Last week was spent doing my civic duty - I was chosen as a juror on a homicide trial. It was intense, exhausting, and incredibly sad to participate in. That’s all I’ll say about it. It was an exhausting week in which there was no art and there were lots of hours of solemn reflection. Let me just say two things:

First, I know that many people do everything they can to get out of jury duty. It is always inconvenient to our daily lives. However, it’s one of the most important things you can do - to make sure that fairness is clearly provided to a defendant and to the prosecution. Second, the one thing that was brought home even more than it already was: NEVER drive under the influence of alcohol or another substance. Enough said.

On to other things.

I did participate in CreativeTherapy for the first time in a while. I used an old photo and altered it. Here is the catalyst and what I said:

Catalyst: Did your life turn out how you imagined?

My response:

Shipwreck Beach, Kauai, Hawaii

I don’t even remember what I thought my life would turn out like. I think I focused so much on getting out of where I was that I never really thought about it. I never had a good role model to show me what the possibilities are.

I suppose I thought I’d be a scientist, a business person, a professional. I never pictured myself anything but struggling and working hard. I didn’t ever think that I would be a person who could relax and enjoy life and enjoy just being with someone. As a kid, I don’t think I ever really believed I’d be in love and that there was a true soulmate out there for me. But that was so long ago and such a hard time. I have come so far from that scared child running away into something else - safety, I suppose -  but not knowing what it was or how it would look.

For the past 20 years - nearly half of my life - I’ve been with Dave and we’ve been together and happy and in love. And everything else has become secondary. I worked for a while and I pushed myself hard. But when I developed chronic illness problems, I had to slow down. And, when I really slowed down and agreed to just find out who I am and where I am, I think I finally started to dream about what my life could be.

Now, I take time to relax. To explore. To just be. I take photos; I draw; I paint. I take care of myself and my husband. I don’t run any longer. I have made peace with who I am today and I don’t wonder who I would be. I am who I am and I am constantly growing.

Bellaggio Street - Source photo for painting

I spent the day doing even more painting. I’m really having fun with this. I went to a larger size - 16″ x 20″. I used this photo (left) as the source and did some “artistic editing”. I’ve outlined some of the basic steps I have gone through to create the painting so far.

Step 1- to block in shapes and layer in the base colors.

Step 2 - Determine light source: add in some lights and darks

I started with blocking in the shapes and values with some deep colors. I always start with colors that are deeper and darker than what I need to use in the final version. It allows me to create the depth and shadows I want to use.

Step 2 was to determine the light source’s placement and then start to build up the darks and the shadows.

Step 3 - More detailing, including depth in windows and more definition of the buildings

From there, (step 3) I added in some of the shading from other buildings. I added in the windows and doors.

Step 4 - Additional detailng. Stopping for the night

Step four was to add in some additional detail and leave it for the night. I’ll let the paint dry completely and see what it needs tomorrow.

I think that it’s close to done. I need to do some more work on the buildings in the front and I might add in more detail on the far building. The steps need more definition, too.

I have plans tomorrow to take my mother-in-law out shopping. We’re looking forward to it. I’ll update more when I have more to show.

Verrano Station - Acrylic on canvas 12" x 12"

I thought I’d share where I am with my paintings based on photos from our visit to Italy. It’s the first time I’ve done acrylic paintings based upon architectural photos, and I’m still enjoying the process and getting ready to start a new one!

The Verrano Station painting is completed. It has been varnished and is now sitting somewhere in my husband’s office. It changed considerably from the first version, but that’s the beauty of acrylic painting for me. The painting really develops over time for me.

Menaggio alleyway - WIP - day 4

The Menaggio Street painting is still in process. I’ve worked another two days on it and it’s close to being done. Here on the right is the version that I had at the end of yesterday. It was headed in the right direction, but there wasn’t a cohesiveness between the buildings on the street.

