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
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.
