Too Much Art, Italia!

Too Much Art, Italia!

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Who would really believe this?  Siena is not the first Italian town in which I have seen a wall dropped down right over original stone carvings and frescoes.  This poor guy now has a low decorative (and no doubt heavy) wall planted right on his face:  ouch!  It must be terrible to have so much art around that one needs not preserve every piece of it.  Oh, poor Italia has just TOO MUCH ART!

If you find yourself in Tuscany before 26 October 2013, I hope you will go see the temporary unveiling of the highly decorative stone floor of the Duomo (Cathedral) in Siena. Trust me, it gets way better than this.  I just have a wicked sense of humor.  More of the Divina Bellezza or “Divine Beauty”exhibition in the next post.

If you would like more information about Siena and its gorgeous Duomo, check out these links:

http://www.operaduomo.siena.it/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siena_Cathedral


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Thank you for your interest and support.
Saluti,
Kelly

Cathedral of Siena, Divina Bellezza!

Cathedral of Siena, Divina Bellezza!

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

I apologize for the holiday from writing this blog.  I have had a long string of visitors and traveling and hope to share some of my journey with you.  I had the great pleasure to meet up with an American couple who are now friends and collectors of my work (a commissioned portrait of their grandkids).  They were doing a wine tour of Italy, and sadly had to miss visiting my beloved Firenze.  So, I met them in the charming town of Siena, bringing my visiting friend Dilya with me.

I had suggested that we all meet in Siena primarily because the amazing Cathedral (“Duomo” in Italian) was having a special exhibit inside, displaying the entire mosaic-ed floor inside of what one of my friends in Austin, Texas, called “The Zebra Castle” when he saw the Duomo as a child.  The unveiled floor usually has carpets covering the stone art to protect it.   This exhibit lasts only until 26 October and is called Divina Bellezza or “Divine Beauty.”

The mosaics tell various stories to inspire and make you feel a whole slew of emotions, as stories do.  Some depicted battles, such as this one in images below.  This particular mosaic consists mostly of white, black, red, and golden marbles and what a work!