anyway?).    At least in wild water (not pools) I am one with something real, touching me all over.  I love that.

ARTNOTES:  SING ALONG WITH BILLIE HOLIDAY

Terra Cotta Girls Playing Football  Blair Pessemier  Acrylic/canvas  32 x 21.5"  80 x 54 cm  490.00 This is the visitor season at our house.   It’s not very exciting here, in the Florence-Rome kind of way, but if singing birds and lovely views are your cup of tea,  you’ve come to the right place.  It’s heaven for hikers.   Cherries on a White Dish   Laurie Fox Pessemier  Acrylic on Paper 8 x 11"  20 x 28cm  150.00  This last week we went up to the Ginevra Ristorante for a dinner – they have an outstanding deck which juts out over a dramatic vista of mountains and fields.  There is a fabulous Neapolitan pizza chef, and open fire for grilling, and depending on the day, pretty good desserts.  This week, we had a strawberry/whipped cream affair, with the thick buttery cream on the bottom, and fresh strawberries on top (it’s the season).  Our guest is still talking about it on her continued itinerary through Paris.  The next day, we decided to visit the cows who produced that outrageously good cream – they live in Rosola, at the parmigiano factory.   This Parmigiano cheese has been repeatedly named the best in Italy.  The white, Modenese cows, an ancient breed, produce a particularly rich milk.   We pick up some freshly made yogurt with blueberries for breakfast, and a tub of ricotta. Cherries on a Chinese Dish Laurie Pessemier  Acrylic/paper  25 x17 "  61 x 43 cm  290.00 We drove on to Verucchia, where there is a pilgrim church and a view out to Montalbano, a small town famous for its nativity scenes, tucked into the hill.  This is Saturday, and there’s a makeshift sort of restaurant in operation with outdoor picnic tables (“no first course, no second course, no dessert” he tells us).  They serve local specialties like Borlenghi (papery crepes), Crescentini (a biscuit bun) and fried Gnocchi – one tops these with preserved meats (prosciutto, coppa, salami) and cheeses and a lardy pork spread.   It is amazing people here still live to be 100 years old.  The owner recognizes us (you’re from Roccamalatina!) and gives us a choice seat, with umbrella. Shoemaker  Blair Pessemier  Acrylic/canvas 24 x 20"  60 x 50 cm  590.00 Of course, I forgot to mention the Sassi, the National Park we border.   Here you can find those giant rocks (sassi) one associates with the background of the Mona Lisa.  The restaurant there has been closed and nature has already started to reclaim the property.  It’s not such a shame, really, although watching the sun set from the deck over vodka tonic was always nice.  The trees and foliage this year are ferocious, after a wet spring. In a rare escapade, Blair takes our friends to Guiglia market on Sunday, and they climb to the top of the castle.   From up there, you can sometimes see the Alps.  On the way to the Airport, we stop to see Castelnuovo Ragone.  Blair finds inspiration in the shoe repair man, and one of the many terra cotta bas reliefs around town and paints them this week.  Even though people say, we’re just coming to see YOU, really they plan on us taking them someplace.  This is OK, as long as they understand:  we are feeble, poor as church mice and rarely drive at night.  We have a 15 year old clunker of a car.  Our priority is ART.   We paint daily when guests aren’t here.  We serve  dinner in the backyard, where the birds sing along with Billie Holiday. Two more Immortals

HOUSEKEEPING:  We make art to order, including portraits by Blair Pessemier.    Follow us on Instagram @lauriepessemier See all of our paintings at https://paintfox.com Most of our work is available as reproductions, custom sized and framed. Write to me at lfpessemier@gmail.com   sign up for Artnotes, our weekly art missive, by contacting me at lfpessemier@gmail.com or https://mailchi.mp/341f508cecf8/artnotes 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.  No politics, no sales pitches, please. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88093708954?pwd=M04zNHB4dFZkREp3bThweUd1YnVDZz09 Meeting ID: 880 9370 8954 Passcode: 886402 Rome 8 PM   NY 2 PM; LosAngeles 11AM