Menaggio alleyway - WIP - day 5

In Italy, I felt that cohesion, since the buildings were all about equally aged. I wanted to show that same cohesion. So, I spent most of today building layers of glazes to add some age and at the same time, preserve the light. I also added in some doors and windows.

Tomorrow, I’ll paint the sides of the Menaggion painting and see if there is anything else I need to add.

This was a great exercise for me. I plan to do more with my photos from this trip and I might even start looking back at some of the photos from last summer’s trip to France.

In Flight - WIP

Last week, I returned to a canvas that I started back in December. It sat for a while. I just really doodled with the color. I wasn’t sure where it was going and I was working completely intuitively. Unfortunately, for all the time it sat there, I cannot find a photo of it before I revisited it. So, you’ll just have to believe me when I say it changed significantly. Like I often do, I worked intuitively, with an idea in mind, but not making myself focus on that. If something else developed then I’d help that to happen. And that is what happened in this case.

What did it turn into? Well, to me, it looks like someone flying over the darkness. It was over a desert at one point. I’m not sure it’s done yet. I think the face needs some detail, but maybe not. I’m planning to let it sit for a few weeks to see what I think when I step away from it for a while.

Como sketch based on a photo from our trip to Italy

And, while I was working through all the photos to create the posts about Italy, I thought it was time to use those photos for my art. I started to sketch from the photos. I created the sketch to the right from one of the photos. It’s done with watercolor and pen and ink. I tried out some new things, since that’s what I do in my journals. It was good practice for what I decided to do next.

Yesterday, I met Dave for lunch at his office. I think I’ve mentioned before that the majority of my art goes into his office or into our home’s decor. In this case, I had visited him and he needed something with more color. This time, he didn’t want medical art, just something with color. I love it when he asks for things like that. It gives me a chance to just do whatever! I immediately came home and pulled out two 10″ x 10″ canvases.

Menaggio alleyway - WIP - first day

I planned to just use my acrylic paints but I had no direction from there. I decided to try something different for me. Using photos as inspiration, I started sketching out an image of a Menaggio alleyway. The way the buildings were all connected and created the streets in Menaggio was charming. So, I started with a rough sketch that ended as you see on the left. I let it sit and moved on to the next canvas.

Verrano Ferry Station - Day 1

I sketched an awning that is the entrance to the Verrano ferry station. I didn’t want it to be literal, but I wanted to start with the idea of it. I created some buildings behind it based upon the different buildings I saw when we were there. It ended like the image to the right last night.

Menaggio alleyway - WIP - second day

So, this morning, I was all excited to get back to work on these canvases. I started with the Mennaggio alleyway and grabbed a black watercolor pencil to create some detail, including the delineation between buildings, adding a door and adding in some windows. I’m not sure about the placement of the door. I might need to push it back further into the painting for balance, but we’ll see. It’s not finished yet, but it’s done for today. I’ll likely pick it up tomorrow again for the third pass.

Verrano Ferry Station - day 2

In between allowing the layers on this to dry, I worked on the Verrano painting. It has changed drastically since yesterday. I lightened the center building, added more depth to the awning and changed some of the colors there. I even added some definition in the trees and balanced out the blue that is on the left with some blue tone in the building on the right. Like the other one, it’s not done yet. I still need to add in some details and it will be going through a third pass, as well.

I’m really enjoying these paintings. I’m trying hard to keep a balance between the inspiration and some abstraction. It’s a change for me from completely abstract or drawing from life - sort of a hybrid, but I’m glad I’m trying it.

More tomorrow!

Car and truck in front of us in our traffic jam on the Autostrade from Florence to Milan

Before we get to Milan itself, we have to talk about the drive from Florence. It was supposed to be three hours. But we got into a traffic jam. on the Autostrade on the way there. It took an hour for us to get through it. While we sat there, I did what I always do when we have time. I drew! I don’t often try to draw cars and trucks, since they’re so complicated and I have trouble getting the parts to fit together on paper, but I was really with this one!  I was, however, much happier when we started moving and heading to Milan.

