Graffiti Borgo degli Albizi Florence Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

As a continuation of my last blog post on the original form of graffiti, I share with you these images of a gorgeous work in degradation.  It is on Borgo degli Albizi, one of my favorite eye candy streets in Florence, Italy.  I think these designs are beautiful. 

[Click on an image to see it in a larger form.]

Even though the light pigments have eroded away, the ideas are still somewhat visible, “scratched” into the concrete.  True graffiti. 

This fourth image is a bit funny… to repair graffiti, it makes sense that one would have to refill the original incisions or decaying part.  But this grey ball is one blob that is not only a bit thick (protruding from the wall more than the rest of the design), but it seems odd that the new design was not created immediately while the cement was still wet!  Who knows how long this has been this way?

What a fantastical creature s/he is!

And finally, old and new graffiti together.  

Past posts about Italian graffiti:

My previous post with the meaning of “graffiti” :  http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2013/08/graffiti-florence-italy.html

The sign of the Medici family (6 balls on the shield):  http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2012/10/graffiti-florence-italy.html

Few things last forever, disappearing graffiti:  http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2012/10/more-graffiti-florence-italy.html

Today’s form of graffiti:  http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2007/09/italian-graffiti.html

****

Interested in street art?  I created a different kind of it in Florence over the course of four years.  I have written a book about the art, the artist, the politics, and the ambiance of working from 10 am to midnight in the streets on Italy.  The book is titled, “My Life as a Street Painter in Florence, Italy” and you may get your copy at a country near you… click on the appropriate Amazon link on the right hand column, under the moon at:

http://www.borsheimarts.com/newsletter.htm

And thank you for joining me on this artistic journey.

Kelly Borsheim, sculptor / painter / muralist

 

Borgo degli Albizi Florence Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

I hope that you are enjoying all that the seasons have to offer. I myself have been carving stone and painting portrait commissions, as well as enjoying all of the art events that I have been invited to attend.

I am also missing Italy. Borgo degli Albizi is one of my favorite streets in central Florence. I rode my bike down that street often on my way home or into centro. I like the variety of shops along this street and the stone buildings in the ever-changing light. And so, I would like to introduce to you my latest charcoal and pastel drawing of a couple walking in a nighttime rain down Borgo degli Albizi.

"Borgo Degli Albizi - Firenze, Italia"
64 x 46 cm (25 x 18")
charcoal & pastel drawing 2009
Roma-brand Italian paper
by Kelly Borsheim
[Updated: 14 December 2009: This drawing has sold to a private collector in California.]

Also, I just published my latest art newsletter, which includes some cool images of devotional art by Florentine artists throughout the centuries. If you would like to receive these as an e-mail (only 6-8 times per year), just subscribe on my site. It is free.

Drawing the Light in Florence Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Always searching for light and interesting people, here is another sneak preview of a new work-in-progress. This is Day 2 of a nude figure drawing that I am creating in charcoal and pastels. I hire the models, while my friend Dana hosts our drawing sessions in her flat. Her house is fun to work in because the lighting is so different from the other studio we work in.

Our Italian model Sarah took this photo of me during the break. The blue light is coming from the sunlit curtain covering the only window in the room. So, I draw coolly, ha.

After our drawing session was over for the day, I rode my bike down Borgo degli Albizi to visit my favorite paper shop. I needed to buy a gift on Saturday night because most shops are not open on Sundays and I wanted to stay home to work on Monday and Tuesday. I try to organize my time well since I am a slow producer and interested in too many things.

But, this past Saturday evening, the light in Florence at this moment was truly fantastic! With these medieval tall buildings so close together here in central Florence, it is difficult to take good photos. The sun just does not arrive fully on most streets.

But in this moment, the sun was highlighting the Tuscan golds on this old building. The crumbling fresco designs looked purple in comparison. I snapped several shots of this wonderfully textured and richly colored wall, admiring the contrast of the round upper windows over the rectangles and the sculptured shield jutting out away from the mura. The composition I include here is my favorite shot and if you click on the blog’s image, I believe you can see a larger sized visual.

So, remember to look up and appreciate the light.
And if you are coming to Florence, Italy, soon, my exhibit starts on the 16th of April and lasts for three weeks. For more information, please see my Web site.

Updated: The Finished Figure Drawing

"Nightwatch"
charcoal with pastel / carboncino con pastelli
64 x 46 cm