Painting in Italy / Val d'Orcia

PAINTING IN ITALY / VAL D’ORCIA

If you’re searching for medieval villages to paint, set aside several days and drive south of Siena to the hill towns of Montalcino, Montepulciano, and Montecchiello. These hilltop villages in the Val d’Orcia offer innumerable vistas in all directions. If it’s medieval architecture that intrigues you, each village is replete with Renaissance palaces and steep cobblestone alleys that run beneath vaults and arches.
In this region, my favorite spot to lay down my brush at the end of the day is the Castello di Ripa d’Orcia. Ripa d’Orcia is a medieval hamlet that has remained just as it was during the Middle Ages. To get there, leave the road at San Quirico (you’ll see a road sign) and drive into the countryside for about 5 kilometers. The road isn’t in the best condition but the Castello makes the bone-jangling ride worthwhile when you see it rising up from behind a wall of cypress trees. The Castello offers 6 rooms and 7 apartments, each with a view guaranteed to knock your socks off. If you decide to stay here, I recommend drinking a large brandy at bedtime and sleeping with earplugs so the “otherworldly” moans and groans and footsteps across the room don’t scare your socks off.
Buon Viaggio!

While driving through Italy’s Val D’Orcia region, we spied the cart in the above painting overflowing with flowers, the colors of which mirrored the explosive sunset. Or was it the other way around? Hmmm...
A limited number of 8”x10” matted prints of this original acrylic on 140-pound watercolor paper can be purchased from my art website:
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com

Val D’Orcia:
Nel regione di Val D’Orcia, ho visto la scena nel disegno sopra, dove il tramonto si specchia nei fiori. Oppure, i fiori si specchiano nel tramonte? Hmmm...
L’originale di acrilico è nella collezione d’artista. Si può comprarne delle stampe di 21x26cm al mio website d’arte:
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com

ART & WRITING / COLOR

We all know the importance of color to a painting. Whether it’s an abstract, a still life, or a landscape, color sets the mood. Color also sets a mood in writing. I don’t mean the “word” color, as in: “The color drained from her face,” “The colors of autumn,” “colorful language,” etc. I’m talking about specific colors. Here are some examples of colorful descriptions, including a few in which the colors seem more like nouns than adjectives:
Green with envy
Saw Red
Blue mood
White fear
Black despair
Rosy disposition
Blond mentality
Redhead temperament
White knuckle
Crimson faced
Greenbacks
In the Pink
Still Green at the job
Golden years
Grey day
Black cloud
Sky Blue (Here's an example of a noun "sky" and an adjective "blue" trading roles.)
Emerald sea
Turquoise sea
Ashen faced
White heat
We visualize the Devil in a Red cape and angels with White wings. We mourn in Black and wed in White. Baby boys are wrapped in Blue and girls are swathed in Pink. We try to keep our White teeth from turning Yellow and tint our Gray roots. We fertilize to turn our Brown lawns Green.
The “girl-next-door” has Honey Blond hair; the "sex kitten" is a Bleached Blond; the “surfer-girl” is a Sun-kissed Blond; and the "waif " is a Dishwater Blond or Dirty Blond.
The next time “writers block” has you sitting Ashen-faced in front of that blank White page and wondering where the next Greenback is coming from, blow away that negative Black cloud of doom and think PINK!
Ciao!

LA MAMMA

ITALIAN POETRY / FIGLI by Luciano Somma

Happy Mother’s Day!
On Mother’s Day, rather than posting a poem about Mothers, I decided to post this poem:
FIGLI / SONS & DAUGHTERS, because let’s face it, without sons and daughters there would be no Mothers.
In SONS & DAUGHTERS, Luciano Somma’s words are like delicate brushstrokes that paint a rich, mental image. FIGLI 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
You can purchase prints from the above watercolor: LA MAMMA, at my art website:
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com
Buona Festa di Madri!
Invece di una poema sulle madri, ho deciso publicare:
FIGLI / SONS & DAUGHTERS, perchè diciamocelo chiaramente, senza i figli non ci sono madri.
Nella poema FIGLI, le parole di Luciano Somma sono come pennellate delicate che dipingono nelle menti gli immagini intensi. FIGLI 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
Si puo` comprare le stampe dell'acquarella in sopra LA MAMMA, al mio website d'arte:
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com

