Artists and Models Croatia

Dear Art lover,

     What one of my friends calls my “Exile from Italy” will soon be over.  If they let me back in, I mean.  I do not think of this time as exile since the law is clear and it is not unreasonable.  Besides, I am in Croatia and have made new friends, and visited more in Serbia.  I walked along the sea a lot, stayed warm during the winter, watched a lot of stars in mostly clear nights, and made some art.

     I hope that you have enjoyed the images of Umag, Croatia, that I have shared with you.  I have many more, but for now, I want to share some images from the day the family here had a big get-together while all the grandkids were in town in early March.  They invited me to join their cookout, including shooting hoops in the driveway.  That is an activity I remember from watching my brothers growing up.  It warms my heart being around three generations enjoying each other’s company.

     My portrait of Miranda and Boro was presented and I was very pleased that the kids and grandkids liked it and said that I had captured the affection and care between the head of their family.  Every portrait artist hopes for such praise because we all know that we see ourselves differently from how others do.  What a loving family!  I later joined the older generation, Miranda’s two sisters and their little brother, as well as other friends, when she had a birthday dinner the following weekend.  I hope that we stay in touch!

Artist Kelly with portrait models Miranda and Boro - Umag

     To see images of the painting in-progress, and the mathematics behind my design, please visit here:

http://www.borsheimarts.com/painting/2015/TakingCare-PortaitCaretakingCoupleHealthcare.htm

     You may participate in my attempt to raise funds to pay a bronze casting foundry, even if you cannot pledge, by helping to spread the word to your contacts, but also... Leave a comment on my Kickstarter project page site.  Or ask a question.  Activity from many sources helps the Kickstarter staff see interest and they may choose my project as a favorite, getting it better seen amongst their funding clients.  thank you so much! 

Casting Call: I’m Melting . . . Melting! Into Bronze

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/borsheimarts/casting-call-im-melting-melting-into-bronze

Destroy to Create: Melted wax sacrificed to pour bronze sculpture. Hot art: Make it happen before these wax figures are truly lost.

Thank you so much for helping me make some bronze art a reality,

Kelly

~ Kelly Borsheim, sculptor, painter, writer, teacher

http://BorsheimArts.com

P.S.  Happy birthday to my sweet little brother Michael and my crazy lovely cousin Heather.

Stone Portraits as Decorative Edging

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Who could have ever imagined using a row of life-size marble portraits as a decorative border?  But with the “cone-heads” giving an even more geometric element to the otherwise round form of the human head, a transitional edging is exactly what is going on up inside the Cathedral in Siena, Italy.  Now, each portrait is clearly labeled with a man’s name, presumably someone important in the church’s history, however, if you step back to just look at the overall patterns in the design of this – for my taste – information-overloaded interior decorating space, one can appreciate a little more the artistry.

There is also a catwalk over the heads.  It is obviously a functional addition, but serves well to create a shadow to help separate the top arches from the larger arches below the border of heads.  Clever… only I wish the men did not have such stern expressions!   

If you find yourself in Tuscany before 26 October 2013, I hope you will go see the temporary unveiling of the highly decorative stone floor of the Duomo (Cathedral) in Siena. http://www.operaduomo.siena.it/

More of the Divina Bellezza or “Divine Beauty”exhibition and the Duomo in Siena in the next post.

If you would like more information about Siena and its gorgeous Duomo, check out these links:

http://www.operaduomo.siena.it/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siena_Cathedral
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Did you know that my blog is searchable?   Just visit the main page:
http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.com
and see the search term entry box just below the subscription section. 
Happy searching and if there is a topic you would enjoy my writing about, please let me know what it is.  Thank you for reading! 
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Feeling generous?  If you would like to donate any amount to support this blog, you may do so via PayPal. Please visit the blog online and see the PayPal links in the column on the right:
http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.com
Thank you for your interest and support.
Saluti,
Kelly

Michelangelo Architectural Design Butterfly

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Some of my paintings and even sculpture have involved doing some research on my basic idea. Sometimes that is because I do not remember details or want to get a related quote exactly right, but often I know that when I am trying to clarify an idea growing in my brain, researching often leads me to a stronger way to express the idea.

Such is the case with my newest painting in the works now. I do not want to give too much away, but like many of my works in the last several years, the basic idea is about transitions. As in my painting "Le Scale dell'Eros", my new work includes the shape of an animal; in this case, I am using a butterfly to symbolize a metamorphosis type of transition.

