Friday, March 27, 2015

Eric Bronze and Granite



Hello everyone!  I just wanted to thank you again for your early support and a couple of you who have even increased your pledges, as well as sharing my posts on Facebook with your friends and followers.

I have just added a new reward, Eric… and he is one of my favorites and a great model to work with. 

Eric: 10" h x 11" w x 8" d, bronze with granite base  

We still have a lot to do to meet the goal… remember with Kickstarter it is all or nothing and I really want to get these waxes cast before I lose them to the Texas heat! 

Here is where we are … every pledge helps momentum.  You know that lots of folks will bid once the goal looks achievable. . you have helped that off to a good start. 
  • $3,695 pledged
  • 32% funded
  • 22 backers
  • 5 days to go
Ends the midnight between 1 and 2 April, Texas time.  Thank you,
Kelly


Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Princess Ljubica Residence Belgrade Serbia


Dear Art lover,
     The residence of Princess Ljubica in Belgrade, Serbia, was built around 1830.  It is of relatively simple design, but very distinct from surrounding buildings.  Perhaps the yard and gate also differentiate this space.  I saw it only at night and from the outside a couple of years ago [August 2012].  I must say that I love the night view of the architecture. Here ya go:  http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2012/08/belgrade-serbia-art-architecture.html

residence of Princess Ljubica in Belgrade, Serbia

   It is a lovely place and the main point seems to be to remind locals and visitors that the Turks had a lot of influence in Serbia’s past.  My local friends told me that Princess Ljubica used to open her home to citizens on Sunday for free [as in open] conversations or perhaps for her to know the concerns of the people.  Apparently, each Sunday afternoon, an actor plays the part of the princess and visitors may imagine what the conversations of old felt like.

residence of Princess Ljubica in Belgrade, Serbia

residence of Princess Ljubica in Belgrade, Serbia

      I really hate how people butcher trees.  Tell me all the reason you like about why this must be done, but in the end… it is unnatural and ugly.  However, despite this, these tree branches corkscrew a bit and I found that a fun contrast from all the straight line architecture.

      
     There were paintings in most rooms, often several actually.  My first response to most of them was, sadly, “eewww.”  I later had these two grow on me a bit.  It must have been the birds, hahaha.  The artist is Arsenije Petrović    A Girl with a Flower Basket (oil on canvas, 1845-50) and A Boy with a Pigeon (oil on canvas, 1852).

     



Portrait oil painting residence of Princess Ljubica in Belgrade, SerbiaPortrait oil painting residence of Princess Ljubica in Belgrade, Serbia 
     















     
     This last portrait is included here because the conversation my friends and I had in front of it was interesting to me.  Basically they were telling me how the cultures mixed.  So, you may see that the dress has under layers that appear more “folk-y” with bright blues, whites, and orange colors.  There is a garland of fruit that has a feel of country life.  The next layer is more refined with a sort of solid peach color decorated with white lace patterns.  Then you top that off with a dark colored Turkish jacket.  

     This is an oil painting of Smilja Vukalinirić in 1831 by UroÅ¡ Knežević.  Oh, and this conversation with my mates happened because I made some smart-alec remark about how all of the women in these portraits look quite masculine.  I wondered if they did in real life or if the artists did not know how to paint the feminine face.  Smilja, here, is one of the more girly girls.

Portrait, oil painting, residence, of, Princess Ljubica, in, Belgrade, Serbia

There was an entrance fee, but my friends insisted on paying and I have forgotten the amount.  The residence offers free postcards, so we all helped ourselves to several.  Since even mailing postcards from Italy is expensive, I gave mine to Biljana.  She was collecting them to use in her classrooms.


residence of Princess Ljubica in Belgrade, Serbia



Kickstarter UPDATE:


• $3,390 pledged
• 29% funded
• 20 backers
• 8 days to go[ends midnight between April 1 - 2]

"The Unwritten Future" is one of the bronzes available in this Kickstarter art project, so we still have a long way to go before the deadline of 1 April (midnight between 1 and 2 April, Texas time).  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/borsheimarts/casting-call-im-melting-melting-into-bronze/

Casting Call: I’m Melting . . . Melting! Into Bronze

Destroy to Create: Melted wax sacrificed to pour bronze sculpture. Hot art: Make it happen before these wax figures are truly lost.

Thank you so much for helping me make some bronze art a reality,
Kelly

~ Kelly Borsheim, sculptor, painter, writer, teacher


Sunday, March 22, 2015

Murals Skadarlija Belgrade Serbia



Dear Art lover,
     This post is about the murals I saw in Belgrade (Beograd), Serbia.  It is by no means any serious list since I only spent half a day there and most of that was spent in the Nikola Tesla Museum and later drinking wine with three friends.   This first one lends a peaceful air to the neighborhood.  I enjoyed its pastel round shapes contrasting with the square windows and forms of the buildings.

Murals Skadarlija Belgrade Serbia
 
Murals Skadarlija Belgrade Serbia cork      This second and third images are not actually murals.  The first appears to be something like giant pieces of corkboard over the windows, but it gives a feeling of having pictoral elements.  The second is a restaurant on a famous street called Skadarlija.  It is the oldest street there, I believe.  The cobblestones feel like a massage on the feet.   Anyway, I thought the repetitive use of small flower boxes going vertical had a charming effect.   This next is another restaurant on the other side of the street.  Also, not really a “real” mural, but pretty.  [I did make a disclaimer that this is not an exhaustive list, right?]
Murals Skadarlija Belgrade Serbia
Murals Skadarlija Belgrade Serbia 



     This next series is of an ambitiously large mural consisting of painted buildings on real buildings.  I hope you enjoy.  This mural is also on the Skadarlija Street in Belgrade, Serbia.

Murals Skadarlija Belgrade Serbia


Kickstarter update:  19 backers have now helped me raise 29% of the funds needed to give the foundry.  Two people have even increased their original pledges!  $3,350 of a goal of $11,500.  Thank you and let us go for the other 71% please!  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/borsheimarts/casting-call-im-melting-melting-into-bronze/

Casting Call: I’m Melting . . . Melting! Into Bronze

Destroy to Create: Melted wax sacrificed to pour bronze sculpture. Hot art: Make it happen before these wax figures are truly lost.

Thank you so much for helping me make some bronze art a reality,
Kelly

~ Kelly Borsheim, sculptor, painter, writer, teacher

P.S.  This art post is dedicated to my Aunt Annie, who left us last night.

Murals Skadarlija Belgrade Serbia

Murals Skadarlija Belgrade Serbia

Murals Skadarlija Belgrade Serbia

Murals Skadarlija Belgrade Serbia