Posts
Monday, March 22, 2010
PAINTING IN ITALY / UMBRIA / PERUGIA / DERUTA
Certainly a trip to the Umbrian region would not be complete without a visit to Perugia, the capital of Umbria. Home to Perugina chocolate, (a reason in itself to visit the city), Perugia has retained much of its Gothic and Renaissance charm, which makes it appealing to artists who enjoy painting architecture.
Piazza IV Novembre is the hub of Perugian life and a top contender for being one of Italy’s most beautiful piazzas. At one end of the piazza is the Palazzo dei Priori, one of the finest secular buildings in Italy. Yes, you read it correctly, a spectacular building in Italy that’s not a church!
In the heart of Piazza IV Novembre is the Fontana Maggiore, and as it name states, it is truly a Grand Fountain. If you want to test your drawing skills, here’s the place to do it. The fountain’s artistic triumph stems from sculpture work by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano. Included are allegorical sculpture, saints, biblical characters, statuary that symbolizes the arts and sciences, Aesop’s fables, the months of the year, the signs of the zodiac, and scenes from the Old Testament and Roman history.
After you’ve run out of paper drawing the marvels of the fountain, take the escalator to the Rocca Paolina. The gardens around the old fortress are perfect for setting up to paint the breathtaking views.
Deruta remains one of my favorite towns in Umbria. Since the days of the Renaissance painters, it has boasted the densest concentration of shops and factories that sell the distinctive hand-painted glazed terra cotta. Even Raphael commissioned ceramic-ware with the now famous motif of dragons cavorting with flowers and vines.
As soon as the shops open for the day, the town explodes with color. Baskets and racks and tables are set outside and stacked and filled and hung with vibrant ceramics. Plates and platters and tiles decorate ancient walls. The Piazza dei Consoli is an excellent place to set up and capture this “ceramic” garden on canvas.
Save a little time to shop and appreciate the artistry. You simply must at least buy a spoon-rest; if you don’t you’ll wish you had, once you’ve returned home. If you travel “carry-on only,” as I do, don’t despair; the shops ship worldwide. Hey if it’s good enough for Raphael...
BUON VIAGGIO!
The original and limited edition prints of the painting above can be viewed and purchased at my art website:
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com
Si può comprarne delle stampe e l’originale del quadro in alto al mio website d’arte: http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com
Piazza IV Novembre is the hub of Perugian life and a top contender for being one of Italy’s most beautiful piazzas. At one end of the piazza is the Palazzo dei Priori, one of the finest secular buildings in Italy. Yes, you read it correctly, a spectacular building in Italy that’s not a church!
In the heart of Piazza IV Novembre is the Fontana Maggiore, and as it name states, it is truly a Grand Fountain. If you want to test your drawing skills, here’s the place to do it. The fountain’s artistic triumph stems from sculpture work by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano. Included are allegorical sculpture, saints, biblical characters, statuary that symbolizes the arts and sciences, Aesop’s fables, the months of the year, the signs of the zodiac, and scenes from the Old Testament and Roman history.
After you’ve run out of paper drawing the marvels of the fountain, take the escalator to the Rocca Paolina. The gardens around the old fortress are perfect for setting up to paint the breathtaking views.
Deruta remains one of my favorite towns in Umbria. Since the days of the Renaissance painters, it has boasted the densest concentration of shops and factories that sell the distinctive hand-painted glazed terra cotta. Even Raphael commissioned ceramic-ware with the now famous motif of dragons cavorting with flowers and vines.
As soon as the shops open for the day, the town explodes with color. Baskets and racks and tables are set outside and stacked and filled and hung with vibrant ceramics. Plates and platters and tiles decorate ancient walls. The Piazza dei Consoli is an excellent place to set up and capture this “ceramic” garden on canvas.
Save a little time to shop and appreciate the artistry. You simply must at least buy a spoon-rest; if you don’t you’ll wish you had, once you’ve returned home. If you travel “carry-on only,” as I do, don’t despair; the shops ship worldwide. Hey if it’s good enough for Raphael...
BUON VIAGGIO!
The original and limited edition prints of the painting above can be viewed and purchased at my art website:
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com
Si può comprarne delle stampe e l’originale del quadro in alto al mio website d’arte: http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com
Sunday, March 14, 2010
PAINTING IN ITALY / UMBRIA / SPELLO / ASSISI
Pinturicchio’s magnificent frescos and the stunning Deruta majolica floor in the Cappelle Baglioni aren’t the only reasons to visit Spello. The town itself, with its limestone houses, narrow, winding cobbled streets, covered passageways, and startling views begs to be captured on canvas. Mini piazzas offer excellent set-up locations. Or if you’re a landscape artist, you can kill two birds with one stone by lunching on the terrace of the reasonably priced Cacciatore, while you paint the views around Mount Subasio.
You can walk off lunch by climbing Via Belvedere that leads to the Belvedere. At the top of the hill, on the site of a Roman acropolis, the views of the Topino Valley are amazing. If you can be there at sunset, you’re in luck.
From a distance, the medieval town of Assisi resembles a cascade of churches, houses, and campaniles. Within the town, narrow alleyways link up and kiss in quaint little piazzas and then diverge, maybe into another piazza, maybe to a dead end, whatever the case, the final destination is guaranteed to be paint-worthy.
Certainly, the central square, Piazza del Comune, is a favorite artist’s site. No matter the time of day, you’ll see artists standing at easels, sitting on steps, perched on walls, or balancing on the edges of fountains.
If you prefer a less chaotic atmosphere in which to paint, or are looking to paint landscapes, visit the Rocca Maggiore. To get there on foot, begin at the Duomo and follow the picturesque Via Maria delle Rose. This secluded lane will take you up the grassy slope. Take time out to tour the fortress before settling down to paint the killer views.
My favorite site at Assisi is L’Eremo delle Carceri. Situated on the slopes of Mount Subasio, this was where St Francis of Assisi yakked it up with the animals. The light that filters through this densely wooded area prompts interesting paintings, and evidently, appealing conversations. In one little nook, outside a cave, you come across, almost stumble over, three life-sized statues lying on their backs and gazing at the sky. This is supposed to be St. Francis and his fellow monks meditating. Most people think this is inspiring; I find it kind of creepy.
After you’ve painted the changeable lights in the forest and chatted up a few animals, take the road past St. Benedict’s Abby up to the summit of Mount Subasio where the views are stunning.
Buon Viaggio!
You can walk off lunch by climbing Via Belvedere that leads to the Belvedere. At the top of the hill, on the site of a Roman acropolis, the views of the Topino Valley are amazing. If you can be there at sunset, you’re in luck.
From a distance, the medieval town of Assisi resembles a cascade of churches, houses, and campaniles. Within the town, narrow alleyways link up and kiss in quaint little piazzas and then diverge, maybe into another piazza, maybe to a dead end, whatever the case, the final destination is guaranteed to be paint-worthy.
Certainly, the central square, Piazza del Comune, is a favorite artist’s site. No matter the time of day, you’ll see artists standing at easels, sitting on steps, perched on walls, or balancing on the edges of fountains.
If you prefer a less chaotic atmosphere in which to paint, or are looking to paint landscapes, visit the Rocca Maggiore. To get there on foot, begin at the Duomo and follow the picturesque Via Maria delle Rose. This secluded lane will take you up the grassy slope. Take time out to tour the fortress before settling down to paint the killer views.
My favorite site at Assisi is L’Eremo delle Carceri. Situated on the slopes of Mount Subasio, this was where St Francis of Assisi yakked it up with the animals. The light that filters through this densely wooded area prompts interesting paintings, and evidently, appealing conversations. In one little nook, outside a cave, you come across, almost stumble over, three life-sized statues lying on their backs and gazing at the sky. This is supposed to be St. Francis and his fellow monks meditating. Most people think this is inspiring; I find it kind of creepy.
After you’ve painted the changeable lights in the forest and chatted up a few animals, take the road past St. Benedict’s Abby up to the summit of Mount Subasio where the views are stunning.
Buon Viaggio!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Jam Session
The above painting is my stylized version of jazz musicians jaming it up. The painting is a 20"x20" acrylic on canvas with 2" finished painted sides. You can see this painting on my art website:
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com
Il mio versione dei musicisti di Jazz. Il quadro e` dipinto con acrilico su tela di 52x52cm, coi lati dipinti di 6cm. Non ce la necessita` di incaricarlo. Si puo` vedere il quadro sul mio website d'arte;
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com
Il mio versione dei musicisti di Jazz. Il quadro e` dipinto con acrilico su tela di 52x52cm, coi lati dipinti di 6cm. Non ce la necessita` di incaricarlo. Si puo` vedere il quadro sul mio website d'arte;
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com
Thursday, February 25, 2010
PAINTING IN ITALY / UMBRIA / MARMORE FALLS / CASCATA DELLE MARMORE
Umbria is known as the “Green heart of Italy.” This landlocked region boasts the soft landscape that inspired paintings by Perugino and Raphael. Its vineyard and olive grove peppered hills roll into the distance, small villages are silhouetted on the crests of knolls, and the mountains are ever-present in the background. A Mecca for plein air painting, Umbria should be on every artists “must see” list.
About five miles outside the town of Terni, taking the State Road "Valnerina", the Cascata delle Marmore (Marmore Falls) offers a spectacular introduction to the region. The 540-foot falls that drop in three tiers is the highest in Italy and the largest manmade waterfall in Europe. Created by the Romans in 271 BC in order to make the stagnant waters of the Velino River flow down the Marmore cliff into the River Nera in the Rieti Valley below, this calcium rich water forms deposits that resemble marble, thus the name. Rather than eroding the ground like most falls, the Marmore calcium deposits actually build up the underlying surface.
Statistics aside, Marmore Falls, where clouds of white foam embrace lavish vegetation, is a magical location to paint. The local population prefer to give it a mythological origin: the story goes that the nymph Nera had fallen in love with a shepherd, Velino, but Juno to punish her transformed her into a river, the Nera. Velino, anguished, threw himself down from the Marmore cliff in order to be united with his beloved: that mortal jump would continue for eternity. How’s that for a bittersweet love story to translate to canvas?
As is sometimes the case, nothing as beautiful as Marmore Falls comes without a hitch. In this case, the snag is that the waterfall has been converted to energy production. So what’s good for the planet is challenging for the artist. Don’t despair, plan your trip to the falls on Saturdays or Sundays, or 11:00 to 1:00 and 4:00 to 6:00 on summer weekdays when the Velino River that feeds the falls gets a break from its energy producing job and is allowed to flow free, cascade, foam, and splash for lucky viewers to ooh, ah, and paint. Just to be safe, check first on the Internet or at the tourist office in Terni for times.
The park at the Marmore Falls has numerous viewing platforms with plenty of room to set up an easel. At the lower outlook (Byron Square) you’ll most likely encounter fellow artists from Italy and other European nations. Many are regular visitors to the falls and will happily provide tips on where to set up at various times of day to take advantage of the best lighting.
If you prefer to hike from the lower level to the upper level, rather than drive, there is a historic trail you can take. To do so, you’ll need hiking or tennis shoes and allow 40 minutes to reach the summit and 25 to get back down. It’s a beautiful hike that has natural ground and in some parts wooded stairs and small wooden bridges. During the walk you’ll be in an extraordinary world of vegetation and caves, but you can’t see the falls until you reach the tunnel called the “lover’s balcony.” When you arrive there, you will be under the highest drop of the falls and appreciate the freshness of the water, having a shower! Bring a raincoat, umbrella, or trash bag. I know this isn’t the ideal condition for painting, but it is one wild and beautiful, unforgettable experience.
If you’d rather remain dry, you can drive between the upper and lower lookouts. At the entrance, (the current fee is 3 euros) you can pick up a map of all the hiking trails and lookout posts. The upper belvedere is an observatory, a small building which stands at the summit above the first and most impressive tier of the Marmore Waterfalls. The view from here is fascinating as it enables you to appreciate from close up the enormous mass of plunging water, and in particular conditions the appearance of a rainbow due to the refraction of the sun’s rays on the rising drops of water.
There are ample restrooms, picnic tables, a bar/deli, and a restaurant, so you can go early and stay late.
If your time is limited, I recommend driving to the upper belvedere first and then driving back to the lower level and taking “route 4” (the trail maps have numbered routes) It takes about 35 minutes (uphill and downhill), which allows more time to paint. This route is isolated as opposed to the others because it’s on the facing side of the falls of Monte Pennarossa and it is reachable crossing the State Road 209 Valnerina at the lower outlook (Byron Square). Via these stone steps you have access to two different panoramic points and you can admire and paint the frontal view of the falls. This is also the widest view of the falls.
In every era the beauty of the Marmore Waterfalls has inspired poets and artists, and numerous paintings and reproductions of Italian and foreign artists exist. Virgil referred to the Marmore Waterfalls when he quotes in the Aeneid, VII book: “a valley of dark woodlands and between the trees a river which thunders and falls over big stones.”
“Horribly beautiful” is how English poet George Byron defined Marmore Waterfalls. In his Childe Harolds Pilgrimage, Byron sings the praises of the Marmore Waterfalls describing it as one of the most fascinating spectacles ever seen during his numerous journeys.
“The crash of waters! From its rocky heights the Velino ventures through the water flushed precipes. Waterfalls! As fast as light, the shimmering mass of water foams, shaking the abyss. Hell of waters! There where they cry out and hiss and bubble in their eternal torture; while the sweat of their immense agony squeezed by their Flagstone, embraces the black rocks that surround the abyss, spread with tremendous horror..”
George Byron “Childe Harolds Pilgrimage”
BUON VIAGGIO!
About five miles outside the town of Terni, taking the State Road "Valnerina", the Cascata delle Marmore (Marmore Falls) offers a spectacular introduction to the region. The 540-foot falls that drop in three tiers is the highest in Italy and the largest manmade waterfall in Europe. Created by the Romans in 271 BC in order to make the stagnant waters of the Velino River flow down the Marmore cliff into the River Nera in the Rieti Valley below, this calcium rich water forms deposits that resemble marble, thus the name. Rather than eroding the ground like most falls, the Marmore calcium deposits actually build up the underlying surface.
Statistics aside, Marmore Falls, where clouds of white foam embrace lavish vegetation, is a magical location to paint. The local population prefer to give it a mythological origin: the story goes that the nymph Nera had fallen in love with a shepherd, Velino, but Juno to punish her transformed her into a river, the Nera. Velino, anguished, threw himself down from the Marmore cliff in order to be united with his beloved: that mortal jump would continue for eternity. How’s that for a bittersweet love story to translate to canvas?