I first came to Italy in 2004 with a desire simply to touch the work of one of my first sculpture teachers, the great (and very late) Michelangelo. Since that wonderful experience, I had a desire to live with more art around me on a daily basis and thus Italy, especially Florence, was a strong pull. Can you imagine my delight that my research on the Greek myth that accompanies the butterfly idea led me to a butterfly shape designed by Michelangelo? It is an architectural idea he had for the Porta al Prato in Florence. I do not believe it was ever realized… but still. Here is what I found . . .

Add to this that I am trying to push myself in a slightly new direction. I do not really know exactly where I am going, but having created art for many years now, I trust the process to bring me to places that I had not really thought of, but will be appropriate for where I am in my life in the time of the painting’s creation. That sounds a bit “foo-foo” to even me, but … do what you like with it.

That said, one thing that I have struggled with since I was ten years old is the fear of losing things (people really). But for this painting, I want the butterfly form to be more subtle than most things I have painted before. In an attempt to let go without fear of losing the communication of my idea, I sketched the architectural design of Michelangelo on my canvas in charcoal until I was satisfied with the proportions. [(I prepped the 90 x 130 cm canvas with a blue campitura).] I then painted the lines loosely in a blue-umber color. [See the lower left section of the butterfly.]

After letting that be for a small time, I then went in with a blending brush and mushed all of the edges. I tried to loosen up and let the brush strokes soften everything. I want to build from this basic shape and create a composition that I find mysterious, intriguing, and expressing an emotion… in all honestly, I am not sure what. This is a painting idea from something I have felt for many years now, having spent my life in my recent past going back and forth from Texas to Italia. Would you like to follow the journey with me? Or maybe it would be best for me to wait to see if I am successful in this endeavor?

There is still time to sign-up for the workshop that I will be teaching in central Florida this May. I hope you join me and let us make some art and work with designing a portrait!

"Portrait Painting with Artist Kelly Borsheim"

2013 Art Workshop Dates:
Friday, May 17 from 6-9 pm;
Saturday, May 18, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (lunch is from 1 to 2 p.m.) and
Sunday, May 19 from noon to 5 p.m., 2013
(14 hours in total)

Location: Private historic Victorian estate in Sanford, Florida (central Florida). Paid attendees will be given the address before the workshop begins, but the location is near Country Club Road on Highway 46A.

In this hands-on introductory weekend portrait workshop, you will learn how to improve your drawing and observation skills for creating a portrait and how to achieve a more 3-dimensional effect in your art using pastels and charcoal. Or you may prefer to work with oil paint.

Happy Liberation Day, Italia!

Portrait of Brian Rising River Florence, Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

I got a two-hour start on the portrait of Irish artist Brian Smyth on Monday evening. He is sitting in what I call a “bird of prey” pose and staring right behind my head. There are a lot of artists in the room and my easel is behind the standing row of others, with plenty of space for them to move back to look at their work from a distance. A lot of painters like to use binoculars. I have yet to succumb. Some part of me wants to work with whatever I have got; another hates shopping except on rare occasions; and still another likes the challenge of recreating the shapes and shadows one sees, regardless of how hazy the details. Or maybe I am just lazy and wanting to avoid the headache that looking through binocs often gives me.

I have created a lot of mistakes in this first attempt. I like photographing my art since it helps me see it in a very fresh way, in a way that a mirror rarely does. My tones are off, as well as many of the shapes, especially from the nose down. Peccato!

So, let me struggle with this again on Thursday. The second image happened after another artist told me that she loves the impression that my WIP (work-in-progress) made as he is stashed in one of the few open spaces I found in the studio. That is one long canvas that is wrapped around the board. I just couldn't be bothered to attach it during painting. I simply draped the canvas over the backside from the top of the board while it was on the easel. See? Lazy!

Most mornings I ride my bike upstream along the River Arno here in Florence, Italy. I have been thinking lately that Tuscany is not so different from Texas. After a dry and relatively warm winter here through January (Feb was COLD), we had a drought this summer bad enough to worry the farmers about the olive yield, and now we have a ton of rain. “Feast and Famine” always seemed like the creed of Texas to me. The Arno River is rising. Even the “beach” along the Oltrarno side of the river is thoroughly submerged. (And have you seen the images lately of a once again flooded Venice?) However, the forecast looks up from here on out and I am looking forward to spending some time in the country this weekend to watch la raccolta delle olive (olive harvest).

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

Portrait Art Workshop

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

If you find yourself in central Texas (Florence, actually) on Sunday, June 12, and want to learn about creating art portraits, come on out to my 3-hour Portrait Workshop.


In this hands-on introductory 3-hour workshop, you will learn how to draw faces. We will go over basic anatomy for the face and skull and also how to capture a likeness. We will talk about differences of the subject's age, sex, personality & expression. Instructor Kelly Borsheim will demonstrate, as well as assisting students on an individual basis. Copy a masterwork (select from one on this page) or bring in a photo of your own to work from.

