Summer Sculpture Classes

Cari Amici,

There is a change in my sculptural anatomy class – postponing until August. So I just thought I would post this updated schedule for the summer art classes that I am teaching before returning to Italy.

2008 Dates:
* Figure Drawing Class: Tuesday evening 7 - 9 p.m., July 22, 29 + August 5,12,19, 26
* Sculpting Hands and Feet: Saturday, August 2, 1 - 5 p.m.
* Sculptural Anatomy Workshop: Two weekends (Sat and Sun) 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., NOTE NEW Dates: August 16, 17, plus August 23, 24
* Intro to Stone Carving WORKSHOP: Labor Day weekend Aug. 30, 31, + Sept 1; hours: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
* Intro to Stone Carving CLASSES: Each Monday from 21 July 25 August: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; pay as you go

For prices and other information, visit: http://www.borsheimarts.com/artclass.htm
Or e-mail me at sculptor@borsheimarts.com or call 512.303.3929 (Texas, USA)

Picassa Web Albums

For a blog writer, there is still so much I do not know or understand about this process. I recently learned that all of the photos that I put on my blog can be seen online as a group on Picassa Web Albums. Only I am not sure how this is supposed to happen. The images are in a photo album, but apparently they are not considered public. If anyone knows how to remedy this situation, please let me know. My album’s address is supposed to be:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kelly.Borsheim

Thank you for the information!
Kelly

Bees in Texas

Cari Amici,

When I was a child, I believed it when someone told me that if a bee lands on you, stand very still and it will not sting you. In a field one day, I stood very still and waited for him to fly away. After my nose was stung, I ran towards our family’s apartment on the American military base in Germany, realizing that if I had NOT stood still, the bee could not have made contact with me. As I opened the door to the hall, I stepped on a dead bee in the threshold whose stinger was facing up and got my second sting of the day right between the toes.


Despite this, I have always had a fondness for bees. In college, my friend Jamshid bought me a honeycomb beeswax candle for a gift. I was enchanted enough to find out how it was made and while I still worked as an image preservationist, I started a hobby business making beeswax candles. After building up my business with the aid of the Internet, I sold Lumina Candles & Art in January 2001 to become a full-time artist.

This morning, I looked out of my kitchen window and saw the Texas Green Cloud Sage beginning to bloom lavender flowers. And then I heard the distinctive sound of buzzing. And I saw many little bodies flying around the flowers. I went outside to see a fantastic sight – tons of bees harvesting nectar! How wonderful.



For years, honeybees have been having problems. Migrating Africanized bees were a threat as they took over hives. And several years ago, I heard that the California almond tree farmers were upset that fewer bees meant less pollination for crops. I have never seen here this many bees on one plant, but then, this sage is the only plant around with flowers on it in this 100 degree Fahrenheit weather.


I watched and photographed the bees this morning for quite a while. They were pretty oblivious of me. Oh – in one of the double photographs shown here, there is a green spider on the top of the sage while the bees work the flowers below him. Later, the bees disappeared as the temperature rose. Perhaps tomorrow I can follow them and discover their hive.

PS My apologies for the bluish images. I did not realize that my camera was still set on 'incandescent' light for when I was photographing people in the aeroporto. And the sun was so bright that I rarely saw what I was photographing until I returned inside.

Gesso Portrait Cast Study Drawing Florence Italy

Cari Amici,

Here are some images of the man I will be thinking about most of this summer. I miss him already, but had to stop working on him so that the painting workshop with Martinho Correia could begin. My man is the (oh-so-) late banker for the famous Medici family and my mission (which I have chosen to accept) is to create a drawing of the gesso (plaster) copy of the portrait sculpture by Donatello. The original sculpture is a terra cotta with colored glazes in the Bargello, Florence, Italy’s beloved sculpture museum (and I understand a former prison). I have always been drawn to this work, but barely recognized it all in white gesso.

Here you can see my set up with my drawing next to the plaster cast. Shadows are created by hanging stuff between the light source and the art in a manner that gives desired or at least interesting results. I am using the sight-size method, which means, among other things, that I will be getting plenty of exercise. I stand away from my drawing at some specific point, usually around three times the depth of the original. I decide upon a “click-in” spot to help me view my work and the original from the same angle each time. From this vantagepoint, I look and study. I make relationships. Then I advance to make a mark on the paper. Retreating, I realign my stance and check this mark. A lot of pacing, but the results are great training for the eye.



This particular project seems sexier to me than my other charcoal drawings. This time I am using a grey Roma paper with not only black charcoals, but also white pastels. The image above shows the grey paper with only the black added. The image below shows the beginning of the addition of white. I am using a Rembrandt white pastel, since it is the whitest I have found thus far. This technique gives me a better tonal range possible in the drawing. Mmm mmm mmmmmm



The idea of using the grey paper is to incorporate more of the paper into the design. White and black should never meet. There should always be some grey between, no matter how little. Otherwise, I will get mud. Thus far, I am in love and I intend to feed that love until I can get back to him in September.