First two levels of the Duomo, Milan, Italy

We got lost on our drive into Milan, but we finally found our hotel. We stayed at a very trendy hotel, Hotel Straf. The first thing we noticed was the crowd of people outside the hotel - on cusions and ottomans that were on the sidewalk and in the street that was closed off to traffic. I was concerned. We were tired, we wanted a cozy hotel room where we could sleep and relax. We found this hotel as we find most of our hotels, through the Frommer’s guides. It was listed as a “find”. Well, it was, um, different. Very dark and sparse - in the lobby, the doors, the walls, the furniture were all black. If I hadn’t seen someone go in to the elevator, I would not have known it was there!

Corner of the Breakfast Room, Hotel Straf, Milan, Italy

This was the art in our room at the Hotel Straf

When we got to our floor, there were no doorknobs. There were instructions on the key envelope describing how to open the doors. Not homey at all! We were tired and hungry. Luckily, there was room service, which we called as soon as our luggage arrived. The room’s decor was quite sparse, too. Concrete floors and walls, black furniture (if you want to call a slab of wood furniture), and a large painting in black and off-white.

Milan's Duomo with its Gothic feel

The next morning, we went for breakfast downstairs in the hotel. There was, well, some interesting techno music playing very loudly. The room was sparse - incredibly sparse. The techno music was jarring. It was an interesting way to start off the morning, even if it’s not our choice of how to do so. We shall never forget Hotel Straf for its trendiness and sparse industrial feel.

Center door to Milan's Duomo

We walked around Milan, exploring. Near our hotel was the Duomo, another amazing structure. I, of course, had to draw it and did! We were across the Piazza Duomo at a cafe when I drew this. It was interesting to draw it from so far away, with so much detail I inevitably missed. But I got a feel for it. As we got closer, though, I realized just how much artistry went into this structure - sculptures, frescoes, niches… Every time I looked at it up close, I noticed something else I hadn’t before.

Piazza Del Duomo, Milan, Italy

Modern Sculpture next to Duomo, Milan, Italy

There was, however, quite a bit of incongruity in this part of Milan. There, next to the Duomo was a huge screen. On the screen, advertisements flashed. It seemed so out of place and I didn’t quite know how to talk about it. So, instead, I took the photo to the left. And you may see below it and to the left in the corner there is a red statue. It is outside of one of the museums, there was a large red modern sculpture that interested me. As we got closer, I saw that it was not just a red sculpture; it was also interactive with very dark music and dark text all over it. As we got closer, I noticed that there were steps leading into the sculpture so you could walk through it. We didn’t spend a lot of time there, but its incongruity next to the Duomo was intriguing.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II Historic Centre

Street View from the Royal Cafe, Milan

We walked around the shopping area near the Duomo and just did some window shopping. There was nothing we couldn’t live without, with the exception of a new artist’s journal from the Fabriano Boutique. Otherwise, we just enjoyed our one full day in the city by walking around. We had a flight the next morning out of Malpensa and needed to go back to the room to pack. We decided to grab dinner at a little restaurant a few blocks from the Duomo, where the menu looked good. The restaurant was the Royal Cafe, and the food was excellent! A great way to spend our last evening.

You can see some photos of our trip that I’ve not highlighed in the past few posts by going to my flickr set. Thanks for joining us on our trip!

View from our hotel room in Piazza della Signoria

Goodness! It appears to be taking me longer to tell you about my trip than it did to actually take it! So here we go!

Onward to Firenze (Florence)! The drive to Florence was uneventful, which we like. The drive was beautiful. We stayed at a lovely Bed and Breakfast, Residenza d’Epoca in the Piazza della Signoria. Each room has its own decor and flavor based on an artist. We stayed in the Leonardo room, overlooking the Piazza. What a fabulous view! (see right) Just behind those statues is the Uffizi.

