Burning, Trimming, and Mural Painting

Dear Art Lover,

      Lately, my neighbors have been making little fires all around these hills in Tuscany.  They are removing much of the grasses that have overgrown over the winter.  Today, my landlord and his brother will start trimming their olive trees.  I really hate to miss this!

     Tomorrow I leave for Firenze and will live there for one month as I work with a private student.  We will have fun on his new still life painting project (after his first project EVER was Leonardo da Vinci’s “Leda and the Swan” – a human figure, and animal, and a landscape!).  But, I love my new home and I want so much to see each season here as they unfold.  My landlord assured me that spring will not pass me by before I return, but … I love helping “my family” in Casignano each November with the olive harvest.  To be around for the trimming sounds interesting to me.  Here, it is dangerous work because the olive trees grow on the sides of the hills and they use ladders and saws.  It would be nice if I could be here even for added safety for them.  Oy yoy. 

     My mural project progresses slowly.  This is partially because there is so much detail work in creating a specific landscape, and I, sadly, get confused easily on which of my charcoal markings denotes the dark shape or the light one.  The other part, naturally, is that I have a fair amount to do before leaving tomorrow. 

     I took these close-up images last night.  It is weird to see them in this way.  I think the mural looks better in person.  However, I have not finished with these parts that I show you.  I just wanted to share how I am layering the acrylic paint and trying to get soft edges to create something of an atmosphere. Sadly, not much more will happen on  this for at least a month, in case you were thinking to hold your breath.  Hahaha…

Thank you.  And happy birthday to two very lovely ladies:  Giuliana and Dilya! 

Peace,

Kelly

http://BorsheimArts.com

Women’s Day and Mural

Dear Art Lover,

     Apparently, it is International Women’s Day.  While I do not get particularly enthused about holidays designed to remind us that we each have value [why should we need that?], I must recognize that we still have not created a world in which we treat each other as equals, or at the very least, with respect and dignity.  So, until such a time exists, these days serve as reminders to decent folks. 

     And speaking of women, I lost a very dear Florentine woman friend of mine on March 1.  She called me a sister and I will never forget Susanna’s kindness to me and her love and friendship.  This has been a long haul for her and these last several weeks were especially difficult for me and her other close loved ones, as we watched her slowly leave us.

     Back at home now, I started working today on the mural project I wrote about in an earlier post.  This one is slow going since it is a specific landscape painting, versus an imagined one.  The mural size is 109 x 240 cm, so about one-fourth the size of my firstTuscan mural in Caprese Michelangelo, Italy.

http://borsheimarts.com/painting/murals.htm

Thank you.

Peace,

Kelly

http://BorsheimArts.com

  

Detail of starting to fill in the cartoon transfer

Start of another Tuscan Mural, Italy, by Kelly Borsheim

Tuscan Mural Start

Dear Art Lover,

     This is by no means an original idea, but what do you do when you want a room with a view and cannot get permission from the city to put a large window in your home?  Well, if you know a muralist, why not create a finestra finta [a false window]?

      And thus, my second mural in Tuscany has begun.  I do not expect this to be as quickly executed as my first mural (here:  http://borsheimarts.com/painting/murals.htm

     I received a request from someone I have no desire to refuse to teach him how to make art.  This will be our first project.  However, this person has a full life and helps a lot of people in this mountain community.  So, let us see what sort of time he may devote to painting!

    Here is the start of the project.  I am prepared to have some fun with this!  So, stay tuned . . .

Site of future Tuscan Mural

Painting the window frame on the Tuscan mural

Thank you.

Peace,

Kelly

http://BorsheimArts.com

Chemical Antiquing of Metal

Dear Art Lover,

     I have the best landlord ever!  He had never heard of a gallery system before, so I showed him images and explained to him the real purpose (to keep the wall from being “uglified” with tons of holes after changing art positions around on the walls).  He has done so many things to this house and it seems we both keep finding things to do to improve it.  I am enjoying working together with him.  He told me to let him think on the gallery system and I stayed home to list the lengths of the rods I wanted for each room.  

     He showed up a day or two later after he returned to the iron factory where he worked before. We installed the iron rods with tabs that he welded together to the best places in all the rooms.  Some went on the wooden ceiling beams; others directly into the stone walls.

