Don Elliot Franklin Barry Gallery Indianapolis

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Happy birthday to Don Elliott!  Recently one of my long-time art newsletter readers asked me how I have built my art career.  Hmmm, I thought my art newsletter was a large part of sharing this journey.  Hahha, oops!  But, nonetheless, one of the things that I do is exhibit my art and do it in a place that permits me to meet new people.  Such was the case when I invested a whole lot of money to exhibit in New York City in 2005 (when I lived in central Texas).  

That event cost me around $10,000 (all on credit cards, I may add, a scary risk for me).  However, before that exhibit weekend was over, I had met Don.  He became one of my collectors then, as well as my new gallerist.  I remember clearly when he said to me, “Kelly, I love your work, but I must admit that it is going to take some time to develop a market for nudes in Indianapolis.” 

Not only do I appreciate his honesty, but I also feel really grateful that he has stuck by me all of these years when another gallerist might not have taken on the challenge of the Midwest.  Don has placed my artworks in collections in the USA and in Canada.  When I need advice on selling, I call him. When I need a frame that compliments my art, I give the project to Don.

 

So, “Cheers!” to a great guy.  Here are just a few of my artworks that he currently has on exhibit at the Franklin Barry Gallery… go on, visit.  Indianapolis has a lot to see!  [Don even has some notecards of images I took of the city during one of my many visits there.]

Franklin Barry Gallery / The Frame Shop
617 Massachusetts Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
Tel. 317.822.8455
Contact: Don Elliott Web site: www.franklinbarrygallery.com

“Lei” and “Lui” sold together or separately.  36” x 10” oil on canvas

“Towards Siena” 24 x 16 inches, oil on board

“Il Dono” (“The Gift”), 25 x 18 inches, charcoal and pastel on brown Italian paper

“Daydreaming of Yesterday,”  18 x 25 inches, charcoal with pastel

“L’Inverno” (“Winter”), 18 x 25 inches, pastel with charcoal

One of my functional bronze artworks: 

“Oh Boy!” (5 male figures in relief, wall hung), 15 x 9 inches, bronze mirror

And these artworks that are not on my Web site, a charcoal drawing “After Prud’hon” and a small acrylic painting from Fiesole, Italy, titled, “Buon Appetito!”:

Franklin Barry Gallery / The Frame Shop
617 Massachusetts Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
Tel. 317.822.8455
Contact: Don Elliott Web site: www.franklinbarrygallery.com

Happy Birthday, Don, and thank you!

Goat’s Beard Still Life Painting

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Each time I begin a new piece of art, I set out to learn something.  In my new flat here in Florence, Italy, I have set up a still life.  I was inspired when I found a blank linen canvas left by my friends Milixa and Elkin, painters who lived in this flat before me.  The canvas is long and narrow, my favorite proportion for paintings.

Over a year ago a sweet Florentine friend of mine for many years and I were taking a walk outside near her home.  As we talked and walked past a vacant lot, Hafiza gathered what most people would have considered weeds.  I know something of her eye and her heart, though, and I knew that I would soon ooh and ahh, as many others have, over her natural treasures.  She gave me a handful of goodies, including three stalks with elongated pale green buds on one end.  I took them home that day in May, and the next morning, I awoke to spherical GIANT wish makers!  No, not dandelions, so much larger:  The flower is called “Goat’s Beard,” but apparently there are many varieties of this.

I gave one to my Florentine flatmate  that day.  One of the other two was damaged in transit to my new home earlier this summer.  Thus, I decided to create a painting sonner than planned, before I lost these gifts from a cherished friend.  Looking around the flat, I found a few object of interest and ultimately decided to try painting a still life composition on this long rectangular canvas.

I wanted to paint with very little color to see how many different tones I could create.  I was also curious as to whether or not I could paint some objects without actually copying the forms I saw in front of me.  In addition, I wanted to work more with paint layers.  This means that in general, I will wait several days before adding something to a part of the canvas, giving the paint underneath a chance to dry as much as I could.

I include an image here of my setup.  It is modeled upon the Sight-Size Method, but obviously I am not following it very rigorously.  I like the color and texture of the ceramic bowl, but I did not want to repeat the round shape that is in the flower.  So, I put a candle under it for height.  The paper towel roll is there so I can see how much the light fades on a cylinder as it nears the bottom.  My canvas is not aligned horizontally simply because I was working on the boards when I took this image and it is better for my back if I do not bend over as I paint.  Also, you may see that the camera was much lower than my eye when viewing the setup.  This gives the painting a different perspective, looking down upon the scene.

So, let us see how this movie ends!  It is back to the drawing board for me.

Happy Labor Day, USA!

If you like the things you are reading and can appreciate the time it takes to take and edit the images and write something that I try to make worthwhile for you, please consider making a donation.  $5, $50, $500, or any amount at all is truly helpful.  Thank you for your support and interest.  Kelly

Donate any amount you wish here

Zhang Huan Forte di Belvedere Florence Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Before I headed north recently to carve stone in the Medieval Festival in Pontremoli, Italy, a friend and I went to see the exhibit at the newly reopened Forte di Belvedere in Florence, Italy.  The Forte was built by the famous Medici family between 1590 and 1595.  The artist having a solo exhibit there is the apparently famous Zhang Huan.  [I am surprisingly ignorant about most of the contemporary art world.]

