More on Florence and Venice

It is almost Christmas and in every city I get this warm and hearty feeling. and lights everywhere!
So beautiful.

Florence Biennale 2011

Yeasterday was the opening of the
Florence Biennale  Internazionale Dell , Art Contemporanea

Whow there was over 1500 people at the opening with drums, flags a prosession and the Mayor opened the event. What a well organised event with 600 artists from75 countries from all over the world taking part.
I was so impressed by the magnitude of this exhibition as well as the quality of work being displayed and only while standing there, realised what an amzing oppertunity and pr evalage     it is to be part of such an event  It was also interesting to see how the artists from other countries were well supported by their Governments
;I will take many pictures and try to upload a short video later,when I have my computer

Florence Italy or (rather as known here )Firenze

Sorry was quiet for a while, had three bad days struggling with a stomach  bug, but winning....In Firenze you can not move around the first few days without a map, and they say Venice is even worse....but having fun while finding my way.
Rising in the heart of the city ,the richly decorated  Duomo_ Santa Maria del Fiore_and and orange tiled dome have maybe become Florence,s most famous symbols
Brunelleschi,s  Duomo is huge was finished in 1463 and was the largest of its time to be built without scaffolding. the cathedral is Europe,s fourt largest church cladded in Tuscan white green and pink marble.

Then the Easter doors of the Baptistry..."gates of Paradise " as Michelangelo dubbed them...most amazing  images depicting Adam and Eve expelled from the garden, Joseph sold to slavery to name a few...amazing use of perspective and to me quite stunning...

The Uffizi...Italy,s greatest art gallery next but in the meantime a picture of Point Vecchio taken from the Uffizi

Proudly South African

When away from home ,I tend to rethink many things and get to appreciate again the smaller gems I have become used/accustomed  to at home, maybe it is because when travelling..I am  " a little out of my comfort zone"...
yet the experience I gain while on this venture is of great value and I learn and experience new things everyday...not necessaraly agreeing to everything but still...
One aspect that I have realized many a time while away from my own country/home is that my travels on my own would be so stressful if I did not have God to depend on. In Christ and with Him All things are possible. He is my constant companion . "How great Though are!"
Ek kan regtig nie al hierdie dinge beleef en ervaar sonder om aan my Here die eer te gee nie.Besef ons regtig elke dag hoe kosbaar dit is om  Jesus as Verlosser en ons Geregtigheid te mag ken! groete

Rocca Maggiore

An old feudal stronghold,(probably dating back to the Lombard times) stands on the crest of the hill which dominates Assisi. The encircling walls with a square tower at each corner are connected with the city walls and a significant sample of the 14th centuary military architecture. The entire structure envokes the rivalry between: pope and emperor
              Assisi and Perugia  and....

             aristocracy and common people in which the city was involved for centuries.....

Quite a long uphill to walk but if only for the macnificant view of the valley, it was worth my while.

Basilica di S Fransesco

Assisi and St Frances are almost one and the same thing.  The Basilica was erected in his honor with many tangible signs of the Saint to be seen.Also  inside the church are many frescos by Giotto depicting the live and stories of St Frances.
Met die instap in die basilica het my asem weggeslaan. Dit was nie net die grootsheid van die gebou nie, maar ook die argitektuur, die detail,die hout en keramiek inlegwe rk en natuurlik die kunswerke.
Dit is eintlik so oorweldigend dat ek voel ek moet weer teruggaan en meer tyd daar spandeer.
Daar is ook n kenmerkende gevoel van gewydheid en stilte wat mens nogal aangryp.
Tog wonder ek of al hierdie verheerliking iets sou gewees het wat hy sou wou gehad het, hy het immers als opgegee om sy lewe aan Christus te wy en as ek terug dink na die grot wat ek besoek het in die berge (sien my skrywe oor The Hermitage of the Carceri) dan wil ek amper my voorstel dat hy sterk daarteen kapsie sou maak...en dan natuurlik kom die kommersiele aspek ook by en oral kan jy klein beeldjies van St Frances koop...dit het my nogal afgesit.
Ek sal ook graag bietjie meer gesels oor die kunswerke en hoe my siening redelik verander het, maar eers nog n besoek en fotos neem....intussen net so proeseltjie van Assisi...(die pienk stad.)

    twee van my werke hier gedoen 

foxes to laydybugs and somewhere in between

"you little fox"......gisteraand vir die eerste keer n "fox" gesien hier in die Mount Subssio Park naby Assisi. Ek besef weer eens dat wanneer n mens n dier self sien of iets persoonliks ervaar,dit soveel meer betekenis kry...wie sou nou ooit opgewonde wees om n "fox" te sien...wel ek was en hy was pragtig,

 In Suid Afrika woon ek naby die wildtuin en besef daagliks hoe wonderlike voorreg dit is...ons lewe in "abundance"

besoek gehad van a Ladybug, dit was so amazing om haar dop te hou, sy was nie baie beindruk met die "photo shoot" nie en en lank daarna nog haar poojies skoongemaak  "Many people are fond of ladybugs because of their colorful, spotted appearance. But farmers love them for their appetite. Most ladybugs voraciously consume plant-eating insects, such as aphids, and in doing so they help to protect crops.

