Art Exhibit Florence Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

La scultrice americana Kelly Borsheim presenterà le proprie opere, nella mostra “Kelly Borsheim - Luce dall’oscurità” presso Sei Divino Wine Bar. Le opere che caratterizzano l’artista sono disegni figurativi a carboncino e a pastello. Saranno esposte anche pitture e sculture. La mostra verrà inaugurata giovedì 16 aprile alle ore 19 e, fino alle ore 23, Kelly Borsheim sarà felice di incontrare i visitatori. L’esposizione durerà fino al 7 maggio.
Sei Divino si trova in Borgo Ognissanti, 42r, Firenze
Per maggiori informazioni: www.seidivino.com e www.borsheimarts.com

Sei Divino Wine Bar presents the artwork of American sculptor Kelly Borsheim in an exhibit titled “Kelly Borsheim: Light from Darkness”. Featured will be figurative drawings in charcoal and pastel, as well as paintings and sculpture. The exhibit runs from 16 April to 7 May 2009, with an artist’s reception on the evening of Thursday, April 16, beginning at 7 p.m. Sei Divino is located at Borgo Ognissanti 42r in Florence, Italy.
For more information, visit: www.seidivino.com and www.borsheimarts.com

Thank you to Amber Plank for designing my invitations and flyers!

Nude Figure Drawing Florence Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Hello again! I would like to present to you another nude figure drawing of Italian model and friend Valentina. I drew this seated pose with carboncino (charcoal) on a slightly off-white thick textured Arches paper (from France). The paper is larger than this, but I like a cropping of the paper that gives an image size of about 31 x 24 cm (12 x 10”)

“Valentina – 11 marzo 2009”
charcoal drawing of nude

SOLD (updated 20 aprile 2009, kb)

Thank you for your interest and support. And Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Michelangelo and Mapplethorpe a Florence, Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Two big “M”s – Michelangelo and Mapplethorpe (Robert, that is) together at last in Florence, Italy. I cannot wait for May (oh – that is another M) 25th!
La "Perfezione nella Forma" is an exhibit of 91 of the famous (late) photographers work on exhibit with the (also late) sculptor’s oeuvre at the Galleria dell'Accademia here in Florence, Italy. Artist (and friend of Robert Mapplethorpe) Patti Smith helped select the Mapplethorpe images to be shown.

The Galleria is where Michelangelo’s original stone carving “David” is on permanent display, as well as his unfinished slaves (fantastic, davvero!).

If you have any plans on visiting the Renaissance City, you might want to do so this summer.
The exhibit starts 25 May 2009 and runs through 27 September 2009.

Two great artists together and more to see at the Accademia!
Cannot wait!

For more information:

http://www.manifestazioni.com/manifestazioni/manifestazione/3dc288fe37

Robert Mapplethorpe
La "Perfezione nella Forma"
http://www.unannoadarte.it/mostra5.asp

Artist Interview – WhoHub.com

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

I thought I would take advantage of an opportunity that came my way recently. I was sent an e-mail inviting me to submit my responses to an online interview.
Check it out here:

http://www.whohub.com/kellyborsheim

Now, would you just look at this cloud over San Niccolò and the Arno River in Florence, Italy? I mean – good grief. It looks like a puffy BEAST! Incredible!

And as much as I need a new camera (without dirt inside the lens), I am grateful I was able snap this shot. Last week when I wanted to take a photo of a drawing I had done before I loaded her up on my bike, the lens would not open at all. Later that evening I heard my name being called out and saw Hélène and Kieran starting dinner outdoors at a café. I now tease Kieran (gratefully) that ever since he touched my camera it began working as normal again. Still, it is just a matter of time now . . .

Pastel Drawing Colorist Method Part 2

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

This is a continuation of yesterday’s blog entry about the Colorist Method of applying pastels to a drawing.

OK, in my last entry you saw that I put warm colors (reds, oranges, and yellows) into the light shapes of my disegno and cool pastel colors (greens, blues, and purples) into my shadow shapes.