     I later bought the “S” hooks for the tops, but I could not find them in a dark, less noticeable color.  Where the eyes travel is important and I did not want a bright silver hook visible.  The man in the hardware store gave me the solution:  acid [see the photo for the actual label in Italian].  He said it is a chemical used to clean floors in Italian homes, but you must wear gloves and have good ventilation.  He instructed me to soak the metal hooks for about five minutes or so, until I got the finish I desired.  You may see in this first image also the color of the catene [small chains] that I bought.

The too-bright "S" hooks in a plastic bowl before acido added.
The chains for the art are in the box behind and
ready store-bought for cutting and hanging.

     I used an empty Greek yogurt bucket and then a small wooden stick to check progress of the chemical soak.  After five minutes, the metal had lost its sheen, but was not the color of rusted metal that the man showed me in his store.  So, I pulled two out onto a paper towel [as a "control"] and I ended up leaving the rest of the hooks soak overnight on my front doorstep outside.  I woke the next morning with the fear that perhaps I would NOT get a nice antique color, but that I would instead simply weaken the metal.  I was not interested in seeing a frame drop to its demise!

Nice fun bubbles began almost immediately.

     However, those in the yogurt dish looked the same that next morning, but the two on the towel looked antique.  Score!  So, I used my wooden stick to pull out each of the “S” hooks and laid them all on a paper towel.  The acid smell (chlorine?) was quite strong.  However, after exposure to the air, all of my hooks were rusty colored!  Perfect!  I let them air out all that next rainy day.  And wallah! 

The bubbles turned to green almost mossy looking texture after a while.

YAY!  Look how quaint my "new" hooks are.

     I would like to take this opportunity to thank you again for your friendship and support.  I was thrilled to have sold a bronze sculpture, as well as a giclée reproduction of “Le Scale dell’Eros” during my 15^th anniversary sale.  Those who know the art business know that it is a “no-no” to have a sale on art.  However, artists break rules and I prefer to remain a citizen who pays my bills.  I thank you for helping me to be able to do that and I hope that my art brings you far more years of joy than the small amount of money it took to obtain the work.

Thank you.

Peace,

Kelly

http://BorsheimArts.com

 

A simple winter sunset, but lovely.

Reginald Bronze

Dear Art Lover,

     Flashing back a few years, I want to feature one of my favorite works.  I like the subtlety of movement in it and the exaggerated proportions in the bronze figure. 

     Reginald was a model that I met during an Open Studio in Austin, Texas. Back in 2000, I did not see many black models or even black artists. I asked him if he would pose for me to create a walking man figure. My studio being over a 30-minute drive from town, I went to his flat in central Austin (for he did not have a car and walked anywhere he needed or wanted to be within reason).

     He posed in his small living room, while I sculpted in his even smaller dining room. It was a wonderful experience for both of us and I was very pleased in 2002 when the bronze Reginald was exhibited in the City of Austin's Dougherty Art Gallery. He was also featured in most of the press received for this July event. The show was titled, "From Paper to Bronze: Sculptors who Draw" and I had invited another artist, Marian Waldrip, to exhibit with me in my first (and only, I think) 2-person event. We even did a LIVE life drawing one evening during the exhibition.

     I hope you enjoy the naturalness I tried to capture in Reginald's body.  I have only ONE of these bronze sculptures Reginald left. He is half-life size [34" H x 12" x 13"] and is priced at only $9500, but until 15 February, you may acquire him (even with my NO-finance-charge layaway plan) at $8075.  Let him greet your home visitors!

    Take advantage of my 15th anniversary Savings until 15 Feb. 2016.. on this or any available artwork. See the special offer from Don Elliott at The Franklin Barry Gallery, as well, here: 

http://www.borsheimarts.com/news/20160111_ArtNews-NitramCharcoalDrawing.htm

And please share this promotion with anyone you think may be interested in it.

Thank you.

Peace,

Kelly

http://BorsheimArts.com

Divine Beauty Devotional Art

Dear Art Lover,

Bouguereau

I had hoped to write about this art exhibition at the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, Italy, while it was still happening, but I got sidetracked.  I am currently in Austria seeing people that I love, so I have little time at the moment.

The exhibition was titled, “Bellezza Divina / Divine Beauty” and included works from Van Gogh to Chagall and Fontana to my favorites, Antonio Ciseri (1821-1891).  While many of Adolphe Bouguereau’s works seem sappy to some art critics, the enormous painting in this exhibition is absolutely stunning.  I cannot imagine anyone walking away from it without admiring the artist who conceived and painted it. 