As is sometimes the case, nothing as beautiful as Marmore Falls comes without a hitch. In this case, the snag is that the waterfall has been converted to energy production. So what’s good for the planet is challenging for the artist. Don’t despair, plan your trip to the falls on Saturdays or Sundays, or 11:00 to 1:00 and 4:00 to 6:00 on summer weekdays when the Velino River that feeds the falls gets a break from its energy producing job and is allowed to flow free, cascade, foam, and splash for lucky viewers to ooh, ah, and paint. Just to be safe, check first on the Internet or at the tourist office in Terni for times.
The park at the Marmore Falls has numerous viewing platforms with plenty of room to set up an easel. At the lower outlook (Byron Square) you’ll most likely encounter fellow artists from Italy and other European nations. Many are regular visitors to the falls and will happily provide tips on where to set up at various times of day to take advantage of the best lighting.
If you prefer to hike from the lower level to the upper level, rather than drive, there is a historic trail you can take. To do so, you’ll need hiking or tennis shoes and allow 40 minutes to reach the summit and 25 to get back down. It’s a beautiful hike that has natural ground and in some parts wooded stairs and small wooden bridges. During the walk you’ll be in an extraordinary world of vegetation and caves, but you can’t see the falls until you reach the tunnel called the “lover’s balcony.” When you arrive there, you will be under the highest drop of the falls and appreciate the freshness of the water, having a shower! Bring a raincoat, umbrella, or trash bag. I know this isn’t the ideal condition for painting, but it is one wild and beautiful, unforgettable experience.
If you’d rather remain dry, you can drive between the upper and lower lookouts. At the entrance, (the current fee is 3 euros) you can pick up a map of all the hiking trails and lookout posts. The upper belvedere is an observatory, a small building which stands at the summit above the first and most impressive tier of the Marmore Waterfalls. The view from here is fascinating as it enables you to appreciate from close up the enormous mass of plunging water, and in particular conditions the appearance of a rainbow due to the refraction of the sun’s rays on the rising drops of water.
There are ample restrooms, picnic tables, a bar/deli, and a restaurant, so you can go early and stay late.
If your time is limited, I recommend driving to the upper belvedere first and then driving back to the lower level and taking “route 4” (the trail maps have numbered routes) It takes about 35 minutes (uphill and downhill), which allows more time to paint. This route is isolated as opposed to the others because it’s on the facing side of the falls of Monte Pennarossa and it is reachable crossing the State Road 209 Valnerina at the lower outlook (Byron Square). Via these stone steps you have access to two different panoramic points and you can admire and paint the frontal view of the falls. This is also the widest view of the falls.
In every era the beauty of the Marmore Waterfalls has inspired poets and artists, and numerous paintings and reproductions of Italian and foreign artists exist. Virgil referred to the Marmore Waterfalls when he quotes in the Aeneid, VII book: “a valley of dark woodlands and between the trees a river which thunders and falls over big stones.”
“Horribly beautiful” is how English poet George Byron defined Marmore Waterfalls. In his Childe Harolds Pilgrimage, Byron sings the praises of the Marmore Waterfalls describing it as one of the most fascinating spectacles ever seen during his numerous journeys.
“The crash of waters! From its rocky heights the Velino ventures through the water flushed precipes. Waterfalls! As fast as light, the shimmering mass of water foams, shaking the abyss. Hell of waters! There where they cry out and hiss and bubble in their eternal torture; while the sweat of their immense agony squeezed by their Flagstone, embraces the black rocks that surround the abyss, spread with tremendous horror..”
George Byron “Childe Harolds Pilgrimage”
BUON VIAGGIO!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
PAINTING IN ITALY / ABRUZZI / (ABRUZZO)
Most travelers often overlook the Abruzzi/Abruzzo region of Italy, which in my mind makes the area all the more inviting for a serene painting excursion. The mostly mountainous region also claims fine sand beaches that face a milky blue sea on its Adriatic rim.
If you enjoy painting wildlife, you’ll get your fill in the Abruzzi National Park, which is one of the oldest wildlife preserves. The wealth of protected animal life includes: more than 300 species of birds, 40 species of mammals, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. The most noteworthy animals are the Abruzzi bear, but also in abundance are wolves, deer, wild cats, otters, squirrels, and snakes.
If you’re looking for adventure, but prefer your subjects to be a bit less robust, drive the mountainous roads that twist and climb and dip and drop. From innumerable vantage points you can stop and paint seascapes to the east, the rivers Tronto and Trigno to the north and south, and the highest peaks in the Italian peninsula that include the Grand Sasso d’Italia, which gleam pink at sunset.
For landscape artists, vineyards flourish throughout the region, including on hillsides so steep the idea of harvesting is unimaginable, but accomplished just the same. In the fall the vines seem to explode into fountains of copper and red.
If you have your heart set on painting the typical flat red roofs with wide sweeps of countryside beyond, take a drive up the sharp curved road to Sant’Agostino Basciano. Whatever breath hasn’t been taken away from the white-knuckle drive, will be subsequently blown away by the views this hill-town offers.
The Abruzzi region presents something to satisfy any artist’s fancy: flora, fauna, seascapes, landscapes, river and glacier views, red-tiled rooftops, and villages that perch on seemingly unreachable mountain peaks.
BUON VIAGGIO!!!
The original and limited editions prints of the painting above can be viewed at my art website:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/
Si puo` vedere il quadro sopra e le sue stampe sul mio website d'arte:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/
If you enjoy painting wildlife, you’ll get your fill in the Abruzzi National Park, which is one of the oldest wildlife preserves. The wealth of protected animal life includes: more than 300 species of birds, 40 species of mammals, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. The most noteworthy animals are the Abruzzi bear, but also in abundance are wolves, deer, wild cats, otters, squirrels, and snakes.
If you’re looking for adventure, but prefer your subjects to be a bit less robust, drive the mountainous roads that twist and climb and dip and drop. From innumerable vantage points you can stop and paint seascapes to the east, the rivers Tronto and Trigno to the north and south, and the highest peaks in the Italian peninsula that include the Grand Sasso d’Italia, which gleam pink at sunset.
For landscape artists, vineyards flourish throughout the region, including on hillsides so steep the idea of harvesting is unimaginable, but accomplished just the same. In the fall the vines seem to explode into fountains of copper and red.
If you have your heart set on painting the typical flat red roofs with wide sweeps of countryside beyond, take a drive up the sharp curved road to Sant’Agostino Basciano. Whatever breath hasn’t been taken away from the white-knuckle drive, will be subsequently blown away by the views this hill-town offers.
The Abruzzi region presents something to satisfy any artist’s fancy: flora, fauna, seascapes, landscapes, river and glacier views, red-tiled rooftops, and villages that perch on seemingly unreachable mountain peaks.
BUON VIAGGIO!!!
The original and limited editions prints of the painting above can be viewed at my art website:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/
Si puo` vedere il quadro sopra e le sue stampe sul mio website d'arte:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
ITALIAN POETRY / DANZANO (THEY DANCE) / by LUCIANO SOMMA
I get excited each time I begin to translate a new poem by Luciano Somma. "Danzano" ("They Dance") has always been one of my favorites. All of us have thoughts that dance inside our heads. Sometimes they dance with feet as light as feathers, other times they dance with feet made of hot coals. In his poem “Danzano” Luciano Somma invites us to watch the performance.
“Danzano” can be found in Luciano Somma’s dual language poetry book: “L’ALBA DI DOMANI” / “TOMORROW’S SUNRISE.” It gave me great pleasure to write the English translations in this book, as well as to paint the cover for the book and CD.
You can view more of Luciano Somma’s poetry at:
http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm
http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm
The painting above is an original acrylic on canvas. You can view this and more of my paintings at my art website:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/
Mi eccita ogni volta che inizio a tradurre una poesia scritta da Luciano Somma. “Danzano” è stato sempre una delle mie preferite. Noi tutti ne abbiamo i pensieri che danzano intorno nelle nostre mente. Ogni tanto danzano coi piedi leggeri come piume, ed ogni tanto danzano coi piedi fatti di carboni ardenti. Nella sua poema “Danzano” Luciano Somma ci invita guardare lo spettacolo.
Si può trovare Luciano Somma a:
http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm
http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm
Il quadro sopra è un’originale dipinto d’acrilico su tela. Si può vedere questo ed altri dei miei quadri sul mio website d’arte:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/
DANZANO
Danzano
come ballerini i pensieri
sulla stanca pedana della mente
dispettosi fantasmi
nell’avida bocca della notte
nell’alitare silenzioso
della tenebre
danzano
sadici e indifferenti
all’agonia del tempo
al respiro affannoso di paura
danzano
con ritmo di rabbia
nell’infernale suono
tra le quattro pareti
d’una stanza
danzano
in quest’incendio mio
di solitudine.
Luciano Somma
THEY DANCE
Thoughts dance
like ballerinas
on the mind’s tired stage
spiteful spirits
in the greedy nightfall
in the silent breath
of darkness
they dance
the sadistic and indifferent
to the anguish of time
to the wearisome breath of fear
they dance
with angry rhythm
to the fiendish sound
among the room’s
four walls
they dance
in this my
fiery solitude.
Pamela Allegretto Franz (Translation)
“Danzano” can be found in Luciano Somma’s dual language poetry book: “L’ALBA DI DOMANI” / “TOMORROW’S SUNRISE.” It gave me great pleasure to write the English translations in this book, as well as to paint the cover for the book and CD.
You can view more of Luciano Somma’s poetry at:
http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm
http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm
The painting above is an original acrylic on canvas. You can view this and more of my paintings at my art website:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/
Mi eccita ogni volta che inizio a tradurre una poesia scritta da Luciano Somma. “Danzano” è stato sempre una delle mie preferite. Noi tutti ne abbiamo i pensieri che danzano intorno nelle nostre mente. Ogni tanto danzano coi piedi leggeri come piume, ed ogni tanto danzano coi piedi fatti di carboni ardenti. Nella sua poema “Danzano” Luciano Somma ci invita guardare lo spettacolo.
Si può trovare Luciano Somma a:
http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm
http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm
Il quadro sopra è un’originale dipinto d’acrilico su tela. Si può vedere questo ed altri dei miei quadri sul mio website d’arte:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/
DANZANO
Danzano
come ballerini i pensieri
sulla stanca pedana della mente
dispettosi fantasmi
nell’avida bocca della notte
nell’alitare silenzioso
della tenebre
danzano
sadici e indifferenti
all’agonia del tempo
al respiro affannoso di paura
danzano
con ritmo di rabbia
nell’infernale suono
tra le quattro pareti
d’una stanza
danzano
in quest’incendio mio
di solitudine.
Luciano Somma
THEY DANCE
Thoughts dance
like ballerinas
on the mind’s tired stage
spiteful spirits
in the greedy nightfall
in the silent breath
of darkness
they dance
the sadistic and indifferent
to the anguish of time
to the wearisome breath of fear
they dance
with angry rhythm
to the fiendish sound
among the room’s
four walls
they dance
in this my
fiery solitude.
Pamela Allegretto Franz (Translation)
Friday, January 29, 2010
PAINTING IN ITALY / LATIUM / VITERBO / MONTE CIMINO
If you enjoy painting fountains, a visit to Viterbo will easily quench your passion. Enclosed within a triangle of sturdy walls, Viterbo retains a magical medieval air. The medieval district of the city is an almost intact 13th century quarter with towers, steep houses, raised walkways, outer stairs, and mullioned windows. The 12th century fountain in the appropriately name Piazza Fontana Grande is a good place to begin. Another paint-worthy fountain can be found in the inner courtyard of the Palazzo dei Priori. In Piazza della Morte a 13th century fountain fronts the loggia of St. Thomas that houses the Museo delle Confraterite. Please do take time out to visit this museum.
The lion is the symbol or Viterbo, and if you didn’t know that before arriving at the city, it would only take about a three minute “look around” to figure it out. Lion statuaries adorn fountains, carved lion heads embellish doorways, wrought iron shaped lion sconces grip streetlights, and lion friezes abound in restaurants and bars.
Outside the city walls, at Porta Fiorentina, there is a lovely public garden for plein air artists to enjoy.
If Viterbo doesn’t fully satiate your desire to paint unique fountains, take the road toward Vignanello and then turn off up toward San Martino al Cimino. As you pass through this high village, you may want to stop to view, and or paint, the excellent view of Lago di Vico. Continue the circular tour around Monte Cimino until you reach Soriano where you can paint the extraordinary fountain at Palazzo Chigi. The next stop is Bagnaia, where you can visit the Renaissance palace, Villa Lante, which stands above the village and is surrounded with a park that is a masterpiece of landscaping. It contains a superb Italian garden with fountains that include an excellent Lantini fountain. After you have completed this circular loop, drive around Lago di Vico to Ronciglione to paint the fountain of unicorns by Vignoli.
If painting all these fountains leaves you thirsty, don’t despair. Each village has enotecas where you can buy local wine. These are also great places to buy cheeses and panini to snack on while you paint.
BUON VIAGGIO!!!
The lion is the symbol or Viterbo, and if you didn’t know that before arriving at the city, it would only take about a three minute “look around” to figure it out. Lion statuaries adorn fountains, carved lion heads embellish doorways, wrought iron shaped lion sconces grip streetlights, and lion friezes abound in restaurants and bars.
Outside the city walls, at Porta Fiorentina, there is a lovely public garden for plein air artists to enjoy.
If Viterbo doesn’t fully satiate your desire to paint unique fountains, take the road toward Vignanello and then turn off up toward San Martino al Cimino. As you pass through this high village, you may want to stop to view, and or paint, the excellent view of Lago di Vico. Continue the circular tour around Monte Cimino until you reach Soriano where you can paint the extraordinary fountain at Palazzo Chigi. The next stop is Bagnaia, where you can visit the Renaissance palace, Villa Lante, which stands above the village and is surrounded with a park that is a masterpiece of landscaping. It contains a superb Italian garden with fountains that include an excellent Lantini fountain. After you have completed this circular loop, drive around Lago di Vico to Ronciglione to paint the fountain of unicorns by Vignoli.
If painting all these fountains leaves you thirsty, don’t despair. Each village has enotecas where you can buy local wine. These are also great places to buy cheeses and panini to snack on while you paint.