Now, I am ready for the next step. That is, trying to put in more "accurate" colors into each shape. I put the word “accurate” in quotes because this is actually a subjective term and up to the artist to decide. Here in today’s first image, you may see that I have started with the angel’s wing and have begun to add blues to the face. Based on my experiences painting in the streets of Florence, Italy, I have learned that I do not want to fill-in the shape entirely. Instead, I prefer to use big scratchy type of strokes that allows plenty of the color underneath to have its day in the sun. (You can tell I used my right hand this time; see the direxions of the strokes?) I also know from street experience that I will turn this nasty look into something more refined once I blend the pastels.


In this second photo, you can see that I have now blended the face. And, of course, I see all of my horrible shape errors. Those facial features are so off! And just like street painting, blogging about my works-in-process is like hanging my dirty undies out over a busy street.

I worked all day again today until late afternoon when I headed to Zecchi’s Art Supply to buy some specific pastel colors before I went to draw at my Open Studio tonight.

I must prepare for my exhibit’s publicity and invitations, so please bear with me as I get past my press deadline soon.
Thanks and thanks for reading!

If you like what you read and would like to help support this blog(ger) / artist, click here . . .

Pastel Drawing Colorist Method

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

The first time I worked with pastels was in the streets of Florence, Italy, as a street painter. Everything about it, it seemed, was new: working large and flat, working with chalk, working with color, and a very different type of physicality as compared to carving stone. I am still not sure what I think of my work as one of the madonnari.

However, I meet interesting people and some fans. One is our newest street painter, a young woman of about twenty. One night she told me that what she liked best about my work is that I am “all over the map.” Doh! And I thought that I had found my voice years ago. Also, all art marketing and business gurus will tell you that Picasso was the exception. A professional artist cannot do too many kinds of art to survive and be taken seriously. And I am no Picasso (I am generally happy about that.)

So, here I am preparing new art for my exhibition here in mid-April, and EXPERIMENTING. Wait, I do not have time for that! This is a SOLO show. I must fill that space with only my work. Am I TRYING to sabotage my career? Hmmmmm. No, My theme is light emerging from darkness. And I want to explore this as thoroughly as one artist can in a short period of time.

Anyway, I recently read an article on EmptyEasel.com titled The Colorist Method of Painting with Pastels (A Four Stage Tutorial) by Robert Sloan

Following this pastel drawing method loosely (I seem to have a difficult time following rules), I created my disegno (drawing/design) in charcoal on a piece of Roma paper that is about 46 x 64 cm.


The first step in this pastel lesson is to place different warm colors in the light shapes, while different cold colors should be put into the shadow shapes. I was pretty straightforward on how I color-coded my design, only adding a darker purple in the darker shadows of the face and a lighter purple for the face in shadow.

No doubt this will be one of my projects in which some of my collectors will love while others will say, “Please stop this and go back to what you are good at.” I wonder what I will think?

Allora, if you are curious about some of my street paintings here in Florence, Italy, just skim this blog from the very beginning September 2007. Or befriend me on Facebook – I have a photo album there of some of my work on Via Calimala.

Positive Bicycling in Florence Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

After yesterday’s post you may have wondered why I would not do without my bicycle in Florence, given a choice. So, I thought I would include today some of my favorite positive images of bicycles in Florence.



I do love the way people use their bici. I enjoy the businessmen with their briefcases strapped to the rack over the back tire, or more often over the front. Mothers who can put one child in front of the handlebars, while another baby sits behind the driver impress me (see image of the yellow bike). I have also seen a combination of the two – a businessman traveling with his briefcase AND his child on the bicycle.



And I love the stylin’ ladies. Great clothes in all colors and styles – and those Italian spiked shoes on a bike – Mamma Mia!

I enjoy seeing the little kid bikes and I like being able to travel faster than I can on foot. I also cherish how much STUFF I can carry with my bike. Most of all, I love the way friends ride together on the same bike. It is carefree and charming.