February

The house and barn from across the street: I think the winter of ’10/’11 will be remembered as one of the snowiest on record. I am lucky and thankful to have a neighbor with a plow, and wood for the wood-burning stoves in the house and garage.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year, everyone! It has been an unequivocal Winter Wonderland–euphemism for Minnesota Crazy Weather–and anyone in her right mind would be looking at property in New Mexico or Florida. But, no. I just Bought The Farm. Outside of Owatonna, Minnesota.

The farmhouse, which was built in 1926, has just behind it a summer kitchen that can function as a temporary workspace. When we get some north-facing windows added in the loft of the barn, however, that will be the studio.

Grand Marais Paint-Out

About this time last year, I came up to the North Shore to paint and enjoy the remnants of summer. While visiting Grand Marais, I realized that the Art Colony had just sponsored a Plein Air Paint-Out, which had wrapped up on the previous day. I decided that I would return the next August, and participate. So here we are.

Epilogue

The evening of our last day in Florence, Lilly and I took the (painfully slow) bus up to Piazza Michelangelo, barely in time to catch the sunset. There we sat on the steps with friends we had met the previous evening, sharing chips and montepulciano, and took it all in.

Venice 2

As noted in a previous post, I did a quick painting on our second day in Venice. Shown here is the sketch, as well as a photo of the scene. It is looking across the Grand Canal, with the San Giorgio Maggiore in the background. Keeping me company were a lovely couple from Brighton, England, Ernie & Cherry, whom I may surprise with a visit when I’m painting in the U.K.!

All Good Things…

Wow, it’s the last day in Italy before I return home, and I am trying to put into words a bit of the flavor of my experience here. You can’t always truly describe a taste, or a color, because it’s the perception of each experience that makes it special. But. Here goes.

Lilly arrived last week, and on Sunday we took the train to Venice. That city is such a visual feast. We had great weather, and on Sunday walked along the canals and shopped. Monday Lilly went off sight-seeing and I painted along the water. Although I did more talking with passers-by than painting, the experience was unforgettable.

In the next blog posting, I’ll put up a picture of the sketch I was able to paint, along with a  photo of that area.

This first photo needs no caption, except to say this was in the Piazza San Marco. The happy couple looked so picturesque and so pleased that I think the day was everything they had been hoping it would be. Sweet!

Cortona

This picture was taken yesterday, before I left Cortona. The street is lake all of Cortona’s side streets: uneven, made of stone, and very hilly.

Cortona 2

Buon Giorno! Today is picture-perfect in Cortona, Italy. This picture shows part of the Piazza Repubblica, or town square.

Cortona

This photo was taken from a hotel down the mountain, and shows Cortona perched up on the hill.

For anyone who has read Frances Mayes’ “Under the Tuscan Sun” and wondered about it, I am here to say that I can see without a doubt why she moved here.

The views are breathtakingly beautiful and the town itself, although filled with tourists, is well preserved.

Near the Uffizi Museum

Here is a photo of two officers just outside the Uffizi.

Here is a photo of two officers just outside the Uffizi. At first they kept trying to get aout of my way, thinking I was photographing the piazza behind them. Once they understood that they were the subject, there was a bit of jostling between them as to which of them should pose, and exactly where and how!