Carousel at Piazza Della Republica Firenze, Italy

Window at the Piazza della Republica, Firenze, Italy

We walked around Florence, to the markets and ended up in the Piazza della Republica for our daily gelato and espresso. We went to Gilis - a cafe that has been in Florence since 1733 - and we lucked out. They also had sorbet, which meant I could enjoy some cool refreshment, too! While we sat there, among all the grey Parisian-style buildings, was a colorful carousel. It just begged to be drawn! So I drew it and the building behind it. With more time to sit, I decided I needed to draw some more, and so I drew a window from across the Piazza from the cafe. The architecture is so staid and yet there is so much life in the streets - street vendors, people talking on cell phones and rushing to meetings, and tourists taking photos and looking at menus.

Ponte Vecchio, Firenze, Italy

We, of course, walked over the Ponte Vecchio, which was right near our hotel. What a crazy place! People everywhere! We looked at a lot of the fabulous jewelry there, but didn’t buy anything.

Duomo tower in Florence

Lamp Post in Firenze, Piazza della Republica

Reflection of the Palazzo Vecchio in a window across the Piazza della Signoria

We decided that there was so much to see that we needed to get some tours in. We took the most amazing tours with Artviva. We highly recommend them. We took two tours with them, The David Tour and the Original Florence Walk. Seeing Michelangelo’s David in person is a breathtaking experience. I can’t even begin to explain how amazing the sculpture is in person. And our tour guide for this tour is, himself, a marble sculptor, so we had his fabulous perspective. We learned all about the history of the statue, of Michelangeo’s life and how he came to create the David. The next morning, our last in Florence, we took the three-hour Original Florence Walk. I was concerned, since it was toward the end of our trip and it was a lot of walking, but it was so fascinating that I absolutely enjoyed every minute of it. Our tour guide had a great social history perspective and clearly had studied art history, as well. The tour was incredibly interesting and exhausting! Afterwards, we went to lunch.

I did a lot of drawing and we really enjoyed our time in Florence. After lunch, we headed out on our trip to Milan. More on that tomorrow!

Grand Canal, Venice, Italy

Venice, known as the City of Love. Also known as the reason we went to Italy in the first place: Dave was invited to speak at a European neurology conference. We were forewarned that the canals were less than pleasant; however, they dreged the canals a few years ago and we noticed no major smell. That was a huge relief!

On to the fun part!

Just one of the many ornate windows at the Basilica San Marco

The conference put us up at the Hotel Carlton Grand Canal. It’s across the canal from the train station.

Boats docked across the Grand Canal in Venice, italy

It was a great location and there was a lovely bistro right near our hotel that had good food at very reasonable prices. The drawing to the left was done while we were sitting at that bistro. So many small boats were tethered to the posts in the canal. It really is amazing to see a city that has absolutely no form of transportation other than boats and walking. It really has such a different feel to it. The streets are made for walking (even if the walking is uneven on the stone and brick paths), the bridges are wide and the steps on those bridges are not steep. It’s really not the type of place you want to visit with a wheelchair, though. Especially if you don’t plan to ride boats everywhere. But there were a few bridges that had ramps in addition to the steps.

Gondola Station, Venice, Italy

We did lots of walking. I was really glad I had my quad cane with me. Between that and Dave’s arm, I was able to get around pretty well.

The food in Venice was good everywhere. There was nothing we didn’t enjoy. I ate a lot of seafood while we were there, fresh caught from the Adriatic. The food was easy to eat, even with my allergies. There was something on every menu that I could eat. What a relief!

Door of a building near the Jewish Ghetto across the canal from where we sat.

We wandered through many of the streets of Venice, window shopping and choosing the right pieces of Murano glass to take home. The streets of Venice are small and the buildings are cramped together. Then, all of a sudden you walk into this area that could fit several football fields in it and it’s the Piazza San Marco. Amazing. The sculptures, frescoes, and architecture… The money and time that went into this is incredible.

Next, follow us on our trip to our next destination, Firenze!