BUON VIAGGIO!!!
Monday, January 18, 2010
PAINTING IN ITALY / LATIUM / TIVOLI
What artist wouldn’t be inspired to paint in the “playground of ancient Roman emperors?” Tivoli, located 20 miles east of Rome, is this idyllic location.
Horace wrote: “So numerous were the villas here that the Tiburtine soil no longer has any plough land.” At that time, none of the 3 villas that today form Tivoli’s principal attraction had been built.
Cardinal Ippolito d’Este of Ferrara believed in heaven on earth. In the mid-16th century he ordered Villa d’Este built on a hillside. The gardens below the Renaissance villa dim the luster of Versailles.
You enter at the front of the villa; yes, there is a charge, but the best things in life aren’t ALWAYS free (unless you’re a child under 17 years or an adult over 60 years). After a visit inside the villa -- you will want to view the paintings -- begin the descent down a series of terraces and flights of steps, flanked by cypress, to the spacious gardens.
Pack light. All those descending steps must sooner or later be climbed back up. On your way, there is ample room to set up on these terraces and paint lilies, gargoyles spurting water, torrential streams, and waterfalls. I think the prettiest fountain is the Fontana del’Ovato that was designed by Ligorio. Nearby is what some deem the most spectacular achievement – the hydraulic organ fountain with its water jets facing a baroque chapel. And certainly, Bernini’s Fountain of Glass and Ligorio’s Fountain of Dragons are both paint worthy. When you get to the promenade, and after you’ve caught you breath, both from the steps and the spectacle, you will face the dilemma of where to set up amid the 100 spraying fountains! (I told you it out-shines Versailles.) The whole system of fountains, with its playful sculptural forms, is designed to please the eye and delight the senses.
If you’re still wearing your socks, that is, if the vision of 100 fountains hasn’t already knocked them off, the rhododendron-filled garden will surely leave you scalzo (barefoot).
Less than 4 miles from Tivoli you’ll find “The queen of villas of the ancient world,” otherwise know as Villa Adriana (Hadrian’s Villa) that was built between the years 118-130. Of all the Roman emperors dedicated to La dolce vita, it was the globetrotting Hadrian who spent the last 3 years of his life in the grandest style. A patron of the arts, a lover of beauty, and a dilettante architect, Hadrian built one of the greatest estates in the ancient world and filled a good portion of its acreage with recreations of the architectural wonders he’d seen on his many travels. He erected theaters, baths, temples, fountains, and gardens all bordered with statuary. Unfortunately, as was always the case with such opulence, barbarians, popes, and cardinals mercilessly looted the villa in subsequent centuries and carted off much of the marble, statuary, and mosaics. Fortunately, their voracious lust to acquire finery that was not their own was not fully satiated, and enough of the fragmented ruins remain for us to evoke a complete picture. If your imagination isn’t working to its full capacity, there’s a plastic reconstruction at the entrance that offers a glimpse of what the villa used to be. There’s also a museum on site that contains some of the items excavated.
You are allowed to set up throughout the acreage, but use good sense. If your easel impedes foot traffic or blocks major photo ops, you might not simply be asked to move, you could easily be refused to set up anywhere else on the premises. My advice is to ask at the ticket counter where you can set up. Another option would be to forget the easel, sit on one of the numerous stone benches, and use a laptop pochade box.
I rarely give hotel advice, but if you’re aching to spend a few days painting in this region, I highly recommend the Albergo Ristorante Adriano. This mini villa sits in a lush, peaceful setting just a few steps from Hadrian’s Villa. The views from the guest rooms are amazing and the food is divine. In good weather, you can dine al fresco on their lovely terrace and imagine yourself an honored guest at Hadrian’s table.
I mentioned 3 principle villas. The 3rd villa is Villa Gregoriana. While Villa d’Este takes your breath away with its man-made glamour, Villa Gregoriana relies on nature for its shock and awe. Pope Gregory XVI built the gardens in the 19th century. At one point on the zigzag walk carved along the slope, you can look out onto Aniene, the most panoramic waterfall at Tivoli. The trek to the bottom on the banks of the Anio is studded with grottos and terraces that open onto the ravine. Any landscape artist worth his or her weight in brushes will find paint-worthy vistas at any of the multiple belvederes. One word of caution, the views are like Sorrento’s sirens, they will lure you -- in this case down, down, down. Keep in mind that at the end of the day you must return up, up, up, and believe me the climb back is brutal.
BUON VIAGGIO!!!
Horace wrote: “So numerous were the villas here that the Tiburtine soil no longer has any plough land.” At that time, none of the 3 villas that today form Tivoli’s principal attraction had been built.
Cardinal Ippolito d’Este of Ferrara believed in heaven on earth. In the mid-16th century he ordered Villa d’Este built on a hillside. The gardens below the Renaissance villa dim the luster of Versailles.
You enter at the front of the villa; yes, there is a charge, but the best things in life aren’t ALWAYS free (unless you’re a child under 17 years or an adult over 60 years). After a visit inside the villa -- you will want to view the paintings -- begin the descent down a series of terraces and flights of steps, flanked by cypress, to the spacious gardens.
Pack light. All those descending steps must sooner or later be climbed back up. On your way, there is ample room to set up on these terraces and paint lilies, gargoyles spurting water, torrential streams, and waterfalls. I think the prettiest fountain is the Fontana del’Ovato that was designed by Ligorio. Nearby is what some deem the most spectacular achievement – the hydraulic organ fountain with its water jets facing a baroque chapel. And certainly, Bernini’s Fountain of Glass and Ligorio’s Fountain of Dragons are both paint worthy. When you get to the promenade, and after you’ve caught you breath, both from the steps and the spectacle, you will face the dilemma of where to set up amid the 100 spraying fountains! (I told you it out-shines Versailles.) The whole system of fountains, with its playful sculptural forms, is designed to please the eye and delight the senses.
If you’re still wearing your socks, that is, if the vision of 100 fountains hasn’t already knocked them off, the rhododendron-filled garden will surely leave you scalzo (barefoot).
Less than 4 miles from Tivoli you’ll find “The queen of villas of the ancient world,” otherwise know as Villa Adriana (Hadrian’s Villa) that was built between the years 118-130. Of all the Roman emperors dedicated to La dolce vita, it was the globetrotting Hadrian who spent the last 3 years of his life in the grandest style. A patron of the arts, a lover of beauty, and a dilettante architect, Hadrian built one of the greatest estates in the ancient world and filled a good portion of its acreage with recreations of the architectural wonders he’d seen on his many travels. He erected theaters, baths, temples, fountains, and gardens all bordered with statuary. Unfortunately, as was always the case with such opulence, barbarians, popes, and cardinals mercilessly looted the villa in subsequent centuries and carted off much of the marble, statuary, and mosaics. Fortunately, their voracious lust to acquire finery that was not their own was not fully satiated, and enough of the fragmented ruins remain for us to evoke a complete picture. If your imagination isn’t working to its full capacity, there’s a plastic reconstruction at the entrance that offers a glimpse of what the villa used to be. There’s also a museum on site that contains some of the items excavated.
You are allowed to set up throughout the acreage, but use good sense. If your easel impedes foot traffic or blocks major photo ops, you might not simply be asked to move, you could easily be refused to set up anywhere else on the premises. My advice is to ask at the ticket counter where you can set up. Another option would be to forget the easel, sit on one of the numerous stone benches, and use a laptop pochade box.
I rarely give hotel advice, but if you’re aching to spend a few days painting in this region, I highly recommend the Albergo Ristorante Adriano. This mini villa sits in a lush, peaceful setting just a few steps from Hadrian’s Villa. The views from the guest rooms are amazing and the food is divine. In good weather, you can dine al fresco on their lovely terrace and imagine yourself an honored guest at Hadrian’s table.
I mentioned 3 principle villas. The 3rd villa is Villa Gregoriana. While Villa d’Este takes your breath away with its man-made glamour, Villa Gregoriana relies on nature for its shock and awe. Pope Gregory XVI built the gardens in the 19th century. At one point on the zigzag walk carved along the slope, you can look out onto Aniene, the most panoramic waterfall at Tivoli. The trek to the bottom on the banks of the Anio is studded with grottos and terraces that open onto the ravine. Any landscape artist worth his or her weight in brushes will find paint-worthy vistas at any of the multiple belvederes. One word of caution, the views are like Sorrento’s sirens, they will lure you -- in this case down, down, down. Keep in mind that at the end of the day you must return up, up, up, and believe me the climb back is brutal.
BUON VIAGGIO!!!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
PAINTING IN ITALY / LATIUM / ANAGNI / PALESTRINA
Anagni holds a special place in my heart. It was during a time when I was doing research for a novel, which included a character that was an artist skilled at intarsio (the art of inlaid wood), that we visited Anagni.
To my surprise, and great pleasure, we stumbled across the studio of Tarsie Turri. We weren’t able to meet with Mastro Carlo Turri, whose tarsie have been purchased by kings, popes, galleries, and museums worldwide, but happily Carlo’s daughter, Rita, gave us an in-depth tour of their workshop/gallery that has been in the same location for over 30 years. We thought it fitting that the studio is housed in the medieval center of Anagni, since intarsio is an art form relating back to the Renaissance period.
The procedure involved in this work consists of joining and fitting thin pieces of natural wood (which vary in thickness from 5 millimeters) in various shapes and essence onto a surface, and thus, forming a certain design or scene. The wood is not tinted; the tonality of color is extracted from nature. Consider the difficulty we artists face when we paint a still life with multiple folds and shadows in the tablecloth. Now imagine composing that same still life out of paper-thin shavings of wood! I highly recommend a visit for both artists and art lovers. The location, Via Vittorio Emanuele 11, 291 is easy to find, as it’s the main road that runs the length of the town.
After you visit Tarsie Turri, your artistic juices will be bubbling over. Stay on Via Vittorio Emanuele 11 until you reach Piazza Cavour, which offers a killer panorama over the neighboring hilly countryside. The piazza is a painter-friendly location to set up. Pizzerias and bars that circle the picturesque little square offer enough nourishment to keep you painting for hours. It’s also a fun location to smooze with other enthusiastic artists set up throughout the piazza.
After you leave Anagni and are heading back toward Rome, stop at Palestrina. This medieval hillside town is situated on the slopes of Monte Ginestro and overlooks a wide, picturesque valley. Palestrina is notable for its Fortuna Primigenia. At one time the greatest pagan temple in the world, this Temple of Fortune, once spread over the whole area of the medieval town. If you enjoy painting architecture, the town abounds with narrow streets, often stepped, and remains of ancient town walls.
Do not miss the drive up the hill to Palazzo Colonna-Barberini to view the Nile Mosaic. The mosaic is a well-preserved ancient Roman work, considered the most remarkable one ever uncovered. The mosaic details the flooding of the Nile, a shepherd’s hunt, mummies, ibises, and Roman warriors, among other things.
The museum is open until an hour before sunset, so if you time it right, you can leave the palace and have time to set up you easel just in time to capture the burnt sienna sunset over the valley far below.
BUON VIAGGIO!!!
To my surprise, and great pleasure, we stumbled across the studio of Tarsie Turri. We weren’t able to meet with Mastro Carlo Turri, whose tarsie have been purchased by kings, popes, galleries, and museums worldwide, but happily Carlo’s daughter, Rita, gave us an in-depth tour of their workshop/gallery that has been in the same location for over 30 years. We thought it fitting that the studio is housed in the medieval center of Anagni, since intarsio is an art form relating back to the Renaissance period.
The procedure involved in this work consists of joining and fitting thin pieces of natural wood (which vary in thickness from 5 millimeters) in various shapes and essence onto a surface, and thus, forming a certain design or scene. The wood is not tinted; the tonality of color is extracted from nature. Consider the difficulty we artists face when we paint a still life with multiple folds and shadows in the tablecloth. Now imagine composing that same still life out of paper-thin shavings of wood! I highly recommend a visit for both artists and art lovers. The location, Via Vittorio Emanuele 11, 291 is easy to find, as it’s the main road that runs the length of the town.
After you visit Tarsie Turri, your artistic juices will be bubbling over. Stay on Via Vittorio Emanuele 11 until you reach Piazza Cavour, which offers a killer panorama over the neighboring hilly countryside. The piazza is a painter-friendly location to set up. Pizzerias and bars that circle the picturesque little square offer enough nourishment to keep you painting for hours. It’s also a fun location to smooze with other enthusiastic artists set up throughout the piazza.
After you leave Anagni and are heading back toward Rome, stop at Palestrina. This medieval hillside town is situated on the slopes of Monte Ginestro and overlooks a wide, picturesque valley. Palestrina is notable for its Fortuna Primigenia. At one time the greatest pagan temple in the world, this Temple of Fortune, once spread over the whole area of the medieval town. If you enjoy painting architecture, the town abounds with narrow streets, often stepped, and remains of ancient town walls.
Do not miss the drive up the hill to Palazzo Colonna-Barberini to view the Nile Mosaic. The mosaic is a well-preserved ancient Roman work, considered the most remarkable one ever uncovered. The mosaic details the flooding of the Nile, a shepherd’s hunt, mummies, ibises, and Roman warriors, among other things.
The museum is open until an hour before sunset, so if you time it right, you can leave the palace and have time to set up you easel just in time to capture the burnt sienna sunset over the valley far below.
BUON VIAGGIO!!!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
PAINTING IN ITALY / LATIUM / FRASCATI / TUSCULUM
If Rome’s energy begins to overwhelm you, but you still have an extensive list of “must see/paint” locations to visit, don’t despair, or worst -- toss in the towel. Take a break and head for the hills.
In this case, I’m talking about the Alban Hills where the enchanting landscape is varied, with cascading vineyards and olive groves. The region is called Castelli Romani (Roman Castles), because castles that originally belonged to popes and Roman patrician families are scattered across the slopes of the Alban Hills.
You can begin in Frascati, which is only about 13 miles from the city. Yes, that’s the same Frascati that you see printed on labels of wine at your local liquor store. Certainly, those bottled wines are delicious, but don’t forget, imported wines are required to contain nitrates. If you need a reminder about nitrates: they are those nasty preservatives that keep hotdogs from going all green and gooey for at least 100 years. At Frascati, you can visit a cantina where the wine is served, nitrate-free, direct from the casks. Many Romans drive up on Sundays just to drink the vino. And after all, “when in Rome...”
