Street Painting Australia

Dear Art Loving Friend,
I have been working Down Under these days, but it is not all hard times!  My hosts Ron and Janice Ailwood have been showing me some of the local sights… which tend to be of the natural sort (my favorite kind).  They have wallabies in their backyard; birds, too, and lots and lots of stars!  We have also been traveling around a bit through this sugarcane farming country.  And the image of the three of us was taken shortly before we spotted the resident platypus in the creek/stream behind us.

This past Tuesday, Janice and I created a small street painting on the sidewalk of an outdoor shopping mall to promote the upcoming arts festival this weekend. (The weather here is wonderful!)  Here are the results of our “joyous adventure on our knees and bums” – er… !  People loved it and stopped in the middle of their busy shopping to chat us up and take photos.

Yesterday I judged hundreds of entries in an arts competition that is open to all Australians.  Up until yesterday, I was a virgin judge.   I rarely do well in competitions myself [I see myself as only competitive with myself and loathe these sorts of situations] and I find myself disappointed by how unfair I think most competitions are. My biggest pet peeve is artists who enter professional competitions with student work ... in my book that means anything done while under supervision of a paid or consistent instructor.

I REALLY looked at each of hundreds of artworks and tried to choose pieces that showed honesty, thought, skill, and creativity. I was happy that I am in a community in which I know so few people and would not be swayed by any emotional or self-promoting motives, such as voting for my own students. Tonight (soon, in fact), the awards will be presented and then Saturday morning, the artists will ask me for feedback on specific pieces and why I made such-and-such decisions.  In the end, the choices are simply one girl's opinion on a certain day, but I hope that most will see the kindness and love I put into the effort (and the written feedback I gave) and that I took their work into serious consideration.

I have already done some teaching and consulting in local high schools and the workshops (adult and children) start on aturday, different ones on different days.  I hope to share something of what I have learned over the years and have some more fun with these kind people!

Sarina Arts Australia

Dear Art Loving Friend,
I recently stepped foot in Oz, for the very first time.  It took four separate airplanes for me to reach my destination and I am still filled with the awe of flight!  Thus far, Australia was just what the doctor ordered.  I have put my toes in the sand, drank the purest collected rain water, soaked up fresh air and seen a spattering of stars in the night sky, and taken a gander at some interesting critters.  It is so lovely to be away from the city!

I hope you enjoy these images, especially the “fireworks” on Sarina Beach made by small sand crabs.  They make SPHERES of sand and push them out of their holes into these lovely patterns.  How festive!  From my hosts’ home, I can see a very red Mars and the Southern Cross (a constellation not seen in the Northern Hemisphere) dominating very starry nights.

I have been hired to work the 25th anniversary edition of the Sarina Arts Extravaganza, in northeast Australia.  Our first morning of activities were wet… and this little copy of a Marilyn Monroe in Andy Warhol style was just me goofing around to check the wetness of the sidewalk.  I later got the kids to street paint their version of Early Renaissance artist Botticelli’s “Primavera” (cropped).  We got some gorgeous sunshine and again later, it poured rain.  However, the kids loved it and really enjoyed the vibrant colors of the pastels. 

I will be creating another street painting soon.  In addition to that, I will be judging the art competitions here next week, teaching a workshop in sight size drawing and painting to adults, several children’s workshops, and working with a local high school on a mural project.  The people here have been absolutely lovely.  It is going to be a great week.

Red White Green Oil Paintings

Dear Art-Loving Friend,

    One of the things I wanted to learn is how to paint a brilliant red and all of the tones involved in order to make a red object look three-dimensional. Painters know that when one adds white to a pigment, the colors lightens and becomes bluer or colder. So, how does one lighten red and still have it remain red and rich?

    Another skill to learn is that one must depict a white porcelain object using much darker tones than expected. The whitest white possible in paint is left for the highlight. And also in this project, a green is added as a complimentary color. Adding to those ideas, in the first one that I painted, I wanted the subject in light to be in the background of the work, letting the foreground go dark. This is a bit opposite from the Tenebrist project "Giuseppe's Tools" that I painted, in which light emerges from dark, advancing towards the viewer.

    I hope you enjoy these two still life paintings. "Red, White, and Green" is 70 x 50 cm [oil on wood], while "Olives and Oil" is 24 x 45 cm [oil on canvas]. Both are available… Just respond to this e-mail or contact me as you wish, if interested.

Happy birthday, Rudy!  34 already!

