Salon del Restauro Fortezza da Basso Florence Italy

Dear Art lover,

     Back in mid-November, I attended an event about restoring artworks of all kinds.  Or many kinds, at least.  The Salon del Restauro in the always-fun-to-visit Fortezza da Basso not far from the Santa Maria Train station in Florence, Italy, was a joy.  I was glad that I went alone.  I love looking at old things and I am attracted, perhaps sadly, to things that are not perfect.  I find beauty in destruction and decay, but not of violence.  And of course, not always.  Some things are just gross.

     I am also a multitasker.  At the time I was looking for a new school to enroll in so that I could obtain a new student visa to remain in Italy.  I had looked at several language schools, but was not convinced that their program would last several years.  And I have often been curious about the restoration process for art.  At the very least, I might learn more about chemistry in painting and know more about how to create a new work of art without it dying an early death.

     I am launching my Kickstarter project for bronze casting very soon, so I will just leave you with some of my favorite snapshots from the Salon del Restauro in Florence, Italy.  If you have any questions about the images, please post them on the actual blog page and I will answer them there.  If you have a question, there are no doubt others with the same one.

     Thank you for hanging with me in this wacky art life!

Please share this with anyone you think might enjoy this post!  Thank you.

Kelly

~ Kelly Borsheim, sculptor, painter, writer, teacher

http://BorsheimArts.com

PS 
Whoops... I have done it now. The project is now LIVE on the Internet.. Please help me spread the word and participate if so moved: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/borsheimarts/casting-call-im-melting-melting-into-bronze

Pisa Leaning Tower Illusion

Dear Art lover,

     I have a hard time removing images I enjoy from my laptop until I have shared them.  So, please indulge me today if I have a flashback post.  I have been to Pisa several times in my years in Italia, but not for very long on any visit.  I am usually with other people who are just passing through to see the famous Leaning Tower, which in fact, is the bell tower for the Duomo (cattedrale) in Pisa.  

     It is all part of a complex called the Piazza dei Miracoli.  The Duomo, the Baptistry, and the tower are just a few of the buildings you will find here.  And, of course, you will find tourists posing some distance away from the tower, with fingers positioned so that the resulting photo of them looks as if they are either pushing up or pulling down the tower.  I personally have never had a strong desire to go up into the Leaning Tower.

     But she has QUITE the lean, doesn’t she?  Last fall I was there on a beautiful November day.  I saw something that I had never noticed before.  It is not a trick of the camera because the images look the same in the camera as the tower did in real life.  I checked because I was having a hard time believing what was there right in front of me!

     The tower has a definite lean to the right when one views it while standing in the Baptistry or beside the Duomo.  However, as one moves towards the tower, almost a 90-degree change of view, the tower starts to lean left!  I expected it to look physically straight up and down when I got where I was when I took the image.  And I expected the shadows / lighting to explain to me that the tower was leaning towards me.  But, the way the light hits on the right and the shadows go back and down, the tower appears to not only lean left, but also away from me!

     So, that was fun.  After our little group left the complex, we wandered not too far away and found this church.  Sadly, not being a tour guide, I did not catch the name of this church, but it is perhaps easy to find on the Internet.  One of the more darkly decorated places of worship that I have seen. 

I also leave you with some of the lovely artwork in Pisa… and some humor.

On March 1, I hope to launch my Kickstarter program, “Casting Call:  I’m Melting!  Melting!  . . . Into Bronze”  I will keep you posted.  I am a bit nervous about this, but I think, as if often the case with me, that curiosity is the stronger emotion.

Please share this with anyone you think might bust a gut over it-ha!  Thank you.

Kelly

~ Kelly Borsheim, sculptor, painter, writer, teacher

http://BorsheimArts.com

Rollerblades

Dear Art lover,

     With such a wide and wonderful paved sidewalk along the Adriatic Sea here in Umag, Croatia, I thought I should get some wheels for better (further) exploration.  What I discovered, however, is that some perks contrast with some less-than-ideal circumstances.  

     I mean that as much as I love walking the sea without much company during winter in a town full of summer tourists, I also cannot access touristy things.  After several attempts to find some rollerblades and being told that there were none in town during this time of year, I found some to try.  The good news is that they were available for half price!  Sadly, they were four sizes too large.  I hoped that perhaps wearing several pairs of socks would fill the gap, but both the saleswoman and I agreed that it would not be a safe solution.  The rollerblades were simply too large.  However, she took this snapshot of me in her store, so we had some laughs.  

     Sadly, she also told me that there are no bicycle rentals in off-season.  So, I walk alone . . .

I like it here.  The people are really nice, even though I have made a point to stay pretty much alone while I work out a lot of things.   

     I will be launching my fundraising bronze casting project on Kickstarter.com soon, so if you have had a hankering to get some bronzes at good prices, March will be the time.  I included some early bird special offers for quick-acting supporters.  With bronze prices and labor at an all-time high, I can assure you that these prices will not be offered for long.

     Also, I am still having technical difficulties.  I tried a new service to distribute my art newletter (a subscription list, free).  I sent this out about a week ago.  Sadly, I am having mixed reviews.  Too many people near the end of the list have told me that they have NOT received the newsletter in their e-mail boxes.  If you are one of those and I have not already heard from you, will you please let me know?  I need to give the company feedback so we can determine what the problem is.  Thank you!

     In any event, here is the newsletter online about Tantalyzing Tasmania:

http://www.borsheimarts.com/news/2015_02_ArtNews-TasmaniaLandscapePainting.htm

Please share this with anyone you think might bust a gut over it-ha!  Thank you.

Kelly

~ Kelly Borsheim, sculptor, painter, writer, teacher

http://BorsheimArts.com