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not sending you to Frascati so you can spend the day sampling wine, although that can certainly be a part of it. I’m recommending this lovely hill town as an idyllic location to set up and paint.
In the heart of Frascati, on Via Massala, is the Villa Aldobrandini, whose garden containing grottos, yew hedges, statuary, and splashing fountains is a wonderful place to set up. The gardens are only open in the morning and are free to visit, but you must first obtain a free pass at the Azienda di Soggiorno e Turismo located in the adjacent Piazza Marconi.
My recommendation is to paint at the gardens in the morning and then visit the Cantina Comandini right off Piazza Roma. The Comandini family will take you on a tour of their wine cellar where you can take reference photographs for future paintings. Oh yeah, and you get to taste their golden white wine that is guaranteed to make you swoon. This is not a restaurant, but they sell fresh panini that you can munch on the way to your next destination. If you’re wondering, no, I don’t get a kickback for each glass of wine or sandwich sold; I’m just crazy for their wine and their fresh mozzarella panini.
About 3 miles from Tivoli you’ll come to the ruins of the ancient Latin city of Tusculum. Here you’ll be rewarded with one of Italy’s most panoramic views that extend as far as Rome. There are numerous convenient spots to set up and paint this incredible spectacle: my pick is from the top of the acropolis hill. At some point, drag yourself away from your easel and visit the amphitheater that dates from about 1st century BC. And not to be missed is the famous Tusculanum, (Villa of Cicero).
On you way back to Rome, you may be tempted to stop and indulge in another glass or two of Frascati vino. Be careful. The Polizia Stradale (State Police) are in abundance throughout this region, and driving while intoxicated, even just a little, will get you in more trouble than I have space to write about.
BUON VIAGGIO!!!
In this case, I’m talking about the Alban Hills where the enchanting landscape is varied, with cascading vineyards and olive groves. The region is called Castelli Romani (Roman Castles), because castles that originally belonged to popes and Roman patrician families are scattered across the slopes of the Alban Hills.
You can begin in Frascati, which is only about 13 miles from the city. Yes, that’s the same Frascati that you see printed on labels of wine at your local liquor store. Certainly, those bottled wines are delicious, but don’t forget, imported wines are required to contain nitrates. If you need a reminder about nitrates: they are those nasty preservatives that keep hotdogs from going all green and gooey for at least 100 years. At Frascati, you can visit a cantina where the wine is served, nitrate-free, direct from the casks. Many Romans drive up on Sundays just to drink the vino. And after all, “when in Rome...”
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not sending you to Frascati so you can spend the day sampling wine, although that can certainly be a part of it. I’m recommending this lovely hill town as an idyllic location to set up and paint.
In the heart of Frascati, on Via Massala, is the Villa Aldobrandini, whose garden containing grottos, yew hedges, statuary, and splashing fountains is a wonderful place to set up. The gardens are only open in the morning and are free to visit, but you must first obtain a free pass at the Azienda di Soggiorno e Turismo located in the adjacent Piazza Marconi.
My recommendation is to paint at the gardens in the morning and then visit the Cantina Comandini right off Piazza Roma. The Comandini family will take you on a tour of their wine cellar where you can take reference photographs for future paintings. Oh yeah, and you get to taste their golden white wine that is guaranteed to make you swoon. This is not a restaurant, but they sell fresh panini that you can munch on the way to your next destination. If you’re wondering, no, I don’t get a kickback for each glass of wine or sandwich sold; I’m just crazy for their wine and their fresh mozzarella panini.
About 3 miles from Tivoli you’ll come to the ruins of the ancient Latin city of Tusculum. Here you’ll be rewarded with one of Italy’s most panoramic views that extend as far as Rome. There are numerous convenient spots to set up and paint this incredible spectacle: my pick is from the top of the acropolis hill. At some point, drag yourself away from your easel and visit the amphitheater that dates from about 1st century BC. And not to be missed is the famous Tusculanum, (Villa of Cicero).
On you way back to Rome, you may be tempted to stop and indulge in another glass or two of Frascati vino. Be careful. The Polizia Stradale (State Police) are in abundance throughout this region, and driving while intoxicated, even just a little, will get you in more trouble than I have space to write about.
BUON VIAGGIO!!!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
PAINTING IN ITALY / LATIUM / ROME
How much time should you budget for an excursion in Rome? The Italian writer Silvio Negro said, “A lifetime is not enough.” If it’s to be a painting excursion, I say, “Two life times are not enough.” After you’ve toured the obligatory heavy hitters, i.e.: Trajan’s Forum, Caracalla’s Baths, the Colosseum, Hadrian’s Pantheon, Castel Sant’Angelo, Via Appia, Trevi Fountain, Piazza di Spagna, and the Vatican, it’s time to get down to the business of painting. Back in March, I wrote about my penchant for painting the back streets of Rome. Here are a few of my picks if you prefer not to stray off the beaten path, but still seek a variety of subjects that differ from the norm.
The Villa Borghese is the largest and most beautiful public park in Rome. Impeccably maintained, the park covers approximately a four-mile perimeter, which is more than enough trees, flowers, shrubs, ponds, fountains, and statuaries to keep even the most persnickety plein air artists satisfied. Be sure to bring some water and munchies: Panini, cheese, and fruit can be purchased near all park entrances. Depending on the weather and the time of year, drinks, ice cream, and snacks are sold within the park, but don’t count on it, go prepared.
If you’re not an early riser, be one for at least one day to capture Rome’s silhouette at dawn from across the Tevere (Tiber) at the Gianicolo (Janiculum Hill). With a sky fringed with mauve, the vivid and unforgettable images of bell towers and cupolas are well worth delaying that cup of morning “Joe.”
Rome purists unanimously concur that the Trastevere District is the most authentic Roman district in the city. Some call it a “city within a city.” I call it the most picturesque area of the city and ripe for painting. The architecture is as replete with humorous touches as the dialect of the inhabitants. An artist’s biggest dilemma is deciding where to set up within its charming narrow and irregular streets and its pictorial squares. When in doubt, begin at Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere. Chances are, as soon as you get your easel set and your palette dotted with paints, a helpful Roman will attempt to lure you to a “special spot.” No, he’s not trying to snare you into a back ally with designs on your wallet and watch; he’s simply making an effort to show an artist (Romans, like all Italians, hold artists in the highest esteem) the best location to get the best angle with the best light. Trust him, follow him, and paint Rome as it was intended.
Try to plan your excursion into the Trastevere District on a Sunday. That way you can include time at the Porta Portese open-air flea market that is held each Sunday from 8am until 2pm. This sprawling market offers great bargains: In addition to the usual clothing and household stalls, you might find anything from termite-eaten Il Duce wooden medallions to pseudo-Etruscan hairpins. And there are bountiful flower stalls with enough flowers to honor each fallen Roman soldier since 300 BC, and fruit and vegetable stalls that are stacked with the most colorful produce imaginable. If you’re a portraiture or caricature artist, the assortment of human subjects, both buyers and sellers, is inexhaustible.
If you prefer to paint a more traditional market scene that is encircled within a piazza, you’ll find none finer than the flower and vegetable market at Piazza Campo di Fiori. Get there early, as the vendors usually close their carts around noon and you shouldn’t miss this explosion of colors. If you enjoy bartering, a quick colored pencil sketch can always be traded for a loaf of bread still warm from the ovens and a kilo of grapes cut ripe off the vine.
BUON VIAGGIO!!!
The Villa Borghese is the largest and most beautiful public park in Rome. Impeccably maintained, the park covers approximately a four-mile perimeter, which is more than enough trees, flowers, shrubs, ponds, fountains, and statuaries to keep even the most persnickety plein air artists satisfied. Be sure to bring some water and munchies: Panini, cheese, and fruit can be purchased near all park entrances. Depending on the weather and the time of year, drinks, ice cream, and snacks are sold within the park, but don’t count on it, go prepared.
If you’re not an early riser, be one for at least one day to capture Rome’s silhouette at dawn from across the Tevere (Tiber) at the Gianicolo (Janiculum Hill). With a sky fringed with mauve, the vivid and unforgettable images of bell towers and cupolas are well worth delaying that cup of morning “Joe.”
Rome purists unanimously concur that the Trastevere District is the most authentic Roman district in the city. Some call it a “city within a city.” I call it the most picturesque area of the city and ripe for painting. The architecture is as replete with humorous touches as the dialect of the inhabitants. An artist’s biggest dilemma is deciding where to set up within its charming narrow and irregular streets and its pictorial squares. When in doubt, begin at Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere. Chances are, as soon as you get your easel set and your palette dotted with paints, a helpful Roman will attempt to lure you to a “special spot.” No, he’s not trying to snare you into a back ally with designs on your wallet and watch; he’s simply making an effort to show an artist (Romans, like all Italians, hold artists in the highest esteem) the best location to get the best angle with the best light. Trust him, follow him, and paint Rome as it was intended.
Try to plan your excursion into the Trastevere District on a Sunday. That way you can include time at the Porta Portese open-air flea market that is held each Sunday from 8am until 2pm. This sprawling market offers great bargains: In addition to the usual clothing and household stalls, you might find anything from termite-eaten Il Duce wooden medallions to pseudo-Etruscan hairpins. And there are bountiful flower stalls with enough flowers to honor each fallen Roman soldier since 300 BC, and fruit and vegetable stalls that are stacked with the most colorful produce imaginable. If you’re a portraiture or caricature artist, the assortment of human subjects, both buyers and sellers, is inexhaustible.
If you prefer to paint a more traditional market scene that is encircled within a piazza, you’ll find none finer than the flower and vegetable market at Piazza Campo di Fiori. Get there early, as the vendors usually close their carts around noon and you shouldn’t miss this explosion of colors. If you enjoy bartering, a quick colored pencil sketch can always be traded for a loaf of bread still warm from the ovens and a kilo of grapes cut ripe off the vine.
BUON VIAGGIO!!!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Italian Poetry / PRIMO GENNAIO by Luciano Somma
In “January 1st” Luciano Somma carefully selects a minimum amount of words to create a maximum punch for this thought-provoking poem.
You can find Luciano Somma at:
http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm
http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm
Nella poema “PRIMO GENNAIO” Luciano Somma sceglie attentamente la minima quantità delle parole a creare il massimo pugno per questa poema stimolante.
Si può trovare Luciano Somma a:
http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm
http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm
PRIMO GENNAIO
Ancora stordita
da tanto frastuono
la notte sbadiglia
perchè è già domani.
Avrà il volto nuovo
quest'alba che spunta
neonata speranza
d'un anno sereno?
Laggiù all'orizzonte
Io vedo una luce
più intensa e più chiara
sarà forse inganno?
Soltanto chimera?
Oppure aria pura
è questo l'augurio
per tutti quaggiù
Vogliamoci bene
la vita è una sola
teniamola cara
vivendo in amore
Con tutte le razze
da veri fratelli
sarà un'utopia?
Può darsi, chissà!
Luciano Somma
JANUARY 1st
Still dazed
from so much racket
the night yawns
as it's already tomorrow.
Will it have a new face
this sunrise that awakens
newborn hope
for a peaceful year?
There on the horizon
I see a light
powerful and radiant
Will it be a fraud?
Only illusion?
If not, this greeting
is a pure manifestation
for everyone on earth
to love each other
life is unique
we hold it dear
living in love
with all races
from true brothers
will it be utopia?
It's possible, I wonder!
Pamela Allegretto Franz (translation)
You can find Luciano Somma at:
http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm
http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm
Nella poema “PRIMO GENNAIO” Luciano Somma sceglie attentamente la minima quantità delle parole a creare il massimo pugno per questa poema stimolante.
Si può trovare Luciano Somma a:
http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm
http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm
PRIMO GENNAIO
Ancora stordita
da tanto frastuono
la notte sbadiglia
perchè è già domani.
Avrà il volto nuovo
quest'alba che spunta
neonata speranza
d'un anno sereno?
Laggiù all'orizzonte
Io vedo una luce
più intensa e più chiara
sarà forse inganno?
Soltanto chimera?
Oppure aria pura
è questo l'augurio
per tutti quaggiù
Vogliamoci bene
la vita è una sola
teniamola cara
vivendo in amore
Con tutte le razze
da veri fratelli
sarà un'utopia?
Può darsi, chissà!
Luciano Somma
JANUARY 1st
Still dazed
from so much racket
the night yawns
as it's already tomorrow.
Will it have a new face
this sunrise that awakens
newborn hope
for a peaceful year?
There on the horizon
I see a light
powerful and radiant
Will it be a fraud?
Only illusion?
If not, this greeting
is a pure manifestation
for everyone on earth
to love each other
life is unique
we hold it dear
living in love
with all races
from true brothers
will it be utopia?
It's possible, I wonder!
Pamela Allegretto Franz (translation)
Friday, December 18, 2009
PAINTING IN ITALY / CAMPANIA / FAICCHIO
- Like hundreds of small Italian villages with populations under 4,000, Faicchio can’t be found on most Italian maps. Don’t be discouraged. You can find Faicchio on detailed maps of the Campania region sold at all gas stations on the Autostrada del Sole (A2).
Faicchio is my favorite location for painting in the Campania region. Okay, I admit that it’s the village where my grandfather was born and raised. And it’s a definite perk to have my cousin married to the mayor. And if I run out of gas, I can rely on another cousin who owns THE gas station to fill my tank. If I get sick, another cousin who is THE doctor can tend to me and if I need surgery, his son THE SURGEON has all my confidence. Yes, the milk and cheese from another cousin’s dairy farm keeps me satiated. And the figs, tomatoes, pears, and wine at yet another cousin’s farm keep me from going hungry and thirsty while painting en plein air. But aside from all these familial perks, Faicchio is quite simply an idyllic location for artists.
Located about 45 miles northeast of Naples, Faicchio is situated at the base of Monte Monaco di Gioia in the Matese Mountain Range. To reach the village, drive over the bridge that crosses the Titerno River.
You can begin by setting up in the small, but enchanting Piazza Roma that fronts the 12th century Norman castle. The Faicchiani love art and have an irrepressible curiosity. This combination is fuel for the small crowd that will no doubt encircle you before you have time to sharpen your first pencil. Don’t be intimidated. They will treat you with no less esteem than if you were Michelangelo. In addition to the castle, the views in all directions are definitely paint-worthy. If you have, or appear to have difficulty decided what to paint, your audience will no doubt offer dozens of fingers pointing in as many different directions. The Faicchiani are immensely proud of their village and its stunning environs and well they should be.