My laaste dag by die Arte Studio en skielik is daar ook n verandering in die weer. "wind gaan my Assisi toe waai"
Gisteraand n fliek gaan kyk in dorpie "Perugia" so 25km van hier af...dis n klein teater waar hulle op n maaandagaand Engelse flieks wys, ek was nie baie beindruk  met die fliek nie, maar heerlik om engels te hoor..te minste kon als verstaan.
Sondag aand ete saam met Marina se ouers en twee gaste Marco Socetti en sy gade.Hy is n oogarts en skilder ook in vrye tyd. Doen etswerk en ons kon lekker oor kuns chat, via Marina natuurlik.Om so om n tafel te sit in n plaashuis tussen n groep hartlike Italianers was kosbaar
Tipe van Goulash was voorgesit met "torta" broodjies, en net as jy dink dis al ..dan word die koolstoof se oond oopgemaak en italiaanse worsies , goen groente wat in die tuin groei, "chikory" (dit proe soos megsel van spinasie en broccoli) en slaai met fennel kom te vooskyn......heel aangenaam

pictures

owls,lichen and other things

Merlo,common in the region,

Walking in the town of Assisi,I saw images of owls everywhere,some carved out of wood and some made with rope and mateial.I asked Marina what meaning was associated with he owl in Italy. She said that it was a symbol of good fortune and luck.
We just arrived home and looking through the window, I could not beleive my eyes..there in total daylight, sat the little owl.....
 Ek glo nie in die term "good luck" nie, maar in die krag en beskermeing van my Skepper, tog was hierdie vir my n spesiale oomblik . Nie veel van n voél lewe op die oomblik hier nie, so  elke lewende kreatuur anders as duiwe laat n indruk.

Die bome in de woud is nie net oortrek met mos nie maar ook met "lichen"...Marina vertel my dat die wetenskaplikes dit in die groot stede  soos Rome en Florence gebruik as aanduiding van lugsuiwerheid.Hoe donkerder die lichen hoe swakker die kwaliteit van die lug..amazing..

Half elf in die oggend en daar is steeds ryp op die grond in die woud

                  we walked to a small waterfall,beautiful and serene

van die druppende water was nog vasgevries

The Tau cross

I saw this shape of a cross everywhere and wandered about it..

There are three knots on the Franciscan Cord; they represent the vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience.  The Tau Cross, formed by the Greek letter "T" was a favorite of St. Francis; it recalls a passage from chapter nine of the Prophet Ezekiel in which the chosen are marked with the sign of a cross.  During the lifetime of St. Francis, Pope Innocent III referred to the passage from Ezekiel as he opened the Fourth Lateran Council; he stated that all who are marked with the sign of the Tau will share in the Passover of Christ.  St. Francis adopted the Tau Cross as his own monogram and as a symbol for his community.

The Franciscan Knots and the Tau Cross

In front of the Basillica the letters "PAX" and the Tau cross on the grass.  Me being very ignorant wondered what this meant, as ex air hostess and working with passengers in the park whe revered to passengers a pax and the cross from a certain angle looked like an arrow, so imagine what I thought it meant..."all passengers..this way please"...sorry I now know better...
dit wys maar net weer hoe n mens vanuit jou verwysings raamwerk sake interpreteer en hoe belangrik dit is om eers die feite te ken voordat mens n indruk of opinie vorm.There is so much more than what meets the eye...

“Pace e bene!” (in latin, pax et bonum, peace and all good to you!)

till next time..maybe I must tell you   "my owl story "

The hermatige of St Francis of Assisi

The Eremo delle Carceri is a small hermitage in a steep forest gorge at the Mount Subasio, some 4km outside the town of Assisi and marina took me there with her car..Italy still amazes me...

In the 13th century, Saint Francis of Assisi returned here during his life to pray and contemplate as did other hermits before him. When he first came in 1205, the only building here was a tiny 12th-century oratory. Soon, other men followed him to the mountain, finding their own isolated caves nearby in which to pray. The oratory became known as Santa Maria delle Carceri after the small "prisons" occupied by friars in the area.The core of the hermitage complex, of course, is the actual rock cave where Francis came to be alone and pray. We walked through this cave and I found it to be very narrow and not high at all...

This complex of chapels and buildings grew up over the Saint's cave.