In the meantime, I am designing some sculptures. Stay tuned . . . same bat channel.

Portrait Drawing-Florence Italy

Cari Amici,

This is my charcoal portrait drawing of my friend Inga. I actually drew her back in February, but I do not think that I shared this with you. She is a good model with an interesting look. I find this three-quarter view difficult and often choose to have this view so that I may improve my work.

White Pencil Drawing of Nude Male Figure Florence Italy

Cari Amici,

Not too long ago, I hired one of the many charming Italian models here in Florence to pose for other artists and me for a two-hour sketch (including breaks). Since sculpting the bronze “I am You”, I became even more interested in how different individuals or specifically even men and women carry themselves.

So, on this evening, I asked Mauro to try to imitate the pose that you saw in the charcoal drawing of Ilaria that I posted yesterday. He really could not get into the pose, which I found interesting. But he did an acceptable job of holding the gesture that he did give us.

Here you see my work of a white pastel pencil on black paper. I am really enjoying this idea of light from darkness. I hope you do as well.
His price is 125 USD, plus $20 for shipping and handling. Contact me if you are interested in “Mauro in Light.”
Thank you for reading.

Kelly

Charcoal Drawing of Nude Female Figure Florence Italy

Cari Amici,

It is difficult to prepare for a long trip and finish several drawings and also look for a place to live once I return to Italia in September, but that is what I have been doing. Not to add how much time I am spending visiting with old and new friends before I go.

But this morning, I had time to photograph a couple of my latest projects. Here I show you “Ilaria”. She is a carboncino (charcoal) drawing of a beautiful woman from north Italia. She is approximately 67 x 46 cm and was drawn on the paper called Umbria. Naturally, this drawing of a nude feminine figure is available. Please inquire.

Often I like high contrast and want to place the most dramatic lighting where I want your eye to go first. So, for example, a bright shoulder might have a dark, dark background against it. This project was different as I tried to play with the effect of light emerging from dark and thus, the background behind the figure in shadow is closer in tone to the actual female figure. I think that the photo is too light probably when seen on your screen. I would enjoy having feedback on this.

Anyway, the real Ilaria was such a sport to endure this pose for five weeks, three hours per afternoon. Knees being bent in this way make for bad circulation. We got into a little routine of sorts in which I would bring her a small gift, such as a chocolate bar or an apple, or one day, her favorite torta “La Cubana” from my trip to northeast Italia, so that she could have a sugar energy boost. “La Cubana” is a specialty of this region and Ilaria told me it is often served with grappa (although I photographed it here with a dark beer that I tried and liked).


And she surprised me one day by bringing me some fresh picked lavender from her yard in Tuscany, outside of Florence. I was delighted and shared some with my friend Hélène, who has a charming way of leaning forward as her eyes widen and her smile brightens when she wants a little of something you have before her. Afterwards, I taped the lavender to my easel and enjoyed its distinctive fragrance while Ilaria and I worked on this artwork. I hope you enjoy this figurative charcoal drawing.

PS Do not forget the art classes that I am teaching in Texas this summer. I hope to see you!

Teaching Art in Florence, Italy

Cari Amici,

I mentioned before that I have been working as an assistant for Martinho Correia at the Angel Academy of Art here in Florence, Italy.
Martinho has been teaching a 2-week workshop on Painting Methods of the Great European Academies.


By day, we worked in the studio in the traditional method of learning how to paint by copying great artworks of the past. This teaches an artist so much more than copying a photograph! Martinho is shown here with one of his students. We had a great class – good energy with all of us.

One morning we all met Martinho at the mercato porcellino for a quick coffee or breakfast and then we walked to the Chiesa di Santa Felìcita, between the Ponte Vecchio and the Pitti Palace. I show you here some images I took in the church. The painting on the right is by Antonio Ciseri (1821-1891) titled “Santa Felìcita e il martirio dei Maccabei”. The bodies are fantastic and I like the zig-zagging composition. We also viewed the beautiful colors and figures of the Deposizione by Jacopo Pontormo (1494-1556), a lovely fresco on the right as you enter the church.

Our next stop was the Pitti Palace and her museums. Especially interesting was the section that the Medici family lived in. Martinho is very familiar with so many specific artworks and gave interesting comments on many of them, relating them to our current projects. Unfortunately for me, I missed too many of his art lessons because I tend to linger too long and can never seem to stay with a group for all of the time.



I often kept the studio open daily longer than promised so that we could try to get more painting done, but afterwards, we would meet one another for dinner and later, dancing. Pictured here are Ksenia, Isabelle, Martinho, and me at the salsa club Jaragua. We danced here many nights, but also visited many of the other clubs and aperitivos around Florence. One night at Jaragua, we got to see a performance by more professional dancers.

This 2-week workshop has been a great experience for me. But as much as I love to dance, the “getting-to-bed-at-5-am” routine is starting to wear on me. That said, I would probably make the same choice again because I met such cool people and we learned a lot and danced even more.