Above:  "Red, White, and Green" oil painting on wooden panel [with GessoVero by Kelly Borsheim]

"Olives and Oil" an oil painting on canvas featuring a red cloth, white porcelain oil flask, and bowl of olives by Kelly Borsheim

Invite to Personalities Wine Art People Exhibition

Dear Art Lover,

As I began to unpack my art in front of Amerigo and Carmela, proprietors of VinOutlet here in central Florence, Italy, they started having some ideas and seeing possibilities.  They were immediately drawn to some portraits that I had created some time ago of some of my artist friends.  The portraits are a bit unusual in that they are white pastel on black paper.  I did the series out of curiosity.  Before this, I had created tone drawings with a variety of darks (charcoal and pastel) on light paper and I wanted to know how much one could stretch the range of tones by using only white. 

[leggere qui di seguito per questo invito in italiano]

First, the invite:  VinOutlet is featuring some of my artworks and you are invited:

Art Opening:  "Personalities:  Wine, Art, People"

Friday, 9 May:  6 - 9 p.m.

VinOutlet at Borgo Ognissanti 70/r

50123 Firenze, Italia   [Florence (FI) - Italy]

http://vinoutlet.it/

Tel.  +39 055 26 70 495

Come on out for a fun evening and start your weekend well!

Some of the personalities are:

• "Hélène" has been paired up with Negramaro Organic "Pirro Varone."  This red wine comes from Apulia, a region in southeast Italy.  Negramaro comes from a very warm place with lots of personality.  "She is powerful, but not overwhelming," said Amerigo Coli.  "Red is the line that links passion to good food."
  
  
• "Jessica" calls to mind the more elegant Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato "Il Firmato."   This red wine consists of 100% Ruché grapes and hails from Piedmont, the region most northwest in Italia.  She comes from an almost forgotten grape.  It was thought to have been destroyed when many Italian grapes took a hit back in 1910 after some imported plants from the USA included an insect for which Italian (and even Spanish and French) grapes had little immunity.  However, in the 1950s a young priest was sent to the region to try to rebuild it after the war.  He discovered the grape in a small field near the church and shared it with different farmers who revived the autochthonous grape.  This wine conjures images of feminine flowers, having soft and very perfumed scents of rose and geraniums.  Ruché has a 14.5% alcohol content.  She bites, but you do not feel the bite [or so Amerigo assures us!]
  
  
• "Dana" is paired with Tegolaia Travignoli Supertuscan 2005.  This red wine is from Tuscany.  She is a more international wine, but is aged in small French oak barrels.  The smaller barrels give the vanilla or chocolate, sometimes spicy bouquet to the wine.  The phrase "SuperTuscan" refers to a wine made from blends of grapes that are grown in Tuscany, but which have a foreign origin.

I hope you enjoy this collaboration between VinOutlet and Borsheim Arts Studio.  You may access both the wine and the art online, but would it not be much more fun to just come and see us in Florence?

http://vinoutlet.it

http://BorsheimArts.com

Salve a tutti gli amici dell'Arte!

Appena ho mostrato le mie opere ed i miei quadri a Carmela e Amerigo, proprietari di Vinoutlet a Firenze, abbiamo subito iniziato a parlare di idee e cose da fare. Entrambi sono stati attratti immediatamente da alcuni ritratti di miei amici artisti che ho creato qualche tempo fa.
Sono ritratti un po' fuori dall'usuale, sono infatti pastelli bianchi su cartoncino nero. E' una serie di disegni fatti quasi per curiosità. Prima di fare questi in bianco e nero, avevo creato disegni con una varietà di chiaro-scuro (carboncino e pastello) su carta leggera e volevo sperimentare e capire quanto fosse possibile espandere la gamma di toni usando soltanto il bianco.

Alcuni dei miei lavori sono in esposizione da Vinoutlet e siete invitati all'evento:

"Personalità: vino, arte, persone."

Venerdi 9 maggio dalle 18.00 alle 21.00

Vinoutlet Borgo Ognissanti, 70/r

50123 Firenze - Italia

Tel. +39 055 26 70 495

Vi aspettiamo per una serata divertente ed iniziare bene il fine settimana!

Ecco alcune delle personalità:

"Hélène" è stata abbinata al Negramaro "Pirro Varone". Un vino pugliese, proveniente da una regione ricca di sole e personalità. E' un vino con personalità ma non irruento" come dice Amerigo Coli. "Rosso è il trait d'union che unisce la passione ed il buon cibo"

"Jessica" ricorda invece il più elegante Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato. "Il Firmato" è un Ruchè in purezza che arriva dal Piemonte, frutto di un uva riscoperta negli anni '50 che si pensava distrutta dalla filossera arrivata dagli Stati Uniti agli inizi del '900. E' stato un prete delle campagne di Castagnole a rivalorizzarla ed a far arrivare il suo nome ai nostri giorni. Ruchè ricco di profumi floreali di rosa e geranio. Un po' come Jessica, i suoi 14,5° mordono ma dolcemente.