Midway up the mountain, the 18th century Convent of San Pasquale, looms over the village. You can drive up to the convent or take the paved steps that begin in the center of town. I recommend the steps. It’s a bit of a climb, but there are broad platforms with benches along the way where you can stop and catch your breath, or even set up an easel and capture the stunning views of farmlands, orchards, and vineyards. Once you reach the convent, there are numerous lookout areas where you can set up. You might even find yourself balancing your paint box on one of the 3rd century BC Samnite walls that rise up along the esplanade. Don’t stop at the convent. Allow time to climb or drive to the summit of Monte Monaco di Gioia where the gaze is lost in the Apennines Molisano Mountains to the east and the intermingling of sky blue and the blue of the Gulf of Naples in the west.
Outside the village, on the road toward San Lorenzello, and about a mile or two out of town, on your left, you’ll find the double arched Ponte Fabio Massimo, a 3rd century BC Roman-era bridge. The bridge can be crossed on foot and at the opposite side you can set up along the riverbed, where you’ll find white limestone and dolomite whose origins date back over 60 million years. The bridge is a favorite artist’s muse. If you stare at it long enough, you can almost hear the clattering of greaves and armor as ghosts of Roman soldiers march across the bridge’s graveled surface.
Don’t leave the area without a trip up Mont Acero, which you’ll find on your left off the road toward Telese/Telesino. At the summit of this winding road you’ll be rewarded with views that you’ll swear could reach to Rome to the north and Sicily to the south. Before leaving town, stop at the market to buy water, fresh local cheese, regional wine, and bread still warm from the ovens. There are picnic tables at the summit of Mont Acero, so you can dine al fresco while you paint that next masterpiece.
BUON VIAGGIO!
Saturday, November 28, 2009
PAINTING IN ITALY / SORRENTO / VICO EQUENSE / POMPEII
Borrowing from Greek mythology, The Romans set the renowned dwelling of the “Sirens” (the naughty mermaids who lured seamen to their deaths) at Surrentum/Sorrento. Ulysses’ crew resisted the Siren’s call by stuffing their ears with wax. My advice is to get the wax out of your ears, heed the call, and go to Sorrento to paint.
Perched high on cliffs that overlook the Bay of Naples, This little jewel offers vistas for every genre of artist to enjoy. The seascapes are breathtaking, the landscaped verdant hills are luscious, and the cliff side dwellings are mind-boggling.
A visit to the cloister at Chiesa di San Francesco will not only delight floral artists with its flowering-vine studded garden, but the convent is also an art school offering exhibits that all artists will enjoy.
Pack light, bring some water, and take a walk down to Capo di Sorrento. To get there, take Via del Capo that originates in Piazza Tasso, the main square. Along the Via del Capo, after passing a sign “Cani Mordaci” (biting dogs) posted on the gate of the villa where Maxim Gorky lived, on the right is a dirt path that will take you down to the sea. The views from here, with Vesuvius in the distance, are magical. It’s an idyllic location to paint.
Between Napoli and Sorrento, Vico Equense is a beautiful spot to stop and paint. The locals boast that they have “one foot in the boat and one foot in the vineyards.” For me this translates to awesome seascapes and landscapes. This town is an often-overlooked little gem that lies in a lovely position on a tufa promontory on the north coast of the Sorrento peninsula. Set up near the Duomo where from high above the sea the views will knock your socks off. It can get fairly breezy there, so be sure to anchor down your canvas.
Spending a day to explore Pompeii and paint among the ruins is just about the most amazing experience you’ll ever have. With Vesuvius hovering in the background, there’s nowhere else I can think of where you can paint amidst the “destroyed’ and the “destroyer.” Some artists who don’t enjoy painting buildings or ruins screw up by not bringing paints or sketchpads to Pompeii. Don’t make that mistake. The views are fabulous in any direction from anywhere in the city.
BUON VIAGGIO!
Perched high on cliffs that overlook the Bay of Naples, This little jewel offers vistas for every genre of artist to enjoy. The seascapes are breathtaking, the landscaped verdant hills are luscious, and the cliff side dwellings are mind-boggling.
A visit to the cloister at Chiesa di San Francesco will not only delight floral artists with its flowering-vine studded garden, but the convent is also an art school offering exhibits that all artists will enjoy.
Pack light, bring some water, and take a walk down to Capo di Sorrento. To get there, take Via del Capo that originates in Piazza Tasso, the main square. Along the Via del Capo, after passing a sign “Cani Mordaci” (biting dogs) posted on the gate of the villa where Maxim Gorky lived, on the right is a dirt path that will take you down to the sea. The views from here, with Vesuvius in the distance, are magical. It’s an idyllic location to paint.
Between Napoli and Sorrento, Vico Equense is a beautiful spot to stop and paint. The locals boast that they have “one foot in the boat and one foot in the vineyards.” For me this translates to awesome seascapes and landscapes. This town is an often-overlooked little gem that lies in a lovely position on a tufa promontory on the north coast of the Sorrento peninsula. Set up near the Duomo where from high above the sea the views will knock your socks off. It can get fairly breezy there, so be sure to anchor down your canvas.
Spending a day to explore Pompeii and paint among the ruins is just about the most amazing experience you’ll ever have. With Vesuvius hovering in the background, there’s nowhere else I can think of where you can paint amidst the “destroyed’ and the “destroyer.” Some artists who don’t enjoy painting buildings or ruins screw up by not bringing paints or sketchpads to Pompeii. Don’t make that mistake. The views are fabulous in any direction from anywhere in the city.
BUON VIAGGIO!
Friday, November 27, 2009
ITALIAN POETRY / VOGLIO DI TENEREZZA / by LUCIANO SOMMA
Since I have been writing about painting in the Campania Region of Italy and on Tuesday I discussed painting in Napoli, I thought this would be an appropriate space to insert one of Luciano Somma’s poems. In VOGLIO DI TENEREZZA / TENDER FEELINGS, Luciano’s words about Napoli are like delicate brushstrokes that paint a rich, mental image. VOGLIO DI TENEREZZA is an excerpt from Luciano’s dual-language poetry book: “L’ALBA DI DOMANI/TOMORROW’S SUNRISE.”
You can find Luciano Somma at:
http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm
http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm
Siccome sono stato scrivendo delle località che preferisco dipingere dapertutto L’Italia, e recentamente ho scritto di Napoli, pensavo che allora sarebbe il tempo giusto mettere la poema VOGLIO DI TENEREZZA di Luciano Somma. Luciano ha abitato tutta la sua vita a Napoli e nella poema, le sue parole per quanto riguarda Napoli sono come pennellate delicate che dipingono nelle menti gli immagini intensi. VOGLIO DI TENEREZZA è un brano dal suo libro di doppia lingua: “L’ALBA DI DOMANI/TOMORROW’S SUNRISE.”
Si può trovare Luciano Somma a:
http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm
http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm
VOGLIO DI TENEREZZA
Questa sera
profuma d’estate
profuma di te
Napoli
un’aria di mare
m’inebria
e volo confuso
con la fantasia
verso lidi lontani
il ricordo mi porta
un sorriso
e cresce
come la pioggia in un fiume
questa dannata voglia
che ho dentro
d’un soffio di tenerezza
una carezza
per vivere.
Luciano Somma
TENDER FEELINGS
This evening
summer’s perfume
your perfume
Napoli
a sea air
inebriates me
and I fly confused
with fantasy
toward distant beaches
the memory brings me
a smile
and it grows
like rain in a river
this cursed desire
I have inside
of a warm whisper
a caress
to be alive.
Pamela Allegretto-Franz (translation)
You can find Luciano Somma at:
http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm
http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm
Siccome sono stato scrivendo delle località che preferisco dipingere dapertutto L’Italia, e recentamente ho scritto di Napoli, pensavo che allora sarebbe il tempo giusto mettere la poema VOGLIO DI TENEREZZA di Luciano Somma. Luciano ha abitato tutta la sua vita a Napoli e nella poema, le sue parole per quanto riguarda Napoli sono come pennellate delicate che dipingono nelle menti gli immagini intensi. VOGLIO DI TENEREZZA è un brano dal suo libro di doppia lingua: “L’ALBA DI DOMANI/TOMORROW’S SUNRISE.”
Si può trovare Luciano Somma a:
http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm
http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm
VOGLIO DI TENEREZZA
Questa sera
profuma d’estate
profuma di te
Napoli
un’aria di mare
m’inebria
e volo confuso
con la fantasia
verso lidi lontani
il ricordo mi porta
un sorriso
e cresce
come la pioggia in un fiume
questa dannata voglia
che ho dentro
d’un soffio di tenerezza
una carezza
per vivere.
Luciano Somma
TENDER FEELINGS
This evening
summer’s perfume
your perfume
Napoli
a sea air
inebriates me
and I fly confused
with fantasy
toward distant beaches
the memory brings me
a smile
and it grows
like rain in a river
this cursed desire
I have inside
of a warm whisper
a caress
to be alive.
Pamela Allegretto-Franz (translation)
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
PAINTING IN ITALY / VENETIAN TABLE
I recently completed the painting above in Elizabeth Sennett’s Fall Workshop. There are 2 reasons I chose the title “Venetian Table” / “Tavolo Veneziano”: The bowl filled with onions made me think of Venice’s celebrated “fegato con cipolle” / “liver with onions.” And the difficulty I had painting the onions made me cry enough tears to fill the Grand Canal.
Had it not been for Elizabeth’s expert guidance, laudable patience, and infectious joy of painting, I would have flown to Venice and dumped the canvas into the drink. You can view details of the painting in my Trompe L’oeil Gallery on my art website:
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com
Ho dipinto il quadro sopra in una classe di trompe l’oeil con la maestra Elizabeth Sennett.
Il titolo del quadro è “Tavolo Veneziano” / “Venetian Table.” Ho scritto il titolo così perchè m’ha fatto pensare del famoso “fegato con cipolle di Venezia.” Anche perchè è stato così difficile dipingere le cipolle che ho pianto abbastanza lacrime a fare il pieno il Canal Grande.
Senza la guida di Elizabeth, avrei andato a Venezia e gettato il quadro nel Canal Grande. Si può vedere i particolari del quadro nella galleria di Trompe L’oeil Gallery su mio website d’arte:
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com
Had it not been for Elizabeth’s expert guidance, laudable patience, and infectious joy of painting, I would have flown to Venice and dumped the canvas into the drink. You can view details of the painting in my Trompe L’oeil Gallery on my art website:
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com
Ho dipinto il quadro sopra in una classe di trompe l’oeil con la maestra Elizabeth Sennett.
Il titolo del quadro è “Tavolo Veneziano” / “Venetian Table.” Ho scritto il titolo così perchè m’ha fatto pensare del famoso “fegato con cipolle di Venezia.” Anche perchè è stato così difficile dipingere le cipolle che ho pianto abbastanza lacrime a fare il pieno il Canal Grande.
Senza la guida di Elizabeth, avrei andato a Venezia e gettato il quadro nel Canal Grande. Si può vedere i particolari del quadro nella galleria di Trompe L’oeil Gallery su mio website d’arte:
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
PAINTING IN ITALY / CAMPANIA / NAPLES / NAPOLI
The Neapolitan “soul” is guaranteed to squeeze your heart into submission. “Goethe wrote: “Naples is Paradise. Everyone lives in a state of intoxicated self-forgetfulness, myself included.”
No painting excursion into the Campania region is complete without a visit to Naples. Yes, Naples is a big city and one of the most populace cities in Italy, but don’t forget that it is also the city that boasts the infamous dictum: “See Naples and die.” My only caution is: “Don’t see Naples by car, and live.” This is about painting in Naples and so I won’t discuss driving in Naples; just don’t do it. If you have a car, I suggest staying in nearby Sorrento or Vico Equense. You can leave your car at the hotel and take the Circumvesuviana, a commuter railway that also stops at the ruins of Herculaneum and Pompeii. The forty-five-minute rail trip to Naples from Sorrento is easy and scenic; most of all, it is traffic and stress free.
If you’re looking to set up in a piazza, the city offers a plethora to choose from and I’ll leave that long, detailed list to the travel writers. One of my favorite piazzas to paint in (at least for a few hours until the crush of humanity drives me away) is Piazza del Plebiscito, the city's main piazza and traffic free pedestrian zone. It is paved with black cobblestones and is among the country's grandest spaces. Clustered around the piazza are Teatro San Carlo, Italy's largest opera house; the ornate Galleria Umberto I, the 1887 shopping gallery; the vast Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace); and across from the palace, a sweeping semicircular colonnade to rival St. Peter's. Talk about artistic inspiration!
When you’re ready for a break from city noise and congestion, or if you’re a landscape artist hungry for vegetation, visit the Santa Chiara Cloisters. These cloisters are a sanctuary of hyacinth and white daffodils, small vegetable plots, and fruit trees. But for me, it’s the hand painted, blue-and-mustard-colored majolica tiles that cover every wall, pillar, and bench that make this verdant cloister a painter’s Mecca. The Monks at the cloister will let you set up an easel, but ask first. It’s also a nice idea to add a few Euros to their collection box to help defer the cost of maintaining this little jewel. Keep your workspace small and clean; the monks WILL be watching you. They have a posted notice that reads: “If you think you will be immortalized by signing your name on our walls, you are mistaken: it will be removed shortly after.”
My favorite neighborhood to paint in Naples is Spaccanapoli, in the heart of the city. There is always new inspiration in the midst of laundry flapping from overhead balconies and black-clad signoras hawking contraband cigarettes up and down the maze of narrow, zigzag, dead end streets.
A note to writers and book lovers: On the edge of Spaccanapoli, near the Archaeological Museum, is the refreshingly green and relaxed Piazza Bellini, a nexus of the city's flourishing booksellers: Naples is one of Italy's great bibliophile centers. Bookstalls like the ones along Paris' Left Bank, selling both new and used books, line the streets on and leading from the Piazza.
A sharp contrast to Spaccanapoli is the Vomero neighborhood. If the pace in the city center becomes exasperating, board one of the funiculars from the center up to Vomero in the hills above town. This city within a city is unexpectedly calm and the views of the Bay of Naples and Vesuvius are truly “paint worthy.” If you get hungry and are looking for some “finger food” so you don’t waste good light by sitting at an indoor restaurant, go to the tiny Friggitoria Vomero (via Cimarosa 44). For just a few euros you can buy brown-paper cones filled with fritters made of eggplant or cauliflower or boiled wild greens or rectangles of polenta, all of them sprinkled with coarse local sea salt. Who said artists have to “starve?”
