Colorful Compositions In Pastel and Easter in Italia

Dear Art-Loving Friend,

I am trying to prepare for my trip soon to Australia… I will be judging an art completion, teaching workshops, and much more for a couple of weeks in May during the Sarita Arts Festival, 25th anniversary… and then a sweet friend and I will be going to Tasmania. 

So, I want to start working on landscape images.  Just as my still-life studies are my attempts to get good at things in which I had previously little experience, my landscape works will lead, I hope, to larger and more complex compositions.  In the tradition of artists ateliers, most professional artist had assistants specialize in certain parts of a whole paintings… but I want to do it all.  Surprised?  Hahah. 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these two pastel artworks.   They came from a trip I took to visit a friend in Santa Margherita Ligure, on the northwestern coast of Italy.   Several of us artists hiked to Portofino and I loved this grassy field we came upon during our hike.

"Santa Margherita Grasses I"
20 x 28 cm pastel on UArt Sanded Paper
copyright 2014 by Kelly Borsheim
http://borsheimarts.com/
Available $350 including worldwide shipping [or both for $600, including shipping]

"Santa Margherita Grasses II (con PomPoms)"
20 x 28 cm pastel on UArt Sanded Paper
copyright 2014 by Kelly Borsheim
http://borsheimarts.com/
Available $350 including worldwide shipping [or both for $600, including shipping]


On another topic, Easter (or Pasqua, as it is called here in Florence, Italy) is celebrated tomorrow.  Several years ago, they changed the mass with the Blessing of the Relic to Saturday evening before Easter morning festivities.  This is the post I wrote when I attended this mass years ago, with images, of course:
http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2010/04/easter-in-florence-italy.html

And here are some of my images of a past version of the fantastical (or as one of my British friends called it:  Willy Wonka-ish) spectacle of the Explosion of the Cart, Florence’s Easter celebration:
 http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2008/03/easter-in-florence-italy.html
Allora, Buona Pasqua!
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Santa Margherita Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

I have visitors this week, but thought it would be fun to do a follow-up of my last post about Santa Margherita, Italy … so I hope that you enjoy these images. [There is more on my Facebook page, if you get really curious.]

Roberto Castellini Art Santa Margherita Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

One of my long-time friends, Roberto Castellini, is currently having his first art exhibit (mostra) in his hometown of Santa Margherita in northwestern Italy. Santa Margherita is on the coast in Ligure, near the more famous Portofino. I visited there once two years ago, but never recognized the place as Roberto’s hometown because he has always described where he grew up as “my little fishing village.” I include a snapshot of part of Santa Margherita. See if you can understand my disconnect!

Roberto has exhibited and sold his work in England, where he has spent most of his years since I met him in Firenze back in 2006. He was a bit nervous, I think, to show his work in his own town, but mostly because he did not have enough of it available for the Castle where his work now hangs. [This is not an uncommon problem for artists who sell their work!] Here is the Castle in which you may find the paintings and drawings of Roberto Castellini (“little castles”) each weekend until June 30. The Castle is easy to find in the center of the coastal town.

This Italian artist enjoys painting landscapes and still life compositions (much kinder in English than “natura morta” [“dead nature” is the literal translation for “still life” in Italian]). While I was trying to get shots of people at the inaugurazione on 9 June, you may see some of the paintings in these images. He has already received some inquiries for purchases and a potential commission for this genre.

That said, Roberto has begun to focus primarily on portraits. He has spent the last nine months working in Firenze with models, painting exclusively from life. He did not choose to exhibit all of these paintings and drawings though, preferring to show a variety of subjects and skills.

We have a lovely group of artists that get together each Thursday after the art history lecture given at the Charles Cecil Studios in Firenze. Several of us made a car trip up to Santa Margherita to help Roberto start this event in a fun way. I only state this to apologize in advance for the goofy photo of our friend Caroline and me goofing around. She is British and we have been having fun with our personal favorite phrases, as well as pronunciation differences. Caroline often uses the exclamation, “Delicious!” and since I did not particularly enjoy the taste of the drink in my hand, I was being a bit sarcastic about it as we teased each other. That said, I included this shot because the portrait in charcoal that is behind me was my favorite portrait in the exhibition.

Finally, I wrap up this blog post with a photo of me with my artist friend Roberto. I love it that the shot (taken by one of his family members) includes a nude and a portrait. Here are the visiting hours for the show, which sadly ends with this month. The Castle is rented out during the summer for weddings and other festive events. The organizer of this space told me that only in June and September are they able to start showing artwork. Get over to Santa Margherita if you can. Lovely art, lovely little fishing village!

Exhibit hours:
• Saturday 10:00-12:30 and 17:00-22:00 (closes 10 p.m.)
• Sunday: 10:00-12:30 and 17:00-19:00
• Last day = 30 June 2012