FIGLI
Non eravate ancora materia
eppure vi sentivo ondivaghi
venire su questa spiaggia
della mia vita
ad un breve intervallo
v’incontrai
polposi frutti
della nostra carne
palpitanti
al ritmico pulsare d’un amore
ora debbo alzarmi sulle punte
per baciarvi
miei piccoli giganti
che a vostra volta
avete generato
e sento ancor più forte
il palpitare
al grido d’un miracolo
la vita.
Luciano Somma


SONS AND DAUGHTERS
They were not yet present
even so I felt their waves
rise up and spill over onto
my life’s beach
for a moment
I would meet them
meaty fruits
of our flesh
trembling
with the rhythmic beat of love
now I must raise myself on tiptoe
to kiss them
my little giants
that our union
produced
and I hear even louder
the pounding in my heart
at the first wail from a miracle
life.
Pamela Allegretto Franz (Translation)

PRESIDENT / EAST HAMPTON ART ASSOCIATION

Long before Hilary, I’ve always pushed for a woman President (yes, I was a Hilary supporter), but I never thought I would be that President. No, I’m not talking US President or Italian President or the Presidency of any other country or potentate. Nor am I referring to the Presidency of any company, conglomerate, or corporation.
This is an ART & WRITING blog, so I’m referring to what’s important to me as an artist.
Three years ago, when we first moved to Connecticut from Hawaii, I barely had my meager bags unpacked before I was chomping at the bit to seek out fellow artists. What a lucky and happy surprise to have discovered the East Hampton Art Association: a lively, friendly, and educational organization practically in my back yard.
Now it’s an honor and a privilege to have been elected President of the East Hampton Art Association.
What do I hope to achieve as President? I can’t lower taxes, fix healthcare, or ban the bomb; but I can paint oceans and rivers and streams that are tax-free to contemplate. I can paint healthy children romping through a meadow. I can paint quaint villages still untouched by the ravages of war. And if I have trouble painting any of the above tax-free, healthy, and peaceful subjects, I know I can turn to members of the East Hampton Art Association to guide me, and I intend to not only offer the same courtesy, but to maintain the respect the East Hampton Art Association holds within the immediate region and throughout the state.
In past blog postings I’ve written about the benefits of a good art or writing organization. I’m lucky to have found one of the best. Now, all I have to do is check my infamous 4-letter-words at the meetinghouse door, or else I’ll become the first East Hampton Art Association President to be impeached for profanity.
Wish me luck!

ITALIAN PROVERB / CONSCIENCE

As I’ve stated previously, translating proverbs can be tricky. Here are 3 Italian proverbs that relate to conscience.
The first is straightforward:
“Alla coscienza nessuno può sottrarsi.” This means: “You can’t escape your conscience.”
The next one is still easily translated: “Una buona coscienza è un buon cuscino.” Literally, this means: “A good conscience is a good cushion,” but it’s meant to imply: “A good conscience is a soft pillow.” That makes sense. If your conscience is clear, you’ll sleep without difficulty.
This third proverb, which I’m told is of Tuscan origin, is the brain-squeezer: “Lui ha la coda di paglia.”
Literally, this means: “He has the straw’s tail.” Say what?
What does having the tail of a piece of straw have to do with conscience?
In Tuscany, to be accused of having “la coda di paglia” means you have a guilty conscience. Maybe the guilty person in question is playing at drawing straws: he draws the short straw but instead of revealing this “losing” straw, he conceals the short end (tail) of the straw; however, the contrite look on his face exposes his guilty conscience. I don’t know if this conclusion is correct, but it’s the only one I could come up with. If you have a different one, let me know.
Ciao!