Certainly, you will want to take time out from your own painting to view some of the heavy hitters that Naples has to offer. The guidebooks can give you the full run down; here are my picks:
Il Museo e Gallerie di Capodimonte/ among other notables, don’t miss the works here by Botticelli, Bellini, Raphael, and Caravaggio.
A church officially named Sant'Anna dei Lombardi but commonly called Monteoliveto for the square on which it sits. Inside you’ll find a sacristy frescoed by Vasari, with eye-popping trompe l'oeil marquetry panels along the walls, and also, Guido Mazzoni’s awesome life-size group of terra cotta figures.
And finally, Caravaggio fled to Naples after he killed a man in Rome and although he didn't stay long he painted several important paintings, including the "Seven Acts of Mercy" which is in Pio Monte della Misericordia in the Centro Storico. It is an amazing, complex work, commissioned as an altarpiece for the church in which it has remained for 400 years.
The Neapolitan spirit of dolce far niente (living from day to day in a devil-may-care sort of way) is instantly contagious and it reaches to the artist’s canvas. If you paint “tight” and yearn to free up your strokes, then Naples is the city to visit.
Buon Viaggio!
No painting excursion into the Campania region is complete without a visit to Naples. Yes, Naples is a big city and one of the most populace cities in Italy, but don’t forget that it is also the city that boasts the infamous dictum: “See Naples and die.” My only caution is: “Don’t see Naples by car, and live.” This is about painting in Naples and so I won’t discuss driving in Naples; just don’t do it. If you have a car, I suggest staying in nearby Sorrento or Vico Equense. You can leave your car at the hotel and take the Circumvesuviana, a commuter railway that also stops at the ruins of Herculaneum and Pompeii. The forty-five-minute rail trip to Naples from Sorrento is easy and scenic; most of all, it is traffic and stress free.
If you’re looking to set up in a piazza, the city offers a plethora to choose from and I’ll leave that long, detailed list to the travel writers. One of my favorite piazzas to paint in (at least for a few hours until the crush of humanity drives me away) is Piazza del Plebiscito, the city's main piazza and traffic free pedestrian zone. It is paved with black cobblestones and is among the country's grandest spaces. Clustered around the piazza are Teatro San Carlo, Italy's largest opera house; the ornate Galleria Umberto I, the 1887 shopping gallery; the vast Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace); and across from the palace, a sweeping semicircular colonnade to rival St. Peter's. Talk about artistic inspiration!
When you’re ready for a break from city noise and congestion, or if you’re a landscape artist hungry for vegetation, visit the Santa Chiara Cloisters. These cloisters are a sanctuary of hyacinth and white daffodils, small vegetable plots, and fruit trees. But for me, it’s the hand painted, blue-and-mustard-colored majolica tiles that cover every wall, pillar, and bench that make this verdant cloister a painter’s Mecca. The Monks at the cloister will let you set up an easel, but ask first. It’s also a nice idea to add a few Euros to their collection box to help defer the cost of maintaining this little jewel. Keep your workspace small and clean; the monks WILL be watching you. They have a posted notice that reads: “If you think you will be immortalized by signing your name on our walls, you are mistaken: it will be removed shortly after.”
My favorite neighborhood to paint in Naples is Spaccanapoli, in the heart of the city. There is always new inspiration in the midst of laundry flapping from overhead balconies and black-clad signoras hawking contraband cigarettes up and down the maze of narrow, zigzag, dead end streets.
A note to writers and book lovers: On the edge of Spaccanapoli, near the Archaeological Museum, is the refreshingly green and relaxed Piazza Bellini, a nexus of the city's flourishing booksellers: Naples is one of Italy's great bibliophile centers. Bookstalls like the ones along Paris' Left Bank, selling both new and used books, line the streets on and leading from the Piazza.
A sharp contrast to Spaccanapoli is the Vomero neighborhood. If the pace in the city center becomes exasperating, board one of the funiculars from the center up to Vomero in the hills above town. This city within a city is unexpectedly calm and the views of the Bay of Naples and Vesuvius are truly “paint worthy.” If you get hungry and are looking for some “finger food” so you don’t waste good light by sitting at an indoor restaurant, go to the tiny Friggitoria Vomero (via Cimarosa 44). For just a few euros you can buy brown-paper cones filled with fritters made of eggplant or cauliflower or boiled wild greens or rectangles of polenta, all of them sprinkled with coarse local sea salt. Who said artists have to “starve?”
Certainly, you will want to take time out from your own painting to view some of the heavy hitters that Naples has to offer. The guidebooks can give you the full run down; here are my picks:
Il Museo e Gallerie di Capodimonte/ among other notables, don’t miss the works here by Botticelli, Bellini, Raphael, and Caravaggio.
A church officially named Sant'Anna dei Lombardi but commonly called Monteoliveto for the square on which it sits. Inside you’ll find a sacristy frescoed by Vasari, with eye-popping trompe l'oeil marquetry panels along the walls, and also, Guido Mazzoni’s awesome life-size group of terra cotta figures.
And finally, Caravaggio fled to Naples after he killed a man in Rome and although he didn't stay long he painted several important paintings, including the "Seven Acts of Mercy" which is in Pio Monte della Misericordia in the Centro Storico. It is an amazing, complex work, commissioned as an altarpiece for the church in which it has remained for 400 years.
The Neapolitan spirit of dolce far niente (living from day to day in a devil-may-care sort of way) is instantly contagious and it reaches to the artist’s canvas. If you paint “tight” and yearn to free up your strokes, then Naples is the city to visit.
Buon Viaggio!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
ITALIAN POETRY / I GABBIANI / SEAGULLS by LUCIANO SOMMA
Luciano Somma, one of Italy’s foremost poets, writes not merely with a keen sensitivity, but also with an artist’s eye. In his poem “SEAGULLS” his colorful vocabulary all but lifts the reader airborne to join in the flight of gulls.
“SEAGULLS” can be found in Luciano Somma’s dual language poetry book: L’ALBA DI DOMANI/TOMORROW'S SUNRISE. It gave me great pleasure to write the English translations in this book, as well as to paint the cover for the book and CD.
You can view more of Luciano Somma’s poetry at:
http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm
http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm
The painting above is the book and CD cover for L’ALBA DI DOMANI. You can view this and more of my paintings at my art website:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/
Luciano Somma è un poeta molto noto in Italia che scrive non soltanto con sensibilità, ma anche con un occhio d’un artista. Nella poema “I Gabbiani” il suo vocabolario, ricco di colore, quasi solleva il lettore nell’aria ad unire nel volo dei gabbiani.
Si può trovare “I Gabbiani” nel libro di Luciano Somma: L’ALBA DI DOMANI. Mi ha fatto un grand piacere scrivere le traduzioni in questo libro ed anche dipingere il copertina.
Si può trovare Luciano Somma a:
http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm
http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm
Il quadro sopra è la copertina del libro ed il CD L’ALBA DI DOMANI. Si può vedere questo ed altri dei miei quadri sul mio website d’arte:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/
I GABBIANI
Disordinatamente
volano nell’aria
cercando prede
per la loro fame
cercando spazio
per le loro fughe
sfiorano il mare
vanno verso il cielo
per poi scendere giù
per poi toccare
la vela giusta
mossa un po’ dal vento
i gabbiani
sanno il momento esatto
dove andare
e il loro grido spesso si confonde
con il suono dell’onde alla risacca.
Disegnano nell’aria
nel gelo d’un inverno sempre nuovo
preghiere mute per un’altra estate
la’ dove l’abbondanza d’altri cibi
placherà i morsi della loro fame
i gabbiani
lotta continua di sopravvivenza
battiti d’ali pieni di poesia
agli occhi di bambini
che additano alle mamme
quel gioco di aquiloni senza fili.
Luciano Somma
SEAGULLS
Riotously
they fly in the air
searching prey
for their hunger
searching space
for their escape
skimming the sea
they go toward heaven
then later descend
to touch
the proper sail
waving slightly from the wind
the gulls
know the exact moment
where to go
and their screams are often confused
with the sound of waves at the backwash.
Outlining in the air
in the frost of a winter forever new
silent prayers for another summer
where abundant food
will pacify the grip of their hunger
the gulls
struggle for survival
flapping wings bursting with poetry
to the eyes of children
that point up to their mothers
that game of kite flying without string.
Pamela Allegretto Franz (translation)
“SEAGULLS” can be found in Luciano Somma’s dual language poetry book: L’ALBA DI DOMANI/TOMORROW'S SUNRISE. It gave me great pleasure to write the English translations in this book, as well as to paint the cover for the book and CD.
You can view more of Luciano Somma’s poetry at:
http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm
http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm
The painting above is the book and CD cover for L’ALBA DI DOMANI. You can view this and more of my paintings at my art website:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/
Luciano Somma è un poeta molto noto in Italia che scrive non soltanto con sensibilità, ma anche con un occhio d’un artista. Nella poema “I Gabbiani” il suo vocabolario, ricco di colore, quasi solleva il lettore nell’aria ad unire nel volo dei gabbiani.
Si può trovare “I Gabbiani” nel libro di Luciano Somma: L’ALBA DI DOMANI. Mi ha fatto un grand piacere scrivere le traduzioni in questo libro ed anche dipingere il copertina.
Si può trovare Luciano Somma a:
http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm
http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm
Il quadro sopra è la copertina del libro ed il CD L’ALBA DI DOMANI. Si può vedere questo ed altri dei miei quadri sul mio website d’arte:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/
I GABBIANI
Disordinatamente
volano nell’aria
cercando prede
per la loro fame
cercando spazio
per le loro fughe
sfiorano il mare
vanno verso il cielo
per poi scendere giù
per poi toccare
la vela giusta
mossa un po’ dal vento
i gabbiani
sanno il momento esatto
dove andare
e il loro grido spesso si confonde
con il suono dell’onde alla risacca.
Disegnano nell’aria
nel gelo d’un inverno sempre nuovo
preghiere mute per un’altra estate
la’ dove l’abbondanza d’altri cibi
placherà i morsi della loro fame
i gabbiani
lotta continua di sopravvivenza
battiti d’ali pieni di poesia
agli occhi di bambini
che additano alle mamme
quel gioco di aquiloni senza fili.
Luciano Somma
SEAGULLS
Riotously
they fly in the air
searching prey
for their hunger
searching space
for their escape
skimming the sea
they go toward heaven
then later descend
to touch
the proper sail
waving slightly from the wind
the gulls
know the exact moment
where to go
and their screams are often confused
with the sound of waves at the backwash.
Outlining in the air
in the frost of a winter forever new
silent prayers for another summer
where abundant food
will pacify the grip of their hunger
the gulls
struggle for survival
flapping wings bursting with poetry
to the eyes of children
that point up to their mothers
that game of kite flying without string.
Pamela Allegretto Franz (translation)
Saturday, October 31, 2009
PAINTING IN ITALY / CAMPANIA / AMALFI
The diverse villages along the Amalfi Coast have been compared to a constellation, if this is the case, then the town of Amalfi is unquestionably the brightest star. The Amalfitani like to boast: “The sun, the moon, the stars, and - Amalfi.” You’ll get no argument from me.
Sandwiched between verdant and craggy mountains and the intense blue of the Mediterranean Sea, the town’s vibrantly tiled cupolas and pastel-washed houses beg the artist to capture their pose.
Landscape artists shouldn’t miss the Valle dei Mulini (The Valley of the Mills). To get there, start at Piazza del Duomo (By the way, Architectural artists take note: The Duomo, with a façade inlaid with glazed and colored tiles, is one of the more beautiful religious monuments in Southern Italy). Head up Via Genova where you’ll pass fragrant gardens, citrus groves, and waterfalls that feed the oldest paper mills in Europe. There are numerous places to stop and set up sketchpad or easel along this route, and believe me, you’ll want to do just that. When you reach the Museo Della Carta, I recommend taking time out from painting to tour this Paper Museum. Amalfi was among the first cities in Europe to manufacture hand-made paper and it continues this highly specialized art to this day. What watercolor artist or journalist hasn’t dreamed of going to Amalfi to select a few prize sheets of handmade Amalfi paper?
If you’re hungry, but don’t want to stop painting, take a patio table at the Conca Azzura Ristorante that over looks the Cape Conca Dei Marini. This scenic bay is the natural entrance to the Emerald Grotto. The colors and view from this belvedere are unparalleled. It’s a great place to sip wine, swirl forkfuls of pasta, and paint. Does it get any better than that? I don’t think so.
For centuries, poets and writers have sung Amalfi’s praises, but it’s not easy to find the right words to do justice to its beauty. For artists, I think Margaret Drabble said it best: “Amalfi clusters, the cliffs aspire, the sea extends. It is a living view, of living rock and living light. It changes minute by minute of an evening as the light changes. Like a moving painting, like a wall of slowly evolving time, a perfectly composed combination of safety and danger, distanced, marginally landscaped by man, inviting the artist.”
BUON VIAGGIO!!!
The painting above: La Veduta D'Amalfi is an original acrylic on canvas and can be purchased on my art website:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/
Si può comprare il quadro in sopra, La Veduta D'Amalfi al mio website d’arte:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/
Sandwiched between verdant and craggy mountains and the intense blue of the Mediterranean Sea, the town’s vibrantly tiled cupolas and pastel-washed houses beg the artist to capture their pose.
Landscape artists shouldn’t miss the Valle dei Mulini (The Valley of the Mills). To get there, start at Piazza del Duomo (By the way, Architectural artists take note: The Duomo, with a façade inlaid with glazed and colored tiles, is one of the more beautiful religious monuments in Southern Italy). Head up Via Genova where you’ll pass fragrant gardens, citrus groves, and waterfalls that feed the oldest paper mills in Europe. There are numerous places to stop and set up sketchpad or easel along this route, and believe me, you’ll want to do just that. When you reach the Museo Della Carta, I recommend taking time out from painting to tour this Paper Museum. Amalfi was among the first cities in Europe to manufacture hand-made paper and it continues this highly specialized art to this day. What watercolor artist or journalist hasn’t dreamed of going to Amalfi to select a few prize sheets of handmade Amalfi paper?
