Art Workshop in Tuscany

 

One of the sample views of this area, from Castelvecchio in Tuscany

Dear Art Lover,

 

     I occasionally am asked when I will teach another workshop.  And 2018 is the year.  I am pretty happy in what I call paradise and home now.  It took me a while, but now I would like to share some of it with you.  So, I started my research to see what was already available to you so that I could offer something different.

     It seems painting is the thing, especially in plein aire.  And the subject is very well covered in Tuscany, Italy!  I decided that sculpture is too complicated for space, materials, and later shipping your project home.  However, as I was reminded when I broke my wrist this past June, bas-relief sculpture  is not only VERY do-able, but even more than 3-d sculpting, relief really lets your work on your drawing skills, your composition ability, and your story-telling.  Naturally, those are skills also used in painting. 

Detail, The Gates of Paradise:  Florence, Italy

     I have set this for June 8-15, 2018.  Hopefully, we will have fireflies as we have my last two Junes here.  Magical they are!  I will meet you in Florence, Italy, [Firenze, Italia] where we will tour some prime examples of bas-relief sculpture, including seeing the famous Gates of Paradise.  By that evening, we will have moved up into the Medieval village that I call home:  Castelvecchio.  It is one of ten castled stone villages in an area collectively called Valleriana, the hills just north of Pescia.  Pescia lies between Firenze and Lucca, another charming walled city in Tuscany.

     Here is the link if you are curious for details:  http://www.borsheimarts.com/workshop_Bas-ReliefSculptureInTuscanyCastelvecchio2018.htm

     Accommodations here are with families, who let out apartments or small houses.  The prices are affordable and in January I will be posting a few images and prices of a variety of places from which you may choose.  The economy in the mountains seems a constant struggle and I would like to help out as I can.  That means that I will help you secure the place you like the best, but I will not add on any fees and your lodging payments go directly to the homeowner.  We will have a great time in a really pretty area and I will share with you all of the art information that I can, with six hours minimum of studio time each day after our Firenze adventure. 

    So, if you are looking for a last-minute stunning gift idea for the artist in your life, even if that is YOU, perhaps this is the sort of experience that would really make your 2018 and beyond.

http://www.borsheimarts.com/workshop_Bas-ReliefSculptureInTuscanyCastelvecchio2018.htm

Peace, Happy Solstice on Thursday, and enjoy all of this winter’s holiday festivities.

Thank you for being a part of my life.

Kelly Borsheim, artist

http://BorsheimArts.com

One of the beautiful views in Valleriana you will see during the art workshop 2018

https://www.patreon.com/KellyBorsheim

Baptisty Florence Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

My brother Paul flew in for a couple of days to visit me here in Florence, Italy, after he had a business trip in Spain. We only had a short time, but he met a few of my friends here and we got plenty of exercise, walking most everywhere and back again.

While I had been setting up my camera on a mini-tripod over a trash bin to take our self portrait, a young couple from Davies, Florida, not far from Paul’s home, offered to take this image of us in front of the Duomo.

Surprisingly enough, I had never been inside of the Baptistry, situated across from the Duomo. Lorenzo Ghiberti’s golden doors called the “Gates of Paradise” are pictured here on the outside of the Baptistry. Paul took this image. I believe the three statues above the doors are copies (with the originals being in the museum behind the church), as are the bas reliefs on the door.

Paul treated me to the museum fee of four euros and these are a few of the images we took of the VERY gold ceiling and the artwork inside. Enjoy.

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