Divine Beauty Devotional Art

Dear Art Lover,

Bouguereau

I had hoped to write about this art exhibition at the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, Italy, while it was still happening, but I got sidetracked.  I am currently in Austria seeing people that I love, so I have little time at the moment.

The exhibition was titled, “Bellezza Divina / Divine Beauty” and included works from Van Gogh to Chagall and Fontana to my favorites, Antonio Ciseri (1821-1891).  While many of Adolphe Bouguereau’s works seem sappy to some art critics, the enormous painting in this exhibition is absolutely stunning.  I cannot imagine anyone walking away from it without admiring the artist who conceived and painted it. 

Anyway, here are the images.  If you want to know the artist, please leave a comment on my blog page and I will get back to you once I am home again in February.

Thank you … and enjoy the devotional art and divine beauty.  This was a wonderful exhibition!  [More images below.]

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It is January and this month I celebrate 15 years as a full-time artist! Wow.. thank you for being a part of this adventure. Your support has been invaluable. I would like to celebrate by making it easier to buy some art that moves you. Here goes:

·         15% off on all available sculptures. The pricelist is here:
http://www.borsheimarts.com/pricelist.htm#sculpture

·         15% off on all available 2-D work, from paintings and drawings in any medium to giclée fine art reproductions.

·         If you buy two or more Borsheim Art Works
before 15 February 2016,
you will also receive
a $50 framing gift certificate
to use as you like. This is a
Special Offer
from Don Elliott at
The Frame Shop/Franklin Barry Gallery in Indianapolis.

Buy Art

These offers end February 15, 2016. Prices you see on the Web site are BEFORE the 15% savings offer. Thank you for your interest!

If you would like to read the full art newsletter for January, including see a new work on the easel still, please visit:

http://www.borsheimarts.com/news/20160111_ArtNews-NitramCharcoalDrawing.htm

Thank you.  Peace,

Kelly Borsheim, artist

http://BorsheimArts.com

Ciseri

The Conversion of St. Paul

Detail of painting shown left

Chagall, apparently the Pope's favorite

Water Fountain in Florence, Italy

My friend Lisa heard from her friend Alice about a fountain in Florence, Italy, in which one can refill a water jug for free. She showed me where this was the other day in a park on Via dell’Agnolo, not too far from where I live on Via Ghibellina.

I must admit that I am spoiled. When in Texas, I drink distilled water. Yes, the beauty and purity of 3 –> H2 + O. I have yet to drink anything out of any city’s tap or out of a bought bottle that tastes any better to me. And I am totally guilty of thinking that bottled water is a big scam. As far as inventions go, I mean, at least Velcro was a CLEVER observation of nature’s design and not just some false claim to improve upon it!

Allora, I have yet to decide whether or not this fountain in Florence has tastier water than my tap here because it is quite possible that I am enchanted by the idea of hauling water home from a fountain. But then I also think it is sexy to hang laundry outside on a breezy spring day while wearing a dress. I am a bit bizarre that way, I suppose. In any case, this Florentine fountain is not nearly as beautiful as the fountain I painted in Lucca several years ago. That is still one of my favorite paintings.

Lisa took this image of me filling one of my jugs.

Click here to see my oil painting "Fontana di Lucca"




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Ok, I am about to commit a social faux pas (is that redundant – are there any other kind of faux pas-s?), so if you want to save me some embarrassment, please stop reading . . . I wonder if I am doing this since I am frustrated at not having finished the painting I stayed indoors all day to finish today?

Recently a friend sent me a link to a news story about US politics. Something about some Democratic leader asking one candidate to step down and out of the way for another. I do believe I am getting less tolerant of politicians (and the public too) the older I get. My response was:

Good God. Do the Democrats EVER learn?
It sounds quite possible that they could thoroughly disgust the American voting public so much more than President Bush and the Republicans have done that the vote may sway / stay towards a known (and organized) evil vs. ANY of the bickering, wavering, INDECISIVE, and just-as-righteous power-hungry, individually oriented Democrats.

And how backwards are we that we are still having conversations about penises and pigments in the context of job qualifications???
We are supposed to be the country that believes that all people are created equally (or at least are treated as such initially).

I do not want a PETTY President, no matter how right/justified/qualified/deserving/idealistic s/he thinks s/he might be.

Basta! Let us find someone with some kind of dignity to lead our country. And a view of the big picture of the world we live in would be wonderful as well.
When will we, the People, stop putting up with this theatrical crap?

Ok, I am done now.
Um, thanks for sharing, . . . I think.

XO,
Kelly