Don Elliot Franklin Barry Gallery Indianapolis

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Happy birthday to Don Elliott!  Recently one of my long-time art newsletter readers asked me how I have built my art career.  Hmmm, I thought my art newsletter was a large part of sharing this journey.  Hahha, oops!  But, nonetheless, one of the things that I do is exhibit my art and do it in a place that permits me to meet new people.  Such was the case when I invested a whole lot of money to exhibit in New York City in 2005 (when I lived in central Texas).  

That event cost me around $10,000 (all on credit cards, I may add, a scary risk for me).  However, before that exhibit weekend was over, I had met Don.  He became one of my collectors then, as well as my new gallerist.  I remember clearly when he said to me, “Kelly, I love your work, but I must admit that it is going to take some time to develop a market for nudes in Indianapolis.” 

Not only do I appreciate his honesty, but I also feel really grateful that he has stuck by me all of these years when another gallerist might not have taken on the challenge of the Midwest.  Don has placed my artworks in collections in the USA and in Canada.  When I need advice on selling, I call him. When I need a frame that compliments my art, I give the project to Don.

 

So, “Cheers!” to a great guy.  Here are just a few of my artworks that he currently has on exhibit at the Franklin Barry Gallery… go on, visit.  Indianapolis has a lot to see!  [Don even has some notecards of images I took of the city during one of my many visits there.]

Franklin Barry Gallery / The Frame Shop
617 Massachusetts Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
Tel. 317.822.8455
Contact: Don Elliott Web site: www.franklinbarrygallery.com

“Lei” and “Lui” sold together or separately.  36” x 10” oil on canvas

“Towards Siena” 24 x 16 inches, oil on board

“Il Dono” (“The Gift”), 25 x 18 inches, charcoal and pastel on brown Italian paper

“Daydreaming of Yesterday,”  18 x 25 inches, charcoal with pastel

“L’Inverno” (“Winter”), 18 x 25 inches, pastel with charcoal

One of my functional bronze artworks: 

“Oh Boy!” (5 male figures in relief, wall hung), 15 x 9 inches, bronze mirror

And these artworks that are not on my Web site, a charcoal drawing “After Prud’hon” and a small acrylic painting from Fiesole, Italy, titled, “Buon Appetito!”:

Franklin Barry Gallery / The Frame Shop
617 Massachusetts Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
Tel. 317.822.8455
Contact: Don Elliott Web site: www.franklinbarrygallery.com

Happy Birthday, Don, and thank you!

Carlo Dolci Uffizi Florence Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

One of my Florentine friends asked me to join him as his guest to the Galleria degli Uffizi last Saturday morning.  One of his friends works at the famous museum here in Florence, Italy, and gave him a pass for two that he may use anytime he likes.  No queue!  And free!  

One of the perks for those who live here (and have the Uffizi Card) is that if it becomes easy to visit a museum, one does not feel the “pressure” to see or even try to see the entire collection on exhibit.  So, while we actually sat down in the Botticelli room for a bit and peeked our heads into a few favorite areas, in general we dodged the tourists in an attempt to visit some of the latter rooms.  My friend said that he is often visually exhausted by the time he gets close to the end and does not often spend much time there.

Well, as we wandered around, noting that several rooms we hoped would be open were not (renovations), we stumbled upon an exhibit of which neither of us had been aware!  The exhibit is titled, “Il Gran Principe Fernando de Medici (1663-1713)” and features some truly marvelous works of art in the private Medici collection.

In my book about my experiences street painting in Italy, I shared with you that my first street painting was “The Blue Madonna” by Carlo Dolci.  I had seen the original portrait years before in Florida and never forgot it.  So, perhaps you can imagine my joy when I saw Carlo Dolci’s portrait “St. Mary Magdalen.”

I do not really know how to explain my emotional response to Sig. Dolci’s paintings.  In general, I am not fond of portraits, religious ones or not (although in truth the religious topics often strike me as more dramatic and well done than secular subjects).  There is a quality to the painting that moves me.  The face is softly lit, softly modeled; the figure perfectly posed for her expression.   The jewelry on the dress, the round container that she is holding, the eyebrows, the delicate lips, the hands, the skin itself:  absolutely breath-taking!

Apparently the Grand Prince felt something similar.  Upon his death, the museum card read, twelve works by Carlo Dolci were found in his collection.  This Magdalen portrait was in his “private chamber” (and I do not think that refers to the bathroom - ha!).  I apologize for the glare on each of these snapshots.  I could not find a position without one.  Also, the book for this exhibition is wonderful (40 euro price tag).  However, the image of this Carlo Dolci painting in the book was too light and more than usual, lacked some emotional quality of the original. The darker background in my shots is more like the experience one had in the museum standing right in front of this work of art.  I hope you can find a painting that moves you and teaches you as well.  I was glad that I received this little gift of a trip to the Uffizi!