Verona, Italy

“Two households both alike in dignity, In fair Verona where we lay our scene.” - Shakespeare

Drawing of the view from our table at Alle Fogge in Verona, Italy

Juliet's Balcony, Verona, Italy.

Seriously, could an English & American Literature major miss the opportunity to visit the setting of Shakespeare’s greatest known tragic love story, Romeo & Juliet? Certainly not this one! Verona is such a beautiful city. We really enjoyed our day there.

Verona's Coliseum preparing for a new production. Verona, Italy

We stayed at the Due Torri Baglioni Hotel. It’s a beautiful hotel. The rooms were lovely, and it’s located in the Piazza St. Anastasia, right next to a lovely Basiclica St. Anastasia. We stopped a few blocks down the street from it to have lunch on Alle Fosse.

From there, we walked through Verona and really enjoyed the size of the city. It’s a small enough city that we could cover most of it in a day and still relax and enjoy it. We walked to the Piazza Bra, where there is an original Coliseum still standing and still in use. They were preparing for what looked like a production of Antony & Cleopatra.

Festival in the Piazza Bra, Verona, Italy

Lamp Post, Verona, Italy

At the Piazza, we sat and went for coffee and gelato (Dave, of course, had the gelato!) while I drew a picture of one of the tents in the festival that was going on in the Piazza. There were, for the most part, food tents. From our seat at the cafe, I could see this cheese tent (left) that I just had to draw. And then I noticed this fabulous lamp post and, of course, I needed to draw that, as well. I love that all the lamp posts that used to run by gas or candle are now retro-fitted to be electric. It adds such a flavor to the cities.

That evening, we had reservations at one of the smallest restaurants we’ve ever been to, Arche. It’s family-owned and run, since it opened in 1879! Rather than having a wait staff that takes the orders, Chef Giancarlo Gioco comes out to meet each guest and discuss the menu. Their specialty is seafood and the fod was cooked completely without anything I was allergic to. The meal was, by far, the very best we had in our entire time in Italy - and that’s saying something, since all the food was great!

We left the next morning for Venice. I’ll be telling you all about that in the next installment of our trip!

Menaggio, Italy

We had a fantastic vacation in Italy. We got back last week, and I’ve been slowly coming out of the jet lag and I just had a treatment on Monday. Now, however, I’m feeling much stronger and I’m ready to tell you all about my trip and to share photos and drawings. There’s so much to share that I’ll be sharing in several segments over the next week or so.

Menaggio, Italy - View from Grand Hotel Menaggio

We arrived in Milan at 6pm local time. Knowing how tired we’d be, we stayed overnight at an airport hotel. It’s a good thing we did. We were completely exhausted an hour later and almost fell asleep at dinner!

Wall along the lake at Grand Hotel Menaggio

The next morning, we had breakfast and left for Lake Como. It was about a two-hour drive, and after we got out of Milan, it was a pretty drive. I started taking photos from the car once we got to the Lake Como region. If there’s a traffic light or we slow down at all, I’ve got my camera out. It makes Dave laugh, but at least he doesn’t have to stop every five minutes for me to capture the photos!

Via Della Rose, Menaggio, Italy

We got to our hotel near lunchtime. We stayed at the Grand Hotel Menaggio, which was lovely. The rooms were so pretty and we had a lovely hotel staff that was so very accommodating - just what you want in a hotel staff, right? Each day, Dave and I would take a walk to the Piazza at Mennaggio. We passed the building I drew on the Via Della Rose every day, so I just had to draw it! Menaggio is a small town that has a lovely square thatn is edged by with gelato stands and cafès. While Dave had his daily gelato, I had my expresso and drew. There was always something to draw!

Clock in the Piazza Menaggio

The Piazza’s clock was so interesting to me. I actually didn’t even notice it for the first day! But once I did, I was enchanted and I knew I needed to draw it along with the person sitting on the bench behind it.

Our second day in the Lake Como region, we decided to take a drive down to Tremezzo. Villa Carlotta is there. It’s a late 17th Century villa built with gardens, fountains and sculptures.

