PAINTING IN ITALY / LAGO DI COMO

Lake Como (Larius, as it was known to the Romans) has been called “the looking glass of Venus,” and Virgil pronounced it “our greatest lake.” Not to be out quoted, Stendhal characterized Lake Como as “everything noble, everything evoking love.” With these dazzling recommendations, how can any artist resist this idyllic local?
I recommend not setting up in the town of Como, as it is a busy industrial town. It’s not that there isn’t a plethora of squares and charming buildings to paint within the town, but if your time is limited you may prefer the smaller, more picturesque villages that line the lake.
Bellagio, which is labeled the “pearl of Larius,” and has also been called “the prettiest town in Europe,” is the perfect spot to set up for a day. Be sure to clamp down your canvas as a gust off the lake can kick up unexpectedly. If your canvas ends up face down in your pallet, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
My personal favorite is Tremezzo, on the west shore of the lake. Landscape artists will love the luxuriant vegetation that includes citrus trees, palms, cypresses, and magnolias.
Buon Viaggio!

LA SERA

PAINTING IN ITALY / CHIANTI REGION

The Chianti Region in Italy runs along the state highway SS222 between Florence and Siena. The Chianti region not only boasts rolling hills and mountain top villages, but a wealth of castles. Some of the towns to look for:
Verrazzano (You might recognize the name as Giovanni "da" Verrazzano discovered the NY Harbor and the Island of Manhattan. The Verrazzano Bridge that runs to Staten Island was named after him.) Castello di Verrazzano, Giovanni’s birthplace is an ideal location to set up an easel, (just make sure to ask permission first). If you get thirsty while painting, you can sample and buy wine here.
The medieval town of Greve, which is the capital of Chianti, is one of the more colorful towns in Tuscany. Set up your easel in the Piazza del Mercatale and have a blast painting and smoozing with art-loving locals.
If painting gardens is your forte, don’t miss Vignamaggio where you’ll find the Renaissance villa that was once the home of La Gioconda, who sat for Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. The gardens, replete with classical stautes and towering hedges, were featured in Kenneth Branagh’s film, Much Ado About Nothing.
If painting architecture is your preference, visit Castellina in Chianti. This hilltop village still has its fortified walls intact with little houses constructed into the walls and nesting on top of them.
Don’t let the seemingly tortuous, winding roads keep you from setting up in the village of Radda in Chianti. The main piazza is an ideal location to capture on canvas a village unchanged from the Middle Ages.
I have only touched on a small number of villages in this Chianti Region that are worthy of a painting outing; certainly there are many other villages: Badia a Coltibuono, San Sano, Castello di Brolio, and Gaiole, to name a few more.
Don’t forget to always take out what you bring in when painting en plein air. Not all open space is public land; so whenever you’re in doubt, ask first before setting up; trespassing is against the law and fines can be steep. I’ve never know an artist who’s been turned off private land when they asked permission first.

The painting above, La Sera, is an original watercolor and acrylic 12”x16” on 140 pound paper. This is my whimsical version of shop and bar lights spilling into an Italian piazza at dusk. The original painting and limited edition prints can be purchased at my art website:
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com
Il quadro sopra, La Sera, è un’originale acquerello e acrilico 31x41cm dipinto sulla carta di 300g/m2.
La mia idea di sogno d’una piazza Italiana al tramonte, quando le luce si riversarono fuori dei negozi.
Si può comprare l’originale oppure le stampe al mio website d’arte:
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com

VINNY & THE VAN GO'S / PIANO MAN

FUN ART

Whenever I get painter’s block (that’s what I call it when my mind hits a snag and can’t come up with a subject for my next painting) I revert to what I call fun art. I use the term fun art because aside from layout and pathways, there are no rules to follow. I’m free to use my imagination with the subject and color pallet.
In “VINNY AND THE VAN GO’S (PIANO MAN)” I combined my love of music and art with a playful nod to Vincent Van Gogh.
The above painting can be purchased on my art website:
http://PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com
Nel quadro sopra: “VINNY AND THE VAN GO’S (PIANO MAN)” ho unito mia passione d'arte e l'artista preferito, Vincent Van Gogh, con mia passione di musica.
Si può comprare il quadro sul mio website d’arte:
http://PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com