If you’re hungry, but don’t want to stop painting, take a patio table at the Conca Azzura Ristorante that over looks the Cape Conca Dei Marini. This scenic bay is the natural entrance to the Emerald Grotto. The colors and view from this belvedere are unparalleled. It’s a great place to sip wine, swirl forkfuls of pasta, and paint. Does it get any better than that? I don’t think so.
For centuries, poets and writers have sung Amalfi’s praises, but it’s not easy to find the right words to do justice to its beauty. For artists, I think Margaret Drabble said it best: “Amalfi clusters, the cliffs aspire, the sea extends. It is a living view, of living rock and living light. It changes minute by minute of an evening as the light changes. Like a moving painting, like a wall of slowly evolving time, a perfectly composed combination of safety and danger, distanced, marginally landscaped by man, inviting the artist.”
BUON VIAGGIO!!!
The painting above: La Veduta D'Amalfi is an original acrylic on canvas and can be purchased on my art website:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/
Si può comprare il quadro in sopra, La Veduta D'Amalfi al mio website d’arte:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/
Saturday, October 24, 2009
PAINTING IN ITALY / CAMPANIA / AMALFI COAST / SANT'AGATA SUI DUE GOLFI
If you’re driving on the Strada di Capodimonte, the breathtakingly scenic coastal road, stop at Sant’Agata Sui Due Golfi. This charming mountain village is settled on hillside dripping with bougainvillea and terraced with vineyards and fruit orchards.
The name of the town is derived from its location that commands excellent views of the two gulfs of Salerno and Naples. There are numerous locations throughout the village to set up and look out over the Mediterranean. This should keep landscape and seascape artists happy for several hours. If you want to plop a cherry on top of this stunning confection, take the narrow, uphill road behind the Bar Orland to the Deserto. From this Franciscan monastery you not only survey the two bays, but you can enjoy the bonus of an excellent view of Capri. Architectural artists should enjoy painting the monastery and its bell-tower on which is inscribed: TEMPUS BREVE EST. Time is short; use it wisely by spending some of it painting at Sant’Agata Sui Due Golfi.
BUON VIAGGIO!
The name of the town is derived from its location that commands excellent views of the two gulfs of Salerno and Naples. There are numerous locations throughout the village to set up and look out over the Mediterranean. This should keep landscape and seascape artists happy for several hours. If you want to plop a cherry on top of this stunning confection, take the narrow, uphill road behind the Bar Orland to the Deserto. From this Franciscan monastery you not only survey the two bays, but you can enjoy the bonus of an excellent view of Capri. Architectural artists should enjoy painting the monastery and its bell-tower on which is inscribed: TEMPUS BREVE EST. Time is short; use it wisely by spending some of it painting at Sant’Agata Sui Due Golfi.
BUON VIAGGIO!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
PAINTING IN ITALY / CAMPANIA / POSITANO
Positano is a hillside town on the southern strip of the Amalfi Drive. This Moorish-style village overlooks a small bay washed by the emerald Mediterranean and is backed by mountain buttresses that offer views of the Sirenuse Islands, Homer’s siren islands in the Odyssey. The white and pink houses perch from terraces submerged under bougainvilleas that drip down to the sea. Now that’s my idea of an excellent location to paint.
John Steinbeck wrote: “Positano bites deep. It is a dream that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.” What artist wouldn’t be lured to Positano after having read those words? And when you add Artist Paul Klee to the Positano devotees, then it’s an inescapable conclusion to spend time painting in Positano. Paul Klee once said: “I like to take a line for a walk.” Klee took great pleasure in “walking his lines” in Positano, and so should you.
There’s no driving in the town: you park up top and walk down, and down, and down. At times, the streets seem almost impossibly steep. My advice: don’t lug heavy paint boxes or cumbersome easels. Always remember: what goes down, must come up.
BUON VIAGGIO!
John Steinbeck wrote: “Positano bites deep. It is a dream that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.” What artist wouldn’t be lured to Positano after having read those words? And when you add Artist Paul Klee to the Positano devotees, then it’s an inescapable conclusion to spend time painting in Positano. Paul Klee once said: “I like to take a line for a walk.” Klee took great pleasure in “walking his lines” in Positano, and so should you.
There’s no driving in the town: you park up top and walk down, and down, and down. At times, the streets seem almost impossibly steep. My advice: don’t lug heavy paint boxes or cumbersome easels. Always remember: what goes down, must come up.
BUON VIAGGIO!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
PAINTING IN ITALY / APULIA / LECCE
The Apulia (Puglia in Italian) region forms Italy’s “heel.” Although somewhat off the beaten track, this region is a “must-see” for artists. If time is not on your side, at least in addition to the Trulli in Alberobello of which I’ve previously written (see March 17th entry), a trip to Lecce is not to be missed.
Referred to by some as the “Florence of the Italian South,” Lecce is a city of Baroque run wild. The palaces, churches, balconies, courtyards, and even modest side-street houses are embellished with gargoyles, eagles, monkeys, dragons, saints, fruit, and flowers. But unlike the Baroque style found elsewhere in Europe, Lecce Baroque isn’t massive or imposing; quite the opposite, it’s airy and joyful. This ornamental explosion is mostly due to the “Pietra di Lecce,” the honey-colored stone quarried in the region that is so malleable it can be cut with a knife. Nothing was too intricate or delicate that it couldn’t be carved from this stone. It would have been impossible to achieve the Lecce Baroque out of marble.
Piazza Sant’Oronzo is an excellent location for setting up your easel. When you feel the need to take a break so as not to suffer a Baroque overload, visit the below ground-level remains of the 1st century BC Roman amphitheater that Adjoins Piazza Sant’Oronzo. It’s most remarkable for it’s illustrations of chiseled gladiators fighting back lions with spears and less successful gladiators being gored by bulls.
Artists who like detailed paintings will delight in painting the Church of the Rosario on Via G. Libertini. The entire façade is a riot of carved birds and flora. At one time the monks at this cloister, which now houses a tobacco company, manufactured “polvere Leccese,” (Lecce dust) the famous snuff that Napoleon used throughout his career until his last days on St. Helena. Maybe that explains the pose with his hand inside his jacket: he was reaching for his snuffbox.
BUON VIAGGIO!
Referred to by some as the “Florence of the Italian South,” Lecce is a city of Baroque run wild. The palaces, churches, balconies, courtyards, and even modest side-street houses are embellished with gargoyles, eagles, monkeys, dragons, saints, fruit, and flowers. But unlike the Baroque style found elsewhere in Europe, Lecce Baroque isn’t massive or imposing; quite the opposite, it’s airy and joyful. This ornamental explosion is mostly due to the “Pietra di Lecce,” the honey-colored stone quarried in the region that is so malleable it can be cut with a knife. Nothing was too intricate or delicate that it couldn’t be carved from this stone. It would have been impossible to achieve the Lecce Baroque out of marble.
Piazza Sant’Oronzo is an excellent location for setting up your easel. When you feel the need to take a break so as not to suffer a Baroque overload, visit the below ground-level remains of the 1st century BC Roman amphitheater that Adjoins Piazza Sant’Oronzo. It’s most remarkable for it’s illustrations of chiseled gladiators fighting back lions with spears and less successful gladiators being gored by bulls.
Artists who like detailed paintings will delight in painting the Church of the Rosario on Via G. Libertini. The entire façade is a riot of carved birds and flora. At one time the monks at this cloister, which now houses a tobacco company, manufactured “polvere Leccese,” (Lecce dust) the famous snuff that Napoleon used throughout his career until his last days on St. Helena. Maybe that explains the pose with his hand inside his jacket: he was reaching for his snuffbox.
BUON VIAGGIO!
Monday, October 19, 2009
PAINTING IN ITALY / CALABRIA
Calabria forms the toe of the Italian “boot.” Most travelers consider the region of Calabria to be uncivilized and dangerous, and to be used only as a stepping block to and from Sicily. That’s a gross error in judgment, and these folks need to get their heads out of their Mario Puzzo novels.
First of all, the Calabrian people are as warm and inviting as the June sun that splashes across their tiled rooftops. If you’re an artist, you’re really in for a treat. Artists at any level are venerated and fussed over. If you’re sitting in the piazza barely doodling, you’ll get the “Look” (the nod and the smile) that says: “I’m honored to be in the presence of such artistic genius.”
Seascape artists can enjoy the beaches, pristine, golden, and aquamarine, around the Tropea Peninsula, while plein air artists may prefer the scenic hinterland. The charming village of Tropea huddled on a cliff above the sea, won’t disappoint artists who are drawn to architecture. The Calabrians call the town: “Nobile Tropea,” as it is considered to be one of the most picturesque in all of Southern Italy.
The only uncivilized and dangerous things I’ve ever encountered in Calabria are the two unexploded American bombs, left over from WW2, that hang in the back of the Cathedral in Tropea.
BUON VIAGGIO!
First of all, the Calabrian people are as warm and inviting as the June sun that splashes across their tiled rooftops. If you’re an artist, you’re really in for a treat. Artists at any level are venerated and fussed over. If you’re sitting in the piazza barely doodling, you’ll get the “Look” (the nod and the smile) that says: “I’m honored to be in the presence of such artistic genius.”
Seascape artists can enjoy the beaches, pristine, golden, and aquamarine, around the Tropea Peninsula, while plein air artists may prefer the scenic hinterland. The charming village of Tropea huddled on a cliff above the sea, won’t disappoint artists who are drawn to architecture. The Calabrians call the town: “Nobile Tropea,” as it is considered to be one of the most picturesque in all of Southern Italy.
The only uncivilized and dangerous things I’ve ever encountered in Calabria are the two unexploded American bombs, left over from WW2, that hang in the back of the Cathedral in Tropea.
BUON VIAGGIO!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
PAINTING & WRITING IN SICILY
For artists and writers (or anyone for that matter) who hesitate to travel to Sicily because of the Mafia “Thing”, get over it. Not everyone who lives in Las Vegas is a gambler nor is every New Yorker a mugger; and likewise, not every Sicilian belongs to the Mafia. If you ignore Sicily, you miss Italy. If you don’t want to take my advice, take the advice of Goethe who wrote: “To have seen Italy without seeing Sicily, is not to have seen Italy at all. For Sicily is the key to everything.”
Writers doing research on the Italian consciousness would do well to spend time in Sicily. For as Luigi Barzini wrote in The Italians: “Sicily is the schoolroom model of Italy for beginners, with every Italian quality and defect magnified, exasperated, and brightly colored...Everywhere in Italy, life is more or less slowed down by the exuberant intelligence of the inhabitants: In Sicily it is practically paralyzed by it.”
I consider the Sicilian sensitivity to be a fascinating subject to research. I mean, come on, here’s a land where, in the local dialects, there is no future tense for the verb “to be”, and where a distinctly joyful expression states: “Finchè c’è morte c’è speranza.” (Where there’s death there’s hope.) Say what? Lay that one out on Freud’s couch!
For artists, Sicily’s unique natural beauty challenges your brain to make that seemingly impossible decision of what to paint first: rugged mountains, vine and olive-clad slopes, fields of daisies and sunflowers, countless lemon, lime, and orange orchards, craggy sea-cliffs, sandy coves, Mount Etna. If Sicily’s natural beauty doesn’t totally thrust your brain into overdrive, certainly Sicily’s man-made wonders will finish the job: The Baroque façades on Campania’s churches, Apulia’s Romanesque cathedrals, the ancient Greek ruins in Calabria, the castles, palaces, and churches built all over Southern Italy by Norman, Aragonese, and Spanish invaders – all of these are found on the microcosm island of Sicily.
BUON VIAGGIO!
Writers doing research on the Italian consciousness would do well to spend time in Sicily. For as Luigi Barzini wrote in The Italians: “Sicily is the schoolroom model of Italy for beginners, with every Italian quality and defect magnified, exasperated, and brightly colored...Everywhere in Italy, life is more or less slowed down by the exuberant intelligence of the inhabitants: In Sicily it is practically paralyzed by it.”
I consider the Sicilian sensitivity to be a fascinating subject to research. I mean, come on, here’s a land where, in the local dialects, there is no future tense for the verb “to be”, and where a distinctly joyful expression states: “Finchè c’è morte c’è speranza.” (Where there’s death there’s hope.) Say what? Lay that one out on Freud’s couch!
For artists, Sicily’s unique natural beauty challenges your brain to make that seemingly impossible decision of what to paint first: rugged mountains, vine and olive-clad slopes, fields of daisies and sunflowers, countless lemon, lime, and orange orchards, craggy sea-cliffs, sandy coves, Mount Etna. If Sicily’s natural beauty doesn’t totally thrust your brain into overdrive, certainly Sicily’s man-made wonders will finish the job: The Baroque façades on Campania’s churches, Apulia’s Romanesque cathedrals, the ancient Greek ruins in Calabria, the castles, palaces, and churches built all over Southern Italy by Norman, Aragonese, and Spanish invaders – all of these are found on the microcosm island of Sicily.
BUON VIAGGIO!
Friday, October 9, 2009
ITALIAN POETRY / I COLORI DELL'AUTUNNO by LUCIANO SOMMA
In THE COLORS OF AUTUMN, Luciano Somma’s words are like delicate brushstrokes that paint a rich, mental image. THE COLORS OF AUTUMN is an excerpt from Luciano’s dual-language poetry book: “L’ALBA DI DOMANI/TOMORROW’S SUNRISE” You can find Luciano Somma at:
http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm
Nella poema: I COLORI DELL’AUTUNNO le parole di Luciano Somma sono come pennellate delicate che dipingono nelle menti gli immagini intensi. I COLORI DELL’AUTUNNO è un brano dal suo libro di doppia lingua: “L’ALBA DI DOMANI/TOMORROW’S SUNRISE.”
Si può trovare Luciano Somma a: http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm
http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm
I COLORI DELL’AUTUNNO
L’ultimo palpitare
delle foglie
che qui in montagna
assumono colori
dai toni accesi
vivi come lampe
portano l’eco assurda
della tua voce padre
duro come una roccia
muscoloso
tu da generazioni taglialegna
sembravi senza tempo.
Ero legato a te
come un ramo alla quercia
ed ora sono solo
nella foresta
del tuo ieri vissuto
in questo immenso.
Ma parleremo ancora
ti sentirò
nell’aria immacolata
presente
tra i colori dell’autunno
nel nostro paradiso
di silenzio.
Luciano Somma
THE COLORS OF AUTUMN
The last fluttering
of leaves
that here in the mountains
assume colors
in vivid tones
alive like lightening
they carry the absurd echo
of your voice father
hard like a rock
muscular
you from woodcutter
seemed timeless.