PAINTING & WRITING IN ITALY / MONTECATINI

Regretfully, too many artists and writers who travel to Tuscany neglect the Florentine environs. One of my favorites is Montecatini. Montecatini Terme, located 19 miles NE of Florence, is a charming Tuscan town set among the verdant hills of the Valdinievole Valley and known primarily for its thermal spas, mud baths, and the finest mineral waters in Europe.
This town is all about cleansing the body and mind, so it’s the perfect environment to get those creative juices flowing.
For an unruffled day of painting or writing drive up to Montecatini Alto. If you are without wheels, you can take the funicular cable car from Viale Diaz. The Tuscan panoramas from this scenic hillside town are hard to beat. On a clear day you can see Florence.
If landscape painting isn’t your thing, the narrow streets will lead you to the picturesque main piazza, named for the poet Giuseppe Giusti. Here you can set up and paint or sit at an outdoor café and work on that next great novel. It was in this piazza that Verdi wrote the last act of Otello / Othello so you know it’s a setting conducive to great works.
BUON VIAGGIO!

ITALIAN POETRY / CONTEMPLATION by LUCIANO SOMMA

In CONTEMPLATION, written by Luciano Somma, we feel the sentimental spirit of one of Italy’s foremost poets. 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, PENSIERO scritto di Luciano Somma, sentiamo lo spirito sentimentale d’un poeta molto noto in Italia. Si può trovare Luciano Somma a:
http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm
http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm


PENSIERO
Sulla tomba
dei miei sogni
stanotte
non ho deposto fiori
e non ho pianto.
Ma nel sepolcrale silenzio
ho udito un grido.
Era l’anima mia!
Luciano Somma

CONTEMPLATION
On the tomb
of my dreams
tonight
I didn’t place flowers
nor did I weep.
But in the silent sepulcher
I heard a wail.
It was my soul!
Pamela Allegretto Franz (translation)

SECRET GARDEN

PAINTING EN PLEIN AIR / NEW ENGLAND

Connecticut is a plein air artist’s paradise. In addition to the vibrant hues that dominate the fall landscape, an explosion of pink, yellow, violet, and rose proclaim spring.
Last May, I attended a plein air class taught by Elizabeth Sennett. The painting above is my attempt at painting Elizabeth’s spring garden.
Although the ability to identify most flowers by their proper name eludes me, and my lack of floristic knowledge is often times manifested when for example, I paint rose leaves on a daisy, still, I love to paint flowers and will continue to do so, be they authentic reproductions or flowers that reside only in my mind’s eye.
You can find this acrylic on canvas painting on my art website:
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com

Lo stato di Connecticut è un paradiso per gli artisti di plein air. Oltre ai colori vivace dell’autunno, un esplosione di rosso, giallo, violetto, e rosa dichiarono la primavera.
Il maggio scorso, ho dipinto il quadro sopra durante una classe di plein air con la maestra Elizabeth Sennett.
Benchè mi elude l’abilità identificare i fiori coi nomi giusti, e si vede la mia mancanza della conoscenza floreale quando dipingo una margherita con le foglie d’una rosa, tuttavia, mi piace dipingere i fiori e li dipingerò ancora, se sono veri oppure fiori che vivono solamente nella mente.
Il quadro sopra, dipinto con l’acrilico su tela, si può trovare sul mio website:
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com

PAINTING IN HAWAII / LEI DAY

PAINTING IN HAWAII / LEI DAY

I know May Day is still more than a week away, but it’s pouring outside and I’m dreaming of all those beautiful May flowers these rains will bring.
During my ten years in Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii, I had the good fortune to devote myself full-time to painting. Guided by “Auntie Carol” at the Kona Art Center, I followed my inner-artist’s voice to paint what I loved. Artist, Roseanne Ng, taught me to “kiss” each painting with a splash of red. And without critiques from fellow artists: Nicolina Rinaldi, Barbara Gleason, Lisa Bunge, Christina Elliston, and Carmela Brooks, I would still be dabbling in the dark.
In the painting above, titled LEI DAY, I chose a whimsical style to portray the aloha spirit of the May 1st holiday.
Limited edition prints of this watercolor can be purchased on my art website:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/

