Summer Sculpture Art Classes

Cari Amici,
Here is my summer art teaching schedule with prices and descriptions. Note that I added a new class from the previous listing. Pre-registration is required, especially in the classes that work from a live model, but it is easy to do: just send me an e-mail or register by paying through PayPal. I hope to see you soon!
Thank you,
Kelly Borsheim

Classes in the Teaching Studio of Beth Schoen in Austin, Texas:

Schoen Sculpture Studio
1406 Smith Road, Suite E (at Highway 183 and Bolm Road)
Austin, Texas 78721 (USA)

Figure Drawing Class:

Tuesday evening 7 - 9 p.m.
Dates: July 22, 29 + August 5,12,19, 26
Drawing for Beginners: emphasis on capturing the gesture in the human form. We will draw from a live nude model during the latter part of the class.
$220 + Materials (drawing paper, tracing paper, pencils, erasers, contact me for details)
REGISTER NOW

Sculptural Anatomy Workshop:

Two weekends (Sat and Sun) 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Dates: July 19-20 + July 26-27
We will work from a live model and you create a sculpture of the human figure. Anatomy lectures pertaining to human anatomy for artists, as well as demonstrations are the main focus, but artistic voice will also be discussed. In addition, we will talk about building armatures (supports) for clay sculptures.
$325 + Materials (18 or 24” figure armature, plastilina, tools, etc.)
REGISTER NOW

Sculpting Hands and Feet:

Saturday, August 2, 1 - 5 p.m.
In this class, we will sculpt one hand and/or one foot using water-based clay. Art principles, interpretation, and anatomy will be discussed.
$65 + Materials (clay and firing, not included; tools, contact studio)
REGISTER NOW

Then at my studio, Cedar Creek, Texas (30 minutes SE of Austin):

Intro to Stone Carving WORKSHOP:

Labor Day weekend Aug. 30, 31, + Sept 1; hours: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Using hand and some power tools, each student will work on their own stone carving in limestone.
$300 plus stone and materials (hand tools: hammer, chisels, safety gear, etc. Contact Studio for complete supply list)
REGISTER NOW

Intro to Stone Carving CLASSES:

Ongoing – Each Monday from 21 July 25 August: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Using hand and some power tools, each student will work on their own stone carving in limestone.
$15 per hour, choose your times and days as desired.
plus stone and materials (hand tools: hammer, chisels, safety gear, etc. Contact Studio for complete supply list)
Contact studio to Register for this class.


For more information visit www.BorsheimArts.com/artclass.htm.

Enjoy your day and give me feedback on the teaching schedule!
Grazie mille,
Kelly

Wildflowers, Water, and Herbs in Alps Mountains, Cercivento, Italy

Cari Amici,

The mountains seem to hold everything, including these small gems of wildflowers that I have photographed. These images were taken in the Alps of Cervicento, Italia, in the region called Carnia (Alpi Carniche) I have always loved blue flowers, especially when wild. The flowers in these first two images are named “Eyes of the Madonna” and I do not know the name of the other tiny blue wildflowers that have the white or yellow center with the dark dot inside.



This red flower is called a mountain rose (by my friend at least). She does not have much of a fragrance either, but is still quite lovely.


Allora, water is my favorite thing to drink. Only, I prefer simply H-2-0. No bubbles. No chemicals. No minerals. Just the beauty of three – 2 hydrogens plus one oxygen. Cercivento has the best tasting tap water that I have had the pleasure to drink in Italy (and elsewhere). It comes from mountain streams, such as the one you see me drinking from and at another, filling up bottles. (OK, yes these bottles are plastic, but I did not prepare adequately and wanted a proper souvenir of my trip.)


It is near these pure water streams high up in the mountains that the following medicinal herb grows. Although my friend did not know the name of this plant, I was enticed to try it. (I am sometimes amazed at how trusting I am!)
One eats the spicy leaves, not the flowers. If you know what plant this is, please share the information by way of this blog or my e-mail address. Va bene?

So, I hope you enjoy these images and that you start noticing how beautiful are the small things around you.

And now, I bid you good evening as I return to determining my summer teaching schedule in Texas.

Ciao ragazzi!
Kelly

Alps in Cercivento, Italy

Cari Amici,

I was invited to see a friend in Cercivento, Italy, and so, I took a train to Udine in northeastern Italy on Friday evening. My friend greeted me there and we drove north for about one hour. The Alps were beautiful and serene. The rain kept us from hiking up these mountains as much as I would have enjoyed, but I also find peace in the sound of raindrops hitting rooftops.


One afternoon, we had to stop our ascent up the mountain because huge clouds were rolling in. The landscape was changing so dramatically into a sea of white that it became dangerous to go up further. Pictured here is a take-off ramp for hang gliders before it, too, became hidden from view. I wanted to try hang gliding for my 30th birthday, but never knew where to go. (And my friend Australian sculptor Mick took his first hang-gliding lesson for his 50th birthday, so I think I still have some time ;-)

These other images are of Lago Cavazzo, south of where I was staying. Even though we visited on a Saturday, this free park was almost empty, save for a few fishermen and a charming older couple. And apparently, the waters were more tranquille than normal.

I was told that because of the unusual cooler and rainy weather that Italy has been experiencing this year, I arrived before the wild strawberries did. Bummer. However, this vacanza breva was a much needed break from my routine and I was delighted to have seen a part of Italy I might not had taken the time to see otherwise.