I did not particularly care for the large sculptures outside on the grounds.  I did not feel that they were well made (the hand-hammered bronze) or even aesthetically appealing in that space.  However, the views of the city from the Forte are quite good.  And I did enjoy the art that was inside and hanging on the walls.

I do not have the space here to cover the entire exhibit, titled “L’Anima e la Materia” (“Soul and Matter”).  But I can share a few images and my responses to them.  The works that really impressed me were paintings of ash on linen.  The artist became a Buddhist monk in 2005 and it changed his art, naturally.  The ash is actually the incense ash from temples around Shanghai.  The ashes are taken to the artist’s studio and continue to burn to give him a collection of different shades and textures to use in his art.

The artist juxtaposed his image of Jesus Christ in “The Last Supper” with an ash painting of Confucius speaking with his followers (the latter is shown here in entirety in the first image).  I have always felt that black and white (or monochrome neutral) images have a special kind of power for the viewer and thus, I was lured in to examine this work.  For me, the materials used are what is impressive or wonderful.  The textures and sometimes subtlety is intriguing.  Mystery is hypnotic for us, isn’t it?  It is important to keep our sense of curiosity occupied.

In another room was my favorite piece in the exhibit.  Up close who would not have thought of the beach with these swirls?  I also thought of the mountains and the stones you often find near their rivers… combinations of white and black.  I love the textures from the fires of the materials. 

And then, stand back a bit…. You see the grouping of tigers!  While Mr. Huan used triangles in the compositions of the Confucius piece and the tigers, the latter work is more successful.  In the two large panels in the first room (with Confucius and Christ), the first response was “What the … ?” as one wonders what is being seen or what the point is.  Upon closer inspection, one sees the seeming chaos has an order and a beauty.  And ok… but the tigers composition to me is beautiful from any distance and I find it more intriguing than a more precise image.

Now, maybe I did not read the accompanying text as much as I should have, but I had the impression that the artist wanted us to believe that he allows the ash to burn until he has a collection of whites, greys, and blacks with which to create a composition.  My friend and I both examined the sides and the images up close.  We believe that there is paint applied over the top of at least parts of the artwork.  In the seascape images, the sheer amount of work in sorting the ashes would have been the sign of … an extremely “dedicated” (read “insanely patient”) person.  In any event, however the work was created, the effects were lovely.

This last piece I share with you in a pair of sculptures in a bright silver material. One sculpture is of Buddha and one of Jesus.  The face each other and their gestures reflect one another.   For someone such as myself who finds religion interesting, but is not a believer, the idea of how similar are the religions of the world is not a new one.  And I felt that the point in this composition was not particularly edifying.  However, I really loved the way the reflected light danced upon the table and wall.  So, perhaps as with most things in life, we enjoy what we can and disregard the rest. 

Theexhibit “Soul and Matter” with  artistZhang Huan will continue at the Forte di Belvedere (Via de San Leonardo 1)through 13 October 2013 in Florence, Italy.  It is worthwhile, so I hope that you get to see it.  For more information, contact:  info@museicivicifiorentini.it.

If you like the things you are reading and can appreciate the time it takes to take and edit the images and write something that I try to make worthwhile for you, please consider making a donation.  $5, $50, $500, or any amount at all is truly helpful.  Thank you for your support and interest.  Kelly

DonateDonate any amount you wish here

Also, if you find yourself in Italy, you may enjoy the new app for iTunes: Chianti Food & Wine.

   From Florence to Siena-Eat.Drink.Shop.Sleep :  Exploring Chianti is like a treasure hunt, around every corner is a surprise.  And it is brought to you by my friend, Judy Witts Francini, owner and tour de force behind http://www.divinacucina.com/ TARGET=_blank>Divina Cucina.   Judy teaches people how to prepare and cook Italian cuisine, and not just here in Tuscany!

Graffiti Borgo degli Albizi Florence Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

As a continuation of my last blog post on the original form of graffiti, I share with you these images of a gorgeous work in degradation.  It is on Borgo degli Albizi, one of my favorite eye candy streets in Florence, Italy.  I think these designs are beautiful. 

[Click on an image to see it in a larger form.]

Even though the light pigments have eroded away, the ideas are still somewhat visible, “scratched” into the concrete.  True graffiti. 

This fourth image is a bit funny… to repair graffiti, it makes sense that one would have to refill the original incisions or decaying part.  But this grey ball is one blob that is not only a bit thick (protruding from the wall more than the rest of the design), but it seems odd that the new design was not created immediately while the cement was still wet!  Who knows how long this has been this way?

What a fantastical creature s/he is!

And finally, old and new graffiti together.  

Past posts about Italian graffiti:

My previous post with the meaning of “graffiti” :  http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2013/08/graffiti-florence-italy.html

The sign of the Medici family (6 balls on the shield):  http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2012/10/graffiti-florence-italy.html

Few things last forever, disappearing graffiti:  http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2012/10/more-graffiti-florence-italy.html

Today’s form of graffiti:  http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2007/09/italian-graffiti.html

****

Interested in street art?  I created a different kind of it in Florence over the course of four years.  I have written a book about the art, the artist, the politics, and the ambiance of working from 10 am to midnight in the streets on Italy.  The book is titled, “My Life as a Street Painter in Florence, Italy” and you may get your copy at a country near you… click on the appropriate Amazon link on the right hand column, under the moon at:

http://www.borsheimarts.com/newsletter.htm

And thank you for joining me on this artistic journey.

Kelly Borsheim, sculptor / painter / muralist