Plein Air Painting in New England/Fishing at Gay Park

ITALIAN POETRY/DA DOMANI IN DOMANI by Luciano Somma

In the poem, “DA DOMANI IN DOMANI,” 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

The painting above: “Fishing At Gay Park,” can be purchased at my art website:
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com

Nella poema, “DA DOMANI IN DOMANI,” 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

Si può comprare il quadro sopra: “Fishing At Gay Park,” al mio website d’arte:
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com


DA DOMANI IN DOMANI
A togliere il fiato
al mio cuore bambino
è stata l’attesa
di giorni monelli
e le arrampicate
lassù tra i cancelli
a darmi paura
di tutti e di tutto
donandomi un’alba
vestita di lutto
domani in domani
speranze sospese
cadute nel mare
ne ho fatto le spese
la vita che corre
sul filo di seta
laggiù all’orizzonte
s’è accesa una luce
ancora un’attesa
ma qual è la meta?
Luciano Somma

FROM TOMORROW INTO TOMORROW
To take away the breath
to my child’s heart
that’s been lingering
on impish days
of scrambling
up and over gates
to make me afraid
of everything and everyone
bequeathing to me a sunrise
dressed in mourning
from tomorrow into tomorrow
suspended hopes
fell into the sea
I paid the price
the life that runs
on silk thread
there at the horizon
a light ignites
once more a pause
but to which finale?
Pamela Allegretto Franz (translation)

St. Clement's Castle

PAINTING IN NEW ENGLAND / ST. CLEMENT'S CASTLE

In May, under the expert tutelage of Artist Elizabeth Sennett, our plein air class was granted special permission to spend two painting sessions at St. Clement’s Castle in Portland, CT.
The name “Saint Clement” was chosen for the date of the manor home’s completion, November 23, the Feast of St. Clement. An early bishop of Rome, Clement became the patron saint of mariners and ironworkers, especially blacksmiths, because he was martyred by being tied to an iron anchor and drowned at sea. In his honor, elaborate ironworks decorate the castle gardens.
In a wisteria-bordered courtyard, I was enticed by a stone gazebo that frames a charming well. Since I love painting stonework, this gazebo was too fun to pass up.
The castle can be found off RT66 in Portland, CT
The painting above, St. Clement’s Castle, is an 11”x14” original acrylic on canvas board and can be purchased on my art website:
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com
Si può comprare il quadro in sopra, Il Castello di San Clemente, (l’originale acrilico su tela di 28x36cm, senza cornice) al mio website d’arte:
http://www.PamelaAllegretto-Franz.com

Bicycle 2 Painting

Plein Air Painting With Acrylics

For plein air artists who are new to acrylics I’d like to offer a few suggestions gleaned from many a frustrating outing. Someone recently asked if I recommend painting en plein air with acrylics. My response was, “yes and no.”
I know that sounds like a lame answer, but let me explain.
A few of the pros to painting en plein air with acrylics are: They dry fast, the brushes clean up easily with water, there are no toxic mediums to discard, and quick color washes can be applied to capture tone on days beset with fast moving clouds.
Some cons to painting en plein air with acrylics are: They dry fast not only on the canvas but also on the pallet. Drying retarders can help, but I find them to be gooey and leave an unnatural sheen on the canvas. And if you use the retarder on some areas but not on others, your canvas ends up spotted with glossy patches. Flo-aid is a must for a wetting solution and works better than retarders to keep the paint on the pallet moist. But be careful not to get too heavy handed with the flo-aid or your paint won’t grab properly to the surface of the canvas and a subsequent wash will pull that underlying color off the canvas.
Whether painting with acrylic, oils, or watercolor, painting en plein air can be fun. I don’t claim to call myself a plein air artist; I refer to myself as a "fair-weather" plein air artist. As long as the day is warm, dry, sunny, and wind-free, I’m all for it. If it’s cold, windy, or damp, I’m content to sip hot chocolate and schnapps while painting in my heated studio.
My favorite acrylic paint: Brerra by Maimare (Italian made of course.)
The bicycle painting above is an unframed 11”x14” acrylic on canvas board that can be purchased on my art website:
http://www.pamelaAllegretto-Franz.com
It was such fun painting my first bicycle scene, and just as much fun selling it, that I decided to paint it again. This time the background hues are a bit warmer and the stones are slightly rearranged, so as not to be identical to the first painting.
La bicicletta in sopra è un’originale acrilico su tela 28x36cm senza cornice. Si può comprarlo sul mio website d’arte:
http://www.pamelaAllegretto-Franz.com
Mi ha piaciuti cosi tanto dipingere il primo quadro con la bicicletta, ed ho piaciuto anche vendere il primo quadro, che ho deciso dipingere un altro. I colori sono un pò diverso siccome non volevo averli uguali.