Anyway, here are the images.  If you want to know the artist, please leave a comment on my blog page and I will get back to you once I am home again in February.

Thank you … and enjoy the devotional art and divine beauty.  This was a wonderful exhibition!  [More images below.]

+++++++++++++++

It is January and this month I celebrate 15 years as a full-time artist! Wow.. thank you for being a part of this adventure. Your support has been invaluable. I would like to celebrate by making it easier to buy some art that moves you. Here goes:

·         15% off on all available sculptures. The pricelist is here:
http://www.borsheimarts.com/pricelist.htm#sculpture

·         15% off on all available 2-D work, from paintings and drawings in any medium to giclée fine art reproductions.

·         If you buy two or more Borsheim Art Works
before 15 February 2016,
you will also receive
a $50 framing gift certificate
to use as you like. This is a
Special Offer
from Don Elliott at
The Frame Shop/Franklin Barry Gallery in Indianapolis.

Buy Art

These offers end February 15, 2016. Prices you see on the Web site are BEFORE the 15% savings offer. Thank you for your interest!

If you would like to read the full art newsletter for January, including see a new work on the easel still, please visit:

http://www.borsheimarts.com/news/20160111_ArtNews-NitramCharcoalDrawing.htm

Thank you.  Peace,

Kelly Borsheim, artist

http://BorsheimArts.com

Ciseri

The Conversion of St. Paul

Detail of painting shown left

Chagall, apparently the Pope's favorite

Nitram Charcoal Art

Charcoal Work-In-Progress by Kelly Borsheim

Dear Art Lover,

I have always loved black and white images, and am typically pretty impressed when I see a well-done charcoal drawing. I never thought that I would have the patience to even attempt such a thing. But love is love and oh so hard to resist.

Just before Christmas I received a wonderful e-mail from Jerzy Niedojadlo. He is the new owner of the famous Nitram Charcoal company. I was dismayed years ago to find out that the Nitram in France would no longer be producing its quality drawing products. I bought as much Nitram charcoal as I could afford, in fact. Nitram (the founder Martin Gros’ first name spelled backwards) began from humble beginnings after World War II made it difficult to find work. Not actually born as its own company until the late 1960s, it dramatically improved its quality after a large order boosted the business. You may read more about Nitram’s beginnings here:

http://www.nitramcharcoal.com/blog/the-history-of-nitram-charcoal

Jerzy is a working artist and was inspired to go to France with his partner Patricia to learn the techniques from Martin’s son, Daniel. They now own the business and have moved it to Canada. And last year about this time, he sent me a Nitram Baton to try out while I was living in Croatia! Learn more here:

http://nitramcharcoal.com/

Recently, Jerzy wrote to share with me a new video about Nitram that debuted at the CreativeWorld Trade Show in Frankfurt, Germany, last year. I feel honored and excited to have several of my own charcoal drawings included in this production. I hope you enjoy this showcase of charcoal art as presented on youtube.com [my work is seen at 1 minute 4 seconds, 1:04]:

https://youtu.be/ebyaniXdtrg

+++++++++++++++

Enough - Charcoal Drawing
Available
by Kelly Borsheim

It is January and this month I celebrate 15 years as a full-time artist! Wow.. thank you for being a part of this adventure. Your support has been invaluable. I would like to celebrate by making it easier to buy some art that moves you. Here goes:

·         15% off on all available sculptures. The pricelist is here:
http://www.borsheimarts.com/pricelist.htm#sculpture

·         15% off on all available 2-D work, from paintings and drawings in any medium to giclée fine art reproductions.

·         If you buy two or more Borsheim Art Works
before 15 February 2016,
you will also receive
a $50 framing gift certificate
to use as you like. This is a
Special Offer
from Don Elliott at
The Frame Shop/Franklin Barry Gallery in Indianapolis.

Buy Art

These offers end February 15, 2016. Prices you see on the Web site are BEFORE the 15% savings offer. Thank you for your interest!

If you would like to read the full art newsletter for January, including see a new work on the easel still, please visit:

http://www.borsheimarts.com/news/20160111_ArtNews-NitramCharcoalDrawing.htm

Thank you.  Peace,

Kelly Borsheim, artist

http://BorsheimArts.com