“Il Ponte Vecchio-Firenze, Italia” is the last of this series of Florence, Italy-inspired charcoal and pastel artworks that I will be able to complete before returning to la bella Italia soon.
Florence has enough eye candy that she has been teaching me to just sit and watch in a way that I rarely have allowed myself to do since I was a child. I like to walk around Florence at many different times of day. One day I found myself sitting on the Ponte Vecchio (old bridge) behind the bust of Cellini. I had time that day to stay a while and watch the lives of various figures intermingling on this famous bridge in the Renaissance City. This is a beautiful view of a silhouetted Ponte Vecchio framing the next bridge upstream (the Ponte alle Grazie) with some Tuscan hills in the background. The reflections in the River Arno are quite peaceful and beautiful.
I tend to be a fan of backlighting, even if I am often blinded or even crying a bit as I draw. But seriously, what an effect the light has! And I try to tackle some new challenge with each artwork that I create. For example, this is the first drawing in which I have depicted a crowd of people. I like all of the abstract patterns. This drawing is completely in charcoal, except for black pastels to give me a darker tone than I can get with only charcoal. And, the old woman standing alone, wanting the attention of the others, has been colored with pastels. This may have been a subconscious flashback to my days in the image preservation field, in which I oil painted on photographs printed onto a fiber paper.
Even if you have never been to Florence or Italy, I hope you will enjoy the bright sunshine entering the shapes on the Ponte Vecchio.
As with many of my 2-dimensional artworks, giclée (smaller than the original drawing or painting) and notecards are available.
“Il Ponte Vecchio-Firenze, Italia”
17” x 23”
Pastel and Charcoal on Roma-brand paper
Copyright 2010 Kelly Borsheim
$1800 + $25 shipping and insurance