Villa Carlotta Botanical Gardens - Cactus

Villa Carlotta Botanical Gardens - Bell Tower and Dome

Inside the villa are priceless paintings and sculptures. Outside is a fabulous botanical garden. We were surprised to see a cactus garden as part of the gardens. The juxtaposition of the cactus with the heavily wooded areas was quite surprising. I didn’t ever think that cactus would grow that far north unless it was kept inside. Shows what I know about horticulture! But we had such lovely weather and so we sat on a bench that overlooked the lake from the top level of the villa. From there, I just had to find something to draw. There was a cool domed building just below us and I drew that (right). I think it was the ticket office and gift shop of the Villa and Gardens.

Bellagio's small streets - large enough for a car and for shoppers to squeeze against the walls to allow the cars to pass

Our last day in the Como region, we decided we really wanted to see Bellagio. It’s one of the main tourist attractions in the region and we had heard so many cool things about it. It would have been a two-hour drive on windy roads that would have gotten me sick. So, we made the decision to brave the ferry. Now, for those of you who read my blog regularly, you know that I get seasick on land with no provocation, so going on the boat was a huge leap of faith. We figured, though, that we’d be in Bellagio and take the first ferry back, if necessary. No such back-up plan was necessary. I was fine on the trip from Menaggio to Bellagio. No problem at all! And so worth the risk!

Verrano, Italy from the Ferry

We had a fabulous day in Bellagio. We walked up and down the very steep streets and did some window shopping. I took a ton of photos, and then we went to lunch. We found a nice little restaurant on the lake and enjoyed people-watching while we ate. After lunch we went back up the hill to see what we had missed.
We returned on the ferry to Menaggio for our final evening. Unfortunately, I did get vertigo from the trip back to Menaggio, but a short nap helped me get past that. I was even up to drawing. We sat out on our balcony and I drew the wall surrounding the balcony. It’s one of my favorite drawings from Menaggio. I was fine for dinner and the next morning’s adventures.

More on our trip tomorrow! In the meantime, you can see more of my photos from this portion of the trip here; my drawings from this portion here.

Necklace by Amanda Davie sent as a giveaway

I confess: I read a lot of blogs. I enjoy meeting people and getting to know them through their daily lives, their artsy endeavors and blogs. Sometimes, of course, bloggers offer fabulous give-aways. Amanda Davie’s blog is one I read regularly.

About a month ago, Amanda posted a giveaway - a lovely necklace she made. Amanda describes it “Lots of wire wrapping, Swarovski Crystals, antique chandelier crystals, freshwater pearls, quartz, semi-precious stones, and a handmade bird cage pendant.” I was in love with it and I immediately commented as such. Well, earlier this week, I received an email from Amanda lettingme know that I had WON this gorgeous necklace. Yesterday it arrived in the mail in a lovely handmade art-quilted pouch. It’s even more gorgeous in person and tomorrow, I have a family brunch where I will wear this beautiful piece of art proudly.

Sneak Peek at Crazy Quilt - hand-stitching

Thanks Amanda!

In other news, I’m getting stronger each day, and the past two days, I’ve even been out to run some errands and I’ve not needed major naps soon thereafter - significant progress, let me tell you!

While at home, I’ve been working on hand stitching a crazy quilt. I’ve never done one before, but I had all these brightly colored scraps and fat quarters and I was inspired to just start putting the quilt top together just before my surgery.

Sneak Peek 2 at crazy quilt in pogress

I had thought I would stitch it during my convalescence. It took longer than I thought for me to be comfortable enough to sit up and stitch, but I’ve been working on it daily for the past week. I have always found stitching relaxing.

Monday is my treatment again. I suspect it will hit me pretty hard, as I’m just starting to get back into my regular routine. But it’s all good. We’re counting down two weeks until our vacation in Italy, so I’m more than happy to relax next week and get my strength up for the trip.

Now I’m off to learn Italian phrases and to stitch some more!

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