To register and receive more information, click here:
http://www.borsheimarts.com/art-workshops/Portrait-Workshop.htm

Street Painting in Florence, Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Yesterday I again worked as a madonnara on Via Calimala in Florence, Italy. Someone asked me if I ever did the same picture twice. Well, that day I attempted to draw again Pompeo Batoni’s “Madonna and Child” from 1742.

I include here an image of both day’s efforts. I struggle with drawing or painting faces and working on the street is even more difficult than working vertically and on my feet. I find it interesting how different both of my attempts are. I have made quite a few improvements on the madonna’s face, especially in the hair and the dark side of the face. The shorter nose seems more feminine and young to me.

But I see many things that I need to improve. I hope to get the opportunity. One Italian woman asked if I would paint this image on tela (canvas) so she could buy it. Time will tell if she is truly interested. In the meantime, I continue to work on improving my understanding of design and shapes – and color.

If you happen to be in Florence, Italy, on Monday, September 29, please stop by and see me. I will be working the space near the Mercato Porcellino. I usually arrive between 10 and 11 am and draw until mezzanotte (midnight). Cold temperatures and rain usually send me home earlier.

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

Painting Jess by Candlelight

Cari Amici,

I have been trying to find some time to improve my productivity while I also try different painting techniques. Too many distractions: free museum week, madonnari demonstrations (both over now) and this raffreddore (cold) that I thought I kicked last night. However, I was able to prep some thick water-color paper for accepting oil paint late last week and have been gearing up to do more work when I can get out of bed.

The watercolor paper has a nice bumpy sort of texture that I think lends an interesting softness to the painted image. I painted three coats of acrylic gesso on each sheet and hope to create a series of paintings that are extremely well priced. Each sheet is approximately 11 x 8.5 inches.

Some images stay with me longer than others. And lately, the aesthetic that seems to lure me the most often is the idea of light emerging from darkness. Candlelight has always been a favorite of mine. And I love the sepia tones and have chosen to use them to focus on the light.

So, the first in this project is titled “Jess by Candlelight” and she will sell for $150 (US). Please add $20 for shipping from bella Italia for a total of $170. No sales tax, though. I can accept payment via PayPal. If interested, please send me an e-mail or click on the PayPal button.

Thank you so much for being a part of my creative journey!
Ciao, ciao,
Kelly

Art Portrait Drawing

I hope you have enjoyed this last day in Gennaio. Here is the follow-up image of the now finished portrait of my friend Harry that I mentioned in a previous blog and showed you the work-in-progress.

Oh – and I just published my latest newsletter, which I send out to those who sign up for my art newsletter, which is published about six times per year. Click here to read:
Borsheim Art News January 2008



http://www.borsheimarts.com/news/2008_01.htm

Pencil Portrait Sketch of Harry

My recent attempt at portraiture is this small sketch of my friend Harry. I am working on basic drawing paper of a light yellow crème color and sketching with a pencil. He has such a great face, especially for sculpture. And while he is being a sport about this – holds very still!!! -- I am not sure he would want to pose for 3-d art. Next Monday evening, I will try to refine this drawing.

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Sara – A Drawing In Charcoal

Today has been somewhat of a catch-up day. It has been very cold in Firenze. As such, I have begun to organize and archive some of my images. That includes my progress images of current projects, such as my carboncino drawing of a model named Sara.

Here I have posted five images of my drawing of Sara’s head at various stages. I am spending three hours per day with the model, starting on 22 October. And I am moving very slowly since I am trying to learn a lot and not just produce a drawing.

You can see that each day the head has changed. There is something that I like about each one, although (honestly) there is something that I prefer in the first disegno. The problem with her was that the head was too small for the body. Because I am pushing myself, I chose to completely erase the head and observe fresh rather than simply trying to make all of my drawn features larger.

The first four images are of my cartoon. The cartoon tends to be just regular drawing paper and is where the artist creates the design. The less expensive paper gives the artist the freedom to make mistakes and change one’s mind. Once satisfied, the cartoon image is transferred onto the quality, toothed paper that will accept the charcoal medium, as described a bit in a previous blog.

The last image is of charcoal on the Roma paper. I wanted my drawing to fill the paper, so I took my original drawing to a copy shop and had her enlarged a wee bit. Then I used tracing paper to transfer my disegno. This method allows my original to not be harmed, although in this case I did not transfer from my original drawing. Anyway, the charcoal is faint because while I am going over my lines and pushing the charcoal I have drawn on the underside of the tracing paper onto the Roma paper, I am trying not to emboss the Roma paper.