Please enjoy the photos. Perhaps tomorrow I can share a few more.
Ciao, ciao,
Kelly

Bicycle in Florence, Italy

For some reason I love hearing my name called out in the street -- gives a city a small-town feel. Today it was my friend Lisa whose voice stopped me. Our schedules have changed recently and we do not get to see each other as often as before. I miss hanging out with her. Allora, she caught me as I was riding down Via Fiesolana and she took this image of me with my new bike. I was headed to the station to buy a train ticket for tomorrow evening.

Besides being fun, my bike has also been a big help: I am still moving into my new place, slowly taking art supplies from storage and bringing them home on my bike. On my way tonight, I passed Piazza Santa Croce and I am wishing that I would be here in Florence when the event they are putting up all of these bleachers for happens. But instead, I am heading to the mountains near Austria for the weekend.

Ciao, ciao,
Kelly

More Street Painting - Florence, Italy

Cari Amici,

I hope you are not getting tired of seeing my process of being a madonnara (Italian street painter) in Florence, Italy. This past Monday was a national holiday for la bella Italia. I was hoping that this day would make up for all of the rainy Mondays that I have paid for a tessera (permit) to create paintings in pastel in the street. But . . .

I arrived to my spazio on Via Calimala around 11 a.m., about an hour or so after the other two madonnari, Roderick and Giovanni, began their day’s labor. I chose to draw a work by William Adolph Bouguereau in 1888 titled “L’Amour au Papillon” or “Cupid With A Butterfly.”

Bouguereau is a difficult artist for me to copy because his key is so light. I have a challenge to try to determine what is a light shape and what is dark on his figures. I think that was ultimately my main problem with this drawing of the bambino. However, I was able to get a decent head drawn and placed the shoulders so that I could draw in the wings. And then the drizzly rain hit. The kind that makes an artist wonder whether it is better to wait it out or just go home and work on other art projects.

I took the plastic that I had and covered up the next areas that I wanted to draw. I can work on dry pavement only. While the rain was still light, I took out my black pigment in powder form and created the background. I love the way that a black background makes the figure’s form just pop out of the ground! Most of the street painters use rubbing alcohol or even just water to help spread the powder over a large area. I prefer to simply sprinkle dark dust everywhere and rub the pigment into the pavement with my hands. But in the rain, there is no problem. Go figure . . .

I lost several hours due to the rain and called up my friend Martinho Correia to see if I could do something productive during this time. Martinho had asked me if I would work as his assistant while he teaches a class later this month called “Painting Methods of the Great European Academies” and so I was able to drop by his place nearby and find out what my job entailed. Click here if you would like more information about his workshop here in Florence.

By around 4 p.m. as my meeting was just getting started, the rain let up and the day turned out beautifully! In this next image, I am trying to fix the face after the rain. You can see how the pigment has faded a bit (compare the blacks and general contrast). And thus, I began to finish the drawing, first working on the body and legs of Cupid, then adding the architecture in the background and foreground. Lastly, I added the greenery and grasses at the bottom of the image.

You can see the Mercato Porcellino in the background, as well as my fellow madonnari street painters. The image on the right shows Giovanni cleaning his square. (Rod on the far side of Giovanni had already gone.)

Hafiza’s lovely bicycle is serving me well. I still have difficulty navigating through tourists and narrow roads, but I feel these wheels give me a freedom I did not have before. I am loving it, especially after a long day’s work and an otherwise decent walk home with all of my supplies!

Below, you may see how I finished this street painting. So many people express dismay at the idea of washing the art away each night, but I have made a discovery. There is a bizarre beauty in the destruction of such fragile art. And I find myself fascinated by the paths and patterns the draining water makes over the dry art before I start to scrub. So, for me, the destruction has become a temporary creative act. Like the rest of my “performing art” day, I am ending on a high of sorts.

And some cool news: I was contacted by Anthony Cappetto of StreetPainting.tv and interviewed for their blog about street art. Here is the interview:

StreetPainting.tv Interview of madonnara Kelly Borsheim

Buona notte!

Teaching Sculpture, How to Draw

Cari Amici,

I have finally figured out my teaching schedule for this summer in Texas. I will only be in the States for two months. Here is the jist:

Classes in the Teaching Studio of Beth Schoen in Austin, Texas:

Drawing Class:

Tuesday evening 6 - 8 p.m. (or 7 - 9 p.m. if you think that is better)
Dates: July 22, 29 + August 5,12,19, 26

Sculptural Anatomy Workshop:

Two weekends (Sat and Sun) 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Dates: July 19-20 + July 26-27

Sculpting Hands and Feet:

Saturday, August 2: perhaps noon to 5 p.m.? or 10-5 with lunch break?

Then at my studio, Cedar Creek, Texas:

Intro to Stone Carving:

Labor Day weekend Aug. 30, 31, + Sept 1; hours: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

I hope to publish a Web page with the final dates, costs, materials list, and payment options soon. But if you have feedback and wish to take a class or two, by all means contact me sooner than later.

Quoted Artist

I recently received a “Google Alert” on my name, which let me know that a site had quoted me. Pretty cool to be on a page with such people as Audrey Hepburn, one of my longtime favorites, and other notables. Although, I should blush because this happens to be one of the less-than-lady-like things that have come out of my mouth. Here is the link if you are curious at all:
http://www.shooshee.org/shtuff/2008/05/26/judgements/

Enjoy your day and give me feedback on the teaching schedule!
Grazie mille,
Kelly

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