"Dana" è stata abbinata al Tegolaia, Supertuscan 2005, rosso del Chianti Rufina e fra tutti, è il vino di gusto più internazionale, come il personaggio di Dana che ha viaggiato il Mondo in lungo e largo. E' invecchiato in barrique francesi  che ricordano sia la vaniglia che le spezie più piccanti.

Sperando che questa collaborazione fra Vinoutlet e  Borsheim Arts Studio  sia di vostro gradimento  vi aspettiamo numerosi per scoprire il "gusto dell'arte".

http://vinoutlet.it

http://BorsheimArts.com

Florence Italy Artisan Fair

Dear Art-Loving Friend,

     Today is the last day for Florence, Italy's "Mostra Internazionale dell’ Artigianato" or as my friend calls it, "The Ethnic Fair."  She looks forward to it every year.  This was the first time that I had ever attended.  It is held in the Fortezza da Basso, a huge contemporary exhibition space and former stronghold for the city.

     We went on Sunday, with the reduced entrance fee of only 4 euro (instead of 5,50).  [It is azalea season here, so the entrance was pretty.  Inside there are TONS of booths and they are organized in various sections. 

     My sister and brother-in-law are a big fan of beers, especially the flavored beers or regional brands.  This book caught my eye long enough to get offered a shot of beer for breakfast.  [Alex says this means "Success." ha]

 

The following shot was in the home and garden section, I think.  It seems so Italian to me and is a fun idea:

     I enjoyed the building containing recycled crafts that featured hand-made practical things from everyday objects.  Although well designed, I am not sure that the purses made from inner tubes and tires would suit me.  I could smell them from a fair distance!  However, there were many clever and some attractive ideas. 

 

     In the section of health products, my friend and I got to sample "Ass Milk" [a Kelly translation!] on our hands.  This lotion is made from donkey milk and appears on the expensive side.  But it felt good and was not at all greasy.  Naturally, I bumped into a friend of mine.  He patiently waited to say hello until I was done with the ass.

 

     The rich colors of spices never cease to charm me and there were several booths offering up these colorful and tasty treats.  I just wish that I knew more about what to do with them.

 

     Enjoy some of the largest loaves of bread that I have ever seen:

 

     And what patterns these umbrellas en masse make!

 

     My friend and I spent most of the time in the lower level of one building... what she calls the Ethnic Fair.  It is arranged by country, so it reminded me a bit of Disney's "It's a Small World" or Epcot... I bought rocks, but there were plenty of other temptations.  The little girl dresses are from Madagascar and really adorable.  Just another reason to go see that island country.

 

     I had to get the dog shot in since I love dogs inside... who knew really until I had my own companion.  He changed everything.  Italia is definitely open to allowing dogs in anywhere.  I just wish that Firenze had more public garden spaces for the animals to enjoy.

 

     This next is an image of one of the several varieties of 3-D "carving" machines.  I know that sculptors are jumping on board this idea of scanning their designs or creating sculptures on a computer and then cutting them out using a program and automatic blades, but for me, that is just not sexy enough and takes the tactile fun out of it for me.  However, the technology is in use and I cannot stop "progress" even if it ruins my own career.  And truthfully, I am still fascinated by machines. and engineering.

     This last building we entered contained more of the finer arts.  This last image is not a painting.  It is one of the images created in "pietra dura" (literally translated into "hard stone").  It is the fine art of mosaic and each piece of stone is carefully choosen for its colors and patterns and then precisely hand cut to fit into the next shaped stone.  I have mixed feeling for "Pietra dura."  If the right stones are chosen and the design is artistic, then I tend to feel awe when I see them.  If not, they look kitsch and horrid.

     Today is the last day of the Arts and Crafts fair at the Fortezza.  It is open until 10 p.m. today and I am told it is bargaining day more than any of the others were.  Last night was Firenze's "Notte Bianca" and between that and having friends in town this week, I am getting a late start on the day.  Today is also another one of those Italian spring holidays.  So, I need to get to work now!  Thank you for reading.

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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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 on the right. 
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! 

Dear Friends,
I have finally gotten an edited version of my art images from Madrid together and into an article.  If you are interested in up-close looks at artworks (some less famous than the ones most other people speak of), please read my latest art newsletter.
http://www.borsheimarts.com/news/2014_04-Madrid-Prado-Thyssen-BellasArtesSanFernando-Museums.htm

Also, I introduced a snapshot of one of my latest paintings... a 30 x 50 cm still life with an artichoke, radishes, potatoes and leaves in oil paint on a thick Vasari-brand canvas.

And it is available . . . please inquire.  Thank you!
Kelly Borsheim