Portrait Painting Thibault

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

I heard again recently painter Michael John Angel's lecture on the artist he knew, Pietro Annigoni here in Firenze, Italia. I like many of Annigoni’s works, mostly his portraits, but also his drawings after Firenze was bombed during World War II. I like the way he mixed media in his work in a very contemporary way. In fact, John Angel related that he once saw Annigoni paint with a brick!

But what I enjoy best about seeing his portraits is being reminded that a good design trumps a photographic likeness every time. On Monday, I started to paint a portrait of a young artist I know named Thibault (pronounced “T-bow). He is a good-looking French boy with dreadlocks and wears cool clothes.

Anyway, Mondays are typically my lesson exchange night: I teach anatomy to an Italian artist friend and he teaches me how to speak and understand Italian. On that night I was also making him dinner so that he could taste the new oil I had received from our weekend of olive picking in the Tuscan countryside. This is the Kelly length of telling you that I only had one-hour of a typically two-hour session with the model. So, I hope to improve upon this with more time. The third image is a close-up of the second image.

Tuscan Sky Art

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Many years ago, I met an Italian artist who has passion galore, but little formal training. She drew constantly as a child and even once met the famous Pietro Annigoni. She was just a little girl, but she always remembered that he stopped by her table to compliment her drawing. She recalls, “I was in Castagno di Andrea, a village in Tuscany , I think Mugello, when I met Pietro Annigoni. He was painting a famous Crucifixion in the village church. I was in the little trattoria near there for lunch with my mother and my grandfather. Annigoni passed by . . . . My [English] mother didn't like Annigoni because he was Italian and also because of some story about him, so...” Another time she had told me that her mother did not care for the portrait Signore Annigoni had painted of the Queen of England. So, apparently, his opinion about my friend’s artistic potential fell on deaf ears.

Yet throughout her life and many adventures, my friend Hafiza Malik, subject of my last post and pastel painting, continues to pursue her art whenever she can. She is a sensitive soul with many stories to tell. She loves Nature, and has a special affinity towards trees. She prefers to draw from life (which is how I met her), befriending artists and people from all walks. Hafiza collects Nature’s souvenirs and creates drawings, etchings, and paintings.

I have with me here in Texas a limited number of prints from one of Hafiza’s pencil drawings of the Tuscan landscape. The image is printed on a thick quality Italian paper and is a signed limited edition of 50. The image is approximately 7” x 11” and is titled “Cielo Toscano” (“Tuscan Sky”).

The price is $80 unframed (+$10 shipping and for Texans, sales tax). However, if you would prefer the art framed, I recommend all acid-free mat and foam core backing, with glass in an elegant black frame. I can offer a completely framed print of “Cielo Toscano” at the low price of $150 (+15 shipping, plus any applicable taxes). If you love Italy or even cloud watching, this image might be just for you. A great gift idea, too, for the travelers you know.

Please contact me if you would like to see this Italian artist’s work in person. (And if you find yourself near Florence, Italy, and would like to buy this print directly from Hafiza, let me know and I will connect the two of you . . . )


“Cielo Toscano” (“Tuscan Sky”)
7” x 11”
Limited edition of 50 signed print on Italian paper
Copyright and original pencil drawing by Hafiza Malik
Unframed Art Only:

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“Cielo Toscano” (“Tuscan Sky”)
7” x 11” (Framed size = 13” x 18”)
Limited edition of 50 signed print on Italian paper
Copyright and original pencil drawing by Hafiza Malik
Framed with elegant black frame and glass:

The following is an image of Hafiza explaining something about plants to me. These are capers, growing out of a Tuscan wall.

Pietro Annigoni

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Well, I hope you enjoy reading about other artists because I have spent the better part of this week collecting images of the famous Italian painter, printmaker, author, draftsman & sculptor Pietro Annigoni (1910-1988).

Check it out here in my latest e-newsletter:

www.BorsheimArts.com/news/2009_03.htm

By the way, I only send out about 6-8 of these newsletters from my site. The subscription list is different from the subscription list to this blog (which I do not control). If you are interested in receiving my more rare e-newsletters, or just want to communicate with me, please contact the studio.

Other useful links to information about Annigoni:

Wikipedia in Italian -- shows an image of his grave in Florence
Wikipedia in English -- very different write-up. Only one image, but more text

Art Renewal’s Web site

Good articles (in Italian):
Artelabonline
windoweb.it

Antonio Ciccone Art Drawings - Florence, Italy

Cari Amici,
I spent the 25th of May in Sesto Fiorentino, Italy, with my friend Hafiza to help her celebrate her birthday. Once again her generosity showed itself when she gave me her bici (bike). She is a beaut! A jogger, who took a break when she saw me trying to balance my camera on a trash can, took this image. I was riding home from the (train) stazione, trying to remember the last time I rode a bicycle.

However, I did not use questo bici until today, 31 May. In Florence, there is a pretty healthy bike theft business, with stolen bikes often sold to the many students here. I want to avoid becoming a victim in this situation and it took me several days to find the right friend to advise me on which bike locks were the best. And there was also the rain to consider. But today, I was flying high, zigzagging down some of the less car-traveled streets of Florence as I made my way to the reception of artist Antonio Ciccone at Casa di Dante.

Antonio studied with Pietro Annigoni, one of Florence’s more recent art heroes. I heard that many years ago, Antonio moved from the more representational style of Annigoni to America and its more modern movement/style. He has been back in Florence for a while now and is doing representational charcoal portraits. (He also attended last week’s reception for the mostra that included two of my drawings. The maestro Michael John Angel also studied with the late Pietro Annigoni.)

Art critic John T. Spike gave a warm introduction (in Italian) to Antonio Ciccone, while Rossella Annigoni, Pietro Annigoni's second wife and widow, smiled warmly nearby.


I photographed some detail shots of these lovely drawings. (Please pardon the reflexions in the glass.) I was impressed by the subtlety of tone combined with a sure hand and strong lines. I even enjoyed the artist’s signature!


And finally, I was able to meet the artist. Surprisingly enough, I am a shy person and it was only because my artist friend Francesco wanted to photograph me with the artist that I was introduced to him. Being the star of the show, Antonio did not have much time to speak with me, but he seemed genuinely charming and I was happy to meet him. And then look at more of the drawings, as Francesco continued to take many fotos throughout the exhibit.

Ciao a presto! And thank you for your interest.
Kelly