One day in the early thirteenth century, when St. Francis was preaching in Umbria, a nearby flock of little birds were chirping very loud, and the saint could not make himself heard. He turned to them and asked them to be quiet, please; and they are said to have obeyed, and even to have drawn themselves up in formation in the shape of a cross, and listened to him. This predica agli uccelli quickly became a favorite subject with painters.
"some of the info fromWikipedia"

wine making

"In the cultivation of grapevine a stake is necessary. In ancient times, farmers used a living tree as a stake. To this technique, Italian agronomist refer as vite maritata (literally, married grapevine). Etruscans developed this technique, in two varieties: the alberata technique, in which the grapevine is tied to a single tree and the piantata (planted) technique, in which grapevine, bound to trees growing in a row, develops its branches along ropes tied between trees. ." Here in the park of Mount Subasio Marina showed me the piantata technique , unfortunately due to commercial farming this technique is not used as much as in the past

the local farmers

amazing colours

wine bottle, empty though,but see the heart in the shadow!

farmhouse where i am staying

wynloot wat in die boom groei,sal hieroor chat

Marina and her parents in the kitchen

The farmers wife,Angela and mother whom we bought eggs and wine from

in the woods...

this morning we walked to the farmer next door to buy some eggs and a botle of wine...it was quite uphill and it took us almost an hour and 20 minutes...on our way we went past a cementary..Marina explained about the little lamps at each grave" they go on at night.as a symbol of life"..the way that the cementary was taken care of also impressed me, neat grass, cut short and lots of  flowers also a doll placed at one of the graves...I think there is a deeper meaning to what meets the eye
We walked past a "farmers wife" ,she was looking after some sheep, but talking over her cellphone...how bizarre....

 

At the neighbours house we where greeted by Angelina, she was a hard working woman, I could feel it when she greeted me with a handshake.."vol eelte"..Marina bought the eggs from her and then she took us to meet the grandmother of 78 who was busy gathering leaves....after some conversation between her and Marina, she took us to the barn where the wine was stored....out from beween many a stuff and mousetraps and other things came the bottle....we shall have some tonight.....next I will chat about the winemaking..greetings from Assisi..

the studio

the little light that goes on at night

seisoene

vanoggend toe ek aan tafel sit en die sonnetjie in my oe skyn het die ou song" good morning star shine the earth says hallo" in my kop opgekom, behalwe dat dit good morning sunshine .was..die aarde is beslis gretig om die son te ontmoet na n koue nag....

ArtStudio Ginestrelle

Art Studio Ginestrelle : named after the  flower that covers the mountain yellow in summer: "GINESTRA, A TALL SHRUB WITH YELLOW FLOWERS WITH MEDICINAL USES SUCH AS HYPERTENSITY AND DIARHEE"
High up in the mountain in the National Park I am staying in an old but renovated farmhouse now an art residency. My host is a lovely youg lady: Marina Merli who speaks beautiful english with a lovely italian accent. I flew with Air France and I must say thet the service and crew were great, aircraft modern with a screen attached to your seat,  to view your own choice of movie any time during the flight.
From Paris I flew with a smaller aircraft and could not believe the beauty of the landscape when we flew over the Swiss Alps  it was like a "chocolate box picture" with snow on the mountain tops....
From Florence I took the train to Assisi and had to transfer at one stage with my heavy suitcase, luckly   a young Italian gentlemen  helped me get down the staircase to the other side.
Marina fetched me from the train station and now I am here at Ginestrelle!...long way from home but quite content.Had lovely lunch (home coocked) with Marina and her mother today, (with  good tasting organic wine  from this region ).  Amazing how they can still buy fresh organic products from local farmers and neighbours. Also tasted  fig jam made by Marina,s mother.
went for a walk and was amazed by the beautful "autumn" colours...yellows, sienna, deep reds and oranges...all my kind of stuff.
My reis tot hiet het als goed afgeloop en ek is dankbaar...
Hier kan n mens stil word en die gejaag van die lewe agter laat.  Die koolstoof en die reuk van kos wat kook het my gedagtes ver terug geneem na my oupa en ouma se plaas in die Vrystaat..dis wonderlik hoe ,n reuk mens kan terugneem in tyd.
Ek sien uit daarna om  n tydjie hier te spandeer, tyd na aan de natuur en in gesprek met my Here.

travel...

When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money


Remember what Bilbo used to say: It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.””Tolken

What awaits me I do not know, but I am going ...with faith

Please follow my blog, I will be telling you all about my 4 weeks in Italy xx

To begin with

Baltus once said that “ painting is a source of endless pleasure but also of great anguish”

“In every painting a whole is mysteriously enclosed, a whole life of tortures, doubts, of hours of enthusiasm, inspiration and emotions” (Kadinsky)

Anton Ehrenzwieg  divided the creative process into three stages:..”the initial schizoid stage of projecting fragmented parts of the self into the work. The second(the manic ) phase initiates unconscious scanning that integrates art’s substructure but may not necessarily heal the fragmentation of the surface gestalt….Because the undifferentiated substructure necessarily appears chaotic to conscious analysis, the third stage, too often, is beset with severe anxiety ,it tend to be depressive, mixed with a sober acceptance of imperfection and hope for future integration..” A Process of rendering an idea and the almost nervous anticipation to transform the idea into an image , the enjoyment while forming the image on canvas or paper and  often a feeling of disappointment when the image on the canvas does not match the one in your mind.

This all said, I stil paint, it is what I want to do, what I am driven to do, what I love to do