ISCHIA, UN'ISOLA D'AMORE

In May, two of my Italian village paintings were reproduced in the anthology “Ischia, Un’Isola d’Amore.” This compilation of Italian poetry, photographs, and paintings was assembled to commemorate the eighth anniversary of the “Festa del Delfino” on the Island of Ischia. The festival, sponsored by the Delphis Mediterranean Dolphin Conservation Association, also paid tribute to the organization founder and president, Katia Massaro.
One function of the organization is to educate the Ischitani about the presence of sea mammals in the vicinity of the Island of Ischia and to conserve this key area for the Mediterranean dolphins.
The protection of the dolphins’ natural habitat allows the dolphins to swim freely, rather than be rounded up and herded into over-crowded tanks for water park visitors to gawk at. When the dolphins’ natural environment is protected, the money-grabbing water parks can’t use their lame excuse that they have the dolphins’ best interest in mind. I believe the United States can learn a lesson from the Ischitani.
If you find yourself swimming among dolphins, look but don’t touch. Would you like some stranger swimming up and putting his hands all over you?
“Ischia, Un'Isola d'Amore" è un’antologia di autori di poesia, con i loro versi accorati e ricchi di pathos, si alternano a dipinti, fotografie, e disegni.
Il libro è sposorizzata da Katia Massaro, la fondatrice e presidentessa dell’associazione Delphis. (Delphis Mediterranean Dolphin Conservation Association) Tale associazione opera allo scopo di divulgare e proteggere la presenza dei cetacei nelle acque dell’isola ed a sostegno e conservazione di quest’area chiave per i delfini del Mediterraneo.
Vi consiglio, non nuotate con i delfini! Non è gentile cercare di toccarli. Ci piace uno sconosciuto appena arrivato cercasse di allungare le mani sul nostro corpo?
Ischia, Un’Isola d’Amore (con pubblicità Delphis)http://www.lulu.com/commerce/index.php?fBuyContent=666976 9http://www.lulu.com/services/buy_now_buttons/images/blue.gif
Ischia, Un’Isola d’Amore (senza pubblicità) http://www.lulu.com/commerce/index.php?fBuyContent=6722426 http://www.lulu.com/services/buy_now_buttons/images/book_blue.gif

Red Vespa

PAINTING IN ITALY - GETTING AROUND ROME

A while back, I wrote about my preference for painting the architecture in Rome’s back streets rather than some of the heavy hitters, i.e. Trajan’s forum, Caracalla’s Baths, the Colosseum, and Hadrian’s Pantheon. But let’s face it; if you’ve made the journey to Rome to paint, it would be unforgivable to not capture at least one of these gems on canvas.
Even though these monuments are all within walking distance of each other, it can be an unpleasant trek if you’re hoisting a paint box, easel, and canvas.
Bus service is available, but you could waste precious sun light while standing at a bus stop. And I don’t recommend climbing onto a crowded bus with all your art paraphernalia. Roman bus commuters love artists, but loathe sharing their cramped space with excess baggage.
Driving a car in Rome is not as harrowing as it seems. The problem comes when you need to find a parking place close to your destination. So then, what’s the logical alternative?
A motor scooter! Preferably a Vespa, and if you’re going to do it, you might as well go all the way and rent a Red Vespa. (There’s something about the color red that makes it more exhilarating.) Parking is easy and you can strap all you equipment on the back rack. You’ll spend more time painting, less time getting to and from your chosen locations, and it’s way too much fun!
Buon Viaggio!

The Red Vespa painting above can be purchased on my art website:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/

Si può comprare il quadro della Vespa rossa al mio website artistica:
http://www.pamelaallegretto-franz.com/

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!