Lo so che ci sta ancora più d’una settimana prima che la festa di 1 maggio, ma il piove d’oggi mi fa i sogni d’oro dei fiori di maggio.
Durante i miei dieci anni in Hawaii, ho avuto la buona fortuna dedicarmi a dipingere. Coi consigli di “Zia Carol” alla Kona Art Center, ho seguito la mia voce di artista interna a dipingere quello che amavo. L’artista, Roseanne Ng mi ha insegnato di “baciare” ogni quadro con una pennellata di rosso. E senza le critiche delle artiste: Nicolina Rinaldi, Barbara Gleason, Lisa Bunge, Christina Elliston, e Carmela Brooks, sarei ancora dipingendo nel buio.
Nel quadro di sopra, ho dipinto lo spirito di aloha quando tutti festeggiano Lei Day (1 Maggio).
Si può comprarne delle stampe sul mio website d’arte:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/

ITALIAN POETRY / BRUNO MANCINI

Poet Bruno Mancini, who lives on the Island of Ischia, alleges that his poetic inspiration originated from ancestral impulse and was nurtured by the rich history and raw beauty of his beloved island.
You can find Bruno Mancini at: http://emmegiischia.googlepages.com/

Bruno Mancini risiede ad Ischia dall’età di tre anni. A lui piace dire che l’origine della sua ispirazione o forse solo un iniziale impulso ancestrale ed istintivo, il vero basilare momento poetico della sua vita, si è concretizzato nell’incontro, propriamente fisico, tra i suoi sensi acerbi, infantili, e le secolari, immutate, tentazioni autoctone dell’Isola d’Ischia, dove le leggi della natura sembravano fluire ancora difese da valori di primitive protezioni.
Si puo` trovare Bruno Mancini a: http://emmegiischia.googlepages.com/

NON RUBATE LA MIA VITA
Un sorriso di mare smeraldo
un profumo di ortensia maculata
lo scampanare di turisti pascolanti
lo sciacquio di graniti biancastri,
TEMPO,
la sposa non mi chiede altro
i miei ingorghi pazienteranno ancora
tra un’onda senza fine al tramonto
nel poggio di agrumi e di ninfee.
non rubate la mia vita,
prendete i sogni.
Bruno Mancini

DON’T STEAL MY LIFE
The smile of an emerald sea
a scent of speckled hydrangea
the swell of grazing tourists
the splash on whitewashed granite,
TIME,
my wife asks nothing more
my inner quarrels remain serene
on an endless wave to sunset
where citrus and water lilies convene
don’t steal my life,
take my dreams.
Pamela Allegretto Franz (traduzione)

PAINTING IN ITALY / CAMPANIA

My family lives in Faicchio a province of Benevento, which is one of the oldest towns in Italy. The region has been said to be "paradise on earth." The Roman writer Pliny, a victim of Vesuvius, described the Campania countryside as “so blest with natural beauties and riches, it is clear that when nature formed it she took delight in accumulating all her blessings in a single spot”. I am lucky to spend regular visits in such an idyllic location. And you will be equally fortunate to visit and paint this slice of heaven.
In addition to the countryside, the Campania Region includes the Amalfi Coast. My suggestion is to drive south on the Amalfi Coast, (believe me, it’s not as harrowing a drive as guidebooks describe, especially now that those oversized tourist buses are prohibited). Take the turn-off to the medieval town of Ravello, set high on a mountainside above Amalfi. Andrè Gide wrote that Ravello is “closer to the sky than it is to the seashore.”
If this wild and romantic locale doesn’t get your artistic juices boiling, then I suggest you shred that canvas, pitch those brushes off the nearest cliff, and go drink a liter of vino; you’re not an artist.
Buon Viaggio!

ART & WRITING / FINE-TUNING

Fine-tuning a manuscript or a painting can present needless aggravation if the writer or artist doesn’t know when to stop.

In a TV interview, an artist was asked why none of his paintings were hung in his home. He replied: “I would go mad. I would never stop finding flaws and touching them up.”
Oh boy, talk about being able to “relate.”
I know a writer who finished her novel 5 years ago, but considers herself still in the “revision” process.
Once again, I can “relate.”
So when can artists and writers “move on”? Obviously, there must be a point when an artist or a writer says, “Basta! Enough!”
For writers: maybe you’ve revised to the point where your story is becoming weaker, or perhaps the manuscript you’re revising ad infinitum is flawed and beyond revision. What to do? Seek out feedback from your writer’s group, and in the meantime, get out of your rut and write something else.
For artists: the same rules apply as for writers. Maybe you’ve dabbled so many times you’ve lost the unique “life” of the painting. Perhaps your original drawing or layout wasn’t what it should have been.
Or maybe you all need a shot of tequila and to get the hell over it and move on.

