Welcome

Many artists dream about painting in Italy. Now, as retiring baby-boomers are increasingly taking up “brush and pallet knife,” more than ever, painting in Italy is the “thing.” Every day, a new “Artist’s” tour of Italy crops up in travel sections of the newspaper and on the Internet. But there still remains a majority of artists who prefer to “go it alone.” They are independent in their artistic styles, and prefer to be independent regarding their travels in Italy . This blog intends to target these free spirited artists who still need guidance to the best places to paint, especially those idyllic gems that are little known and less traveled. Certainly, independent travelers who are not artists will also benefit from this blog.

With a few exceptions, this blog is not a guide to restaurants, lodging, rental cars, or shopping, (except for art supplies.)

Sprinkled among the posts are: my paintings, and a few Italian proverbs and poems written by notable Italian authors for whom I work as a translator.



Please visit my website to view my original art:

http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/

Giclee prints of my paintings, ranging from greeting size to poster size, can be purchased at:

http://pamela-allegretto.fineartamerica.com/



Friday, March 6, 2009

PAINTING ON CAPRI

Three miles off the Sorrentine peninsula, Capri floats amid the emerald Mediterranean Sea. Known to some as the “Island of Dreams,” Capri has also been called the "Island of Sirens” that tempted Ulysses. I refer to Capri as a “Bougainvillea Lover’s Paradise.” Everywhere you look you’ll find these vibrant, cyclamen, red, and purple, flowering vines climbing villas, clinging to craggy rocks, and spilling out from planter boxes like overflowing glasses of wine. Whether you fancy seascapes, landscapes, architecture, or florals, you’d be hard pressed to find a better location to paint with all these options so closely knit.
Boat service is available from Naples, Sorrento, and Positano. Walking will be your primary mode of transportation; so don’t haul your grandmother’s steamer trunk with you. I recommend a travel set of watercolors or colored pencils, a small watercolor block, pencil and eraser. If you can’t function without your oils or acrylics, bring small tubes and only basic colors; leave all those exotic colors at home. Learn how to mix.
Your biggest obstacle will be deciding what to paint first, so bring that digital camera, because unless you move to the island, you’ll never have time to paint everything you want.
My favorite spot is the top of Monte Solaro. To get there, take a bus from the main square up to Anacapri, and then take the chairlift, (Segovia) to the top. After you spend the necessary time to “Oo and ah,” which you will in spades, paint to your heart’s content.
Buon Viaggio!

The painting below is of Capri's I Faraglioni. It's for sale on my art wesite: http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/
Ciao, Pam

1 comment:

Thank you for your comment. Grazie per i complimenti.

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.