I was bound to you
like a branch to the oak
and now I’m alone
in the forest
of your yesterdays lived
in this vastness.
But we will speak again
I will feel you
in the pure air
present
among the colors of autumn
in our paradise
of silence.
Pamela Allegretto Franz (Translation)
http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm
Nella poema: I COLORI DELL’AUTUNNO le parole di Luciano Somma sono come pennellate delicate che dipingono nelle menti gli immagini intensi. I COLORI DELL’AUTUNNO è un brano dal suo libro di doppia lingua: “L’ALBA DI DOMANI/TOMORROW’S SUNRISE.”
Si può trovare Luciano Somma a: http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm
http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm
I COLORI DELL’AUTUNNO
L’ultimo palpitare
delle foglie
che qui in montagna
assumono colori
dai toni accesi
vivi come lampe
portano l’eco assurda
della tua voce padre
duro come una roccia
muscoloso
tu da generazioni taglialegna
sembravi senza tempo.
Ero legato a te
come un ramo alla quercia
ed ora sono solo
nella foresta
del tuo ieri vissuto
in questo immenso.
Ma parleremo ancora
ti sentirò
nell’aria immacolata
presente
tra i colori dell’autunno
nel nostro paradiso
di silenzio.
Luciano Somma
THE COLORS OF AUTUMN
The last fluttering
of leaves
that here in the mountains
assume colors
in vivid tones
alive like lightening
they carry the absurd echo
of your voice father
hard like a rock
muscular
you from woodcutter
seemed timeless.
I was bound to you
like a branch to the oak
and now I’m alone
in the forest
of your yesterdays lived
in this vastness.
But we will speak again
I will feel you
in the pure air
present
among the colors of autumn
in our paradise
of silence.
Pamela Allegretto Franz (Translation)
Saturday, October 3, 2009
PAINTING IN SICILY / CATANIA
Situated at the foot of Mount Etna, Catania’s fate has always been at the mercy of the Volcano. The eruption in April 1983 lasted seven weeks, with the lava flow licking at the heels and toes of the city. Some refer to Catania as the Pompeii of modern times. Should this fiery threat stop you from painting in the Catania region? Not at all. Just wear good running shoes, keep your ears peeled, eyes opened, and paint fast.
A nice place to set up your easel is in the Piazza del Duomo, one of the most beautiful squares in Sicily. In the center, is the Fontana dell’Elefante: the Elephant Fountain. It’s carved from black volcanic rock and is surmounted by an Egyptian obelisk of granite. The magnificent Duomo looms at one end of the piazza. Six of the granite columns that adorn its Baroque façade were stolen from a Roman theatre: I never could “get” vandalism in the name of Christianity.
The remains of the Roman Amphitheatre, made entirely out of black lava, are absolutely sketch-worthy. The theatre dates from the 2nd century AD and its arena is one of the largest after the Colosseum in Rome.
Botanical and plein air artists should enjoy painting in the Giardino Bellini. In addition to a myriad variety of flowering vegetation, these public gardens are filled with palm, banana, and Ficus trees. From the heights of this luscious garden you are provided an outstanding panorama of Mount Etna.
3 kilometers south of town, seascape artists can set up on the Lido Plaia, a long, sandy beach lined with pine trees. For non-seascape artists, you may still want to keep this Ionian Sea beach destination in mind should Mount Etna decide to wake up.
Buon Viaggio!
A nice place to set up your easel is in the Piazza del Duomo, one of the most beautiful squares in Sicily. In the center, is the Fontana dell’Elefante: the Elephant Fountain. It’s carved from black volcanic rock and is surmounted by an Egyptian obelisk of granite. The magnificent Duomo looms at one end of the piazza. Six of the granite columns that adorn its Baroque façade were stolen from a Roman theatre: I never could “get” vandalism in the name of Christianity.
The remains of the Roman Amphitheatre, made entirely out of black lava, are absolutely sketch-worthy. The theatre dates from the 2nd century AD and its arena is one of the largest after the Colosseum in Rome.
Botanical and plein air artists should enjoy painting in the Giardino Bellini. In addition to a myriad variety of flowering vegetation, these public gardens are filled with palm, banana, and Ficus trees. From the heights of this luscious garden you are provided an outstanding panorama of Mount Etna.
3 kilometers south of town, seascape artists can set up on the Lido Plaia, a long, sandy beach lined with pine trees. For non-seascape artists, you may still want to keep this Ionian Sea beach destination in mind should Mount Etna decide to wake up.
Buon Viaggio!
Friday, October 2, 2009
PAINTING IN SICILY / SYRACUSE
If you happen to be an artist/history buff, you won’t want to miss painting for a few hours in Syracuse and it’s environs. En route to the Greek Theater you’ll pass the 3rd century BC, Hieron’s Altar, which is said to be the largest man-made altar. They say (whoever “they” are) that up to 450 bulls were sacrificed on these stones every day. In my mind, that’s a lot of bulls and a lot of bull, but nevertheless, worthy of a visit and at least a quick sketch.
This Greek Theater is hewn entirely out of rock and considered to be the largest Greek Theater in Europe. The view from the theater, (the town, the harbor, the Ionian Sea) especially at sunset, is magnificent.
If you’re a fan of Caravaggio, (and what artist isn’t and if you’re an artist and you’re not, you should be) visit the grotto, Orrechio di Dionisi. Caravaggio was struck by the cave’s resemblance to an ear and gave it this name. (In Italian, Orrechio=ear)
If you’re a plein air artist, you might enjoy the southern stretch between Syracuse and Noto. This stretch of citrus groves and olive trees passes the scenic Anapo and Ciane Rivers. If you don’t speak Italian, be sure to have a good dual-language dictionary handy in case you get lost. Americans who “assume” everyone in the world speaks English always amaze me.
Buon Viaggio!
This Greek Theater is hewn entirely out of rock and considered to be the largest Greek Theater in Europe. The view from the theater, (the town, the harbor, the Ionian Sea) especially at sunset, is magnificent.
If you’re a fan of Caravaggio, (and what artist isn’t and if you’re an artist and you’re not, you should be) visit the grotto, Orrechio di Dionisi. Caravaggio was struck by the cave’s resemblance to an ear and gave it this name. (In Italian, Orrechio=ear)
If you’re a plein air artist, you might enjoy the southern stretch between Syracuse and Noto. This stretch of citrus groves and olive trees passes the scenic Anapo and Ciane Rivers. If you don’t speak Italian, be sure to have a good dual-language dictionary handy in case you get lost. Americans who “assume” everyone in the world speaks English always amaze me.
Buon Viaggio!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
PAINTING IN SICILY / AGRIGENTO
No painting excursion in Sicily is complete without a visit to Agrigento. Don’t ignore the modern city; But if your time is limited, at least focus on The Valley of the Temples, which is the most important archaeological site on the island. The site is best viewed in the early morning, not only because of the light, but also, it’s before the crowds descend and impede your artistic concentration. The site boasts no fewer than twenty temples, each worthy of a painting.
The surrounding landscape is replete with grain farms and there are few trees in sight. The colors range from green or yellow, depending on the season. Poets of ancient times, like Pindar and Virgil have praised the beauty of the region. And modern poets, like Salvatore Quasimodo deemed it “idyllic.” Pindar wrote: “Agrigento, loveliest of mortal cites.” Pirandello, A native of Agrigento wrote: “Agrigento is where people eat as if they were having their last meal on earth and they build their houses as if they were going to live in them forever. In other cities, between December and February you have fog, ice, and at best, a pale ray of sunshine; here the almond trees are in full bloom, warmed by the breath of the African Sea.”
Okay, so tell me you’re not interested in painting this region!
Buon Viaggio!
The surrounding landscape is replete with grain farms and there are few trees in sight. The colors range from green or yellow, depending on the season. Poets of ancient times, like Pindar and Virgil have praised the beauty of the region. And modern poets, like Salvatore Quasimodo deemed it “idyllic.” Pindar wrote: “Agrigento, loveliest of mortal cites.” Pirandello, A native of Agrigento wrote: “Agrigento is where people eat as if they were having their last meal on earth and they build their houses as if they were going to live in them forever. In other cities, between December and February you have fog, ice, and at best, a pale ray of sunshine; here the almond trees are in full bloom, warmed by the breath of the African Sea.”
Okay, so tell me you’re not interested in painting this region!
Buon Viaggio!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
PAINTING IN SICILY / THE COLORS OF SICILY
When I think of Sicily the first color that comes to mind is gold. The Sun God must have a special place in Her heart for the island; why else would She so generously lavish every field, mountaintop, building, monument, pillar, and ruin with Her precious golden kisses?
Another color would be gold’s kissing cousin, yellow. Not only do yellow sunflowers and daisies sparkle against one of the bluest skies you’ll ever see, but the profusion of lemon trees, with fruit the size of baseballs, scent this sunlit island with an aroma that will make your head spin (in a good way). And when that lemony smell finally triggers your taste buds, yellow drinks are where it’s at. Fresh-squeezed lemonade is served in every bar and pasticeria and it’s guaranteed to spoil you forever to only drink Sicilian lemonade. If you’re looking for a little more “kick” order a Limoncello, that wonderful lemon liquor made from the zest of those amazing Sicilian lemons.
My recommendation for ending a day painting in Sicily would be to sit outside, sip some liquid gold i.e. Limoncello, and watch the Sun paint the sky golden as She settles down for the night.
I painted “SUNLIT,” the monocromatic painting above, because I wanted to capture on canvas my sensitivity to the Sun-kissed Island of Sicily.
This painting is available for purchase at my art website:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/
Si può vedere e comprare questo quadro al mio website d’arte: http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/
Another color would be gold’s kissing cousin, yellow. Not only do yellow sunflowers and daisies sparkle against one of the bluest skies you’ll ever see, but the profusion of lemon trees, with fruit the size of baseballs, scent this sunlit island with an aroma that will make your head spin (in a good way). And when that lemony smell finally triggers your taste buds, yellow drinks are where it’s at. Fresh-squeezed lemonade is served in every bar and pasticeria and it’s guaranteed to spoil you forever to only drink Sicilian lemonade. If you’re looking for a little more “kick” order a Limoncello, that wonderful lemon liquor made from the zest of those amazing Sicilian lemons.
My recommendation for ending a day painting in Sicily would be to sit outside, sip some liquid gold i.e. Limoncello, and watch the Sun paint the sky golden as She settles down for the night.
I painted “SUNLIT,” the monocromatic painting above, because I wanted to capture on canvas my sensitivity to the Sun-kissed Island of Sicily.
This painting is available for purchase at my art website:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/
Si può vedere e comprare questo quadro al mio website d’arte: http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/
Friday, September 4, 2009
PAINTING IN SICILY / ENNA
While planning one of our visits to Sicily, I did a little research on Enna. One guidebook labeled Enna as a “dreary city.” And yet further assessment indicated otherwise. I decided to find out for myself.
Well, let me tell you, Enna is anything but “dreary.” If you’re looking to paint “killer views” a trip to Enna is a must.
One of the oldest cities on the island, Enna has been called “the navel of Sicily,” by the Greek poet Callimachus, but is usually known as “the belvedere of Sicily”, which seems a better-suited title considering its stunning views. Enna is also the highest capital in Italy.
You can set up in Piazza Crispi and either paint the impressive view over Calascibetta, the Madonie Mountains, or a remarkable view of Etna.
For architecture sketchers and painters, you’ll love the Castello di Lombardia. Six of its twenty towers are still standing and it’s considered one of the most imposing buildings of it kind in Sicily. Byzantine in origin, it contains Norman and Swabian add-ons. Bring your camera and sketchpad up into the tower, called the Eagle or Pisan tower, where there is a far-reaching view over the surrounding countryside.
The public gardens on the outskirts of the city, not only burst with prismatic delights, the octagonal tower that Frederick II built in the 13th century is a must see.
Dreary city, my ass!
Buon Viaggio!
Well, let me tell you, Enna is anything but “dreary.” If you’re looking to paint “killer views” a trip to Enna is a must.
One of the oldest cities on the island, Enna has been called “the navel of Sicily,” by the Greek poet Callimachus, but is usually known as “the belvedere of Sicily”, which seems a better-suited title considering its stunning views. Enna is also the highest capital in Italy.
You can set up in Piazza Crispi and either paint the impressive view over Calascibetta, the Madonie Mountains, or a remarkable view of Etna.
For architecture sketchers and painters, you’ll love the Castello di Lombardia. Six of its twenty towers are still standing and it’s considered one of the most imposing buildings of it kind in Sicily. Byzantine in origin, it contains Norman and Swabian add-ons. Bring your camera and sketchpad up into the tower, called the Eagle or Pisan tower, where there is a far-reaching view over the surrounding countryside.
The public gardens on the outskirts of the city, not only burst with prismatic delights, the octagonal tower that Frederick II built in the 13th century is a must see.
Dreary city, my ass!
Buon Viaggio!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
PAINTING IN SICILY / MARINELLA
If you want to spend more than one day painting the honey colored stones at the ancient site of Selinunte, you may want to book a room in the nearby seafront village of Marinella that lies about a mile east of the ancient city. This little hamlet offers up excellent beaches, and an early morning dip in the Mediterranean is guaranteed to wake up any creative juices that may still be lumbering from jet lag. When you’ve finished painting at Selinunte, I recommend setting up for at least a few hours on the beach. If you happen to be with artists of varied interests, you can all still paint together: seascape enthusiasts have the Mediterranean as their muse, while artists who prefer painting architecture can turn backs to the sea and paint the delightful sienna and yellow ochre village.
If you do spend the night in one of Marinella’s few hotels, keep the windows closed at night. Don’t worry; I’m not about to warn you of cat burglars. It’s the bats. Marinella’s bats have a tendency to pay midnight visits through opened windows and balcony doors. Do they bite? I don’t think so. But I can tell you from experience that having bats flapping overhead can spoil a good night’s sleep.
Buon Viaggio!
If you do spend the night in one of Marinella’s few hotels, keep the windows closed at night. Don’t worry; I’m not about to warn you of cat burglars. It’s the bats. Marinella’s bats have a tendency to pay midnight visits through opened windows and balcony doors. Do they bite? I don’t think so. But I can tell you from experience that having bats flapping overhead can spoil a good night’s sleep.
Buon Viaggio!
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