PAINTING IN ITALY - SAN MINIATO

If you’re driving from Florence toward Pisa, plan to stop and set up your easel for a few hours at San Miniato, which is about midway between these two popular cities.
Climb the hill from the Prato Del Duomo, (wear sensible shoes, no flip-flops), the vistas are outstanding, and on clear days the view extends from the hills of Fiesole to the sea, and from the Apuan Alps to the cliffs of Volterra. You can set up next to the tower, which is a post-WW2 reconstruction of the last remnant of a fort Emperor Frederick II built in 1240. How’s that for “Painting on Location?”
Bread, cheese, prosciuto, fruit, water, and wine are available in town if you want to enjoy a Tuscan-style picnic while you paint. Try to catch either a sunrise or sunset; you will not be disappointed.
As usual, pack smart (translation = pack light).
San Miniato has an exciting and colorful Kite-flying festival the first Sunday after Easter; so there's still 6 days left for you to make it this year. Go for it!
Buon Viaggio

L'AQUILA EARTHQUAKE / THE POPE

Okay, I’ve decided to utilize my subtitle: “Now and then, my two cents on just about everything else.”
I don’t mean to rain on the Pope’s Easter Parade, but I read that the Pontiff sent a vial of holy oil to L’Aquila. Give me a break! These people have lost everything. They need food, water, clothing, housing, jobs, etc., etc., etc. For starters, why not send a vat, not a vial, of olive oil? (Extra virgin if that would make him feel better) How about reaching deep into those gold-lined pockets and sending some cash to buy food to cook in that oil? These people have plugged the collection plates for centuries; it’s high time for the “Church” to give back. If the “Church” can spend millions to defend predatory priests, then they can spend millions to help the followers who fund their responsibility-free lifestyle.
I suspect my letter of excommunication is in the mail.
Happy Easter!

L'AQUILA EARTHQUAKE

The earthquake at L’Aquila in the Abruzzo Region of Italy stunned the world. And for those of us with friends and family in Italy the anguish bites a little deeper.
This morning, my friend, Poet Luciano Somma, sent me this thought-provoking poem:
"6 APRILE 2009"
You can find Luciano Somma at:
http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm
http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm

Il terremoto a L’Aquila nel Regione d’Abruzzo sbalordì tutto il mondo. E per noi con gli amici e le famiglie in Italia l’angoscia ci morde più profondo.
Stamani, mio amico, il Poeta Luciano Somma, mi ha inviato questa poema, "6 APRILE 2009," che spinge i pensieri.
Si può trovare Luciano Somma a:
http://www.partecipiamo.it/Poesie/Luciano_Somma/1.htm
http://www.scolastica2000.it/MUSICALMENTE/somma/somma.htm

6 APRILE 2009

L’aria profumava di primavera
Con Pasqua alle porte
La terra che già da tempo tremava
S’aprì
Per inghiottire
Uomini donne bambini
(e secoli di storia)
Anche il ciliegio
S’inginocchiò
Coi frutti perduti
Non bastarono “gloria al padre”
Ed “Avemaria”
Per l’Abruzzo non ci fu pietà.
L’eco di quelle urla
Chissà
Se arrivò fino al cielo.
La distesa
Di azzurro
Una beffa
Di vite lontane…
Luciano Somma

6 APRIL 2009

Springtime scented the air
with Easter at the door
the ground that for a time had trembled
opened itself
to swallow
Men Women and Children
(and centuries of history)
even the cherry tree
was swallowed
with the lost fruits
the hymns “Glory to God” and “Avemaria”
weren’t enough
for Abruzzo there was no pity.
The echo of that scream
who knows
if it reached to heaven.
The expanse
of blue
a farce
to distant lives…
Pamela Allegretto Franz (translation)

PAINTING IN ITALY/SAN GIMIGNANO