tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74484124876586062542024-02-07T04:21:59.097+01:00A Passing Fancyanna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.comBlogger199125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-41389977348227412512013-12-29T16:11:00.001+01:002013-12-29T16:11:51.282+01:00"Lotus"
I can't seem to get a proper photo, probably because of the central white image. The upper part of the background is more on the purple side, rather than the red that the photo shows.
Non mi e` riuscito di scattare una foto buona, probabilmente a causa del bianco dell'immagine centrale. La parte superiore dello sfondo e` più` viola che rosso come sembrerebbe dalla foto.
"Lotus" acrylic anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-1507342753392416582013-12-24T14:19:00.000+01:002013-12-24T14:20:18.880+01:00If I had a guru....
"SO BE YUMMY"
If I had a guru, it would be Fr. Thomas Keating, whose lectures in San Francisco I had the great fortune of attending twice.
From Thomas Keating, "Epiphany, the Feast of Contemplatives",
in the December issue of The Contemplative Outreach
"The Incarnation of the Word made flesh is the marriage between the divine and human nature in Jesus Christ. We share in the mystery of theanna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-55816429540351569402013-12-22T14:47:00.000+01:002013-12-22T14:47:38.372+01:00"Reaching"
This painting, completed last night, went through more radical changes than I care to remember. At one stage, in the next to the last image, it was almost finished, but so downright creepy, with birds with talons and feathery things coming off the fingertips, that I had to make big changes.
Here are some of the stages of its metamorphosis from beginning to end.
Questo quadro, completato ieri anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-66692487862016644112013-12-16T13:58:00.001+01:002013-12-16T14:00:40.370+01:00Flora Bowley's inspiring e-course - L'ispirazione del corso online di Flora Bowley
I just recently treated myself to Flora Bowley's Bloom True e-course, and it was a blast! I highly recommend it for anyone who needs a boost of inspiration.
I have been drawing and painting since I was a child; continued in High School, in college, then at the Academy of Art college in San Francisco, have tried countless media, but for some reason until Flora's class I had completed only 3 anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-45199733251066884312013-12-15T11:04:00.000+01:002013-12-15T11:25:05.184+01:00Let's Dance! - Balliamo!
This is my latest, finished last night. It's acrylic on canvas, 24x31", and since my women all look like dolls anyway, whether they are Virgin Mary's or have green skin and text-book hair, I've decided she IS a doll, the horse is a stuffed animal, and at night they come alive and dance.
Ecco il mio quadro più` recente, finito ieri notte. E` acrilico su tela, 60x80cm, e poiche` tutte le donne cheanna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-5617713193742442312013-12-12T12:06:00.002+01:002013-12-12T12:09:17.817+01:00Artist Mark Barone
Mark Barone, an admirable human being and artist, has undertaken a difficult and noble task: to memorialize some of the 5,500 dogs that are euthanized every day in US shelters, by painting their portraits with their name and date of death. So far he has created 3,500 portraits. A museum is being created to show all these paintings, in order to remember the dogs, to raise awareness of this anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-85601280949872790642013-12-11T12:17:00.003+01:002013-12-11T12:17:50.496+01:00Let's try again! Riproviamoci!I thought it had been light years since I had posted here, in my poor little neglected blog, but instead it's been less than two months.
I've decided to try again and this time around I want to focus on art, of course with occasional snapshots of the world that surrounds me, and more.
After taking an online class with Flora Bowley I got the kick in the pants necessary to move my paintings anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-62921343902498732172013-10-20T15:26:00.002+02:002013-10-20T15:31:48.920+02:00My latest food experiment - Il mio piu` recente esperimento culinarioI am going to pretend that it's not true that I haven't blogged in 6 months and just dive right in to show you my latest concoction. I realize the colors are rather unappetizing, but believe me it's good! I only make these really strange experiments for myself, for guests I stick with experiments that are more likely to succeed. So.....
First I made a pot of lentils with the usual carrots, onion,anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-45328531094280938652013-04-21T22:37:00.000+02:002013-04-21T22:37:47.487+02:00Time flies! - Il tempo vola!Yikes, it's been a month since my last post! I think Facebook, where I can just quickly add a photo almost every day, with a brief caption, is starting to take precedence over my blog.
I've been very busy this past month and enjoying it all, but for the moment I will post only photos from yesterday and today.
Yesterday a group of us visited Masseria Abate Nicola, built in 1719 and modified anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-76937735624767607392013-03-22T21:40:00.001+01:002013-03-22T21:40:14.191+01:00Fava greens and blossoms - Foglie e fiori di faveYesterday, through a Facebook post by an Italian friend who has a restaurant in San Francisco, I made an interesting discovery - that the tender leaves and blossoms of fava plants can be eaten raw or lightly cooked. I had no idea. I have quite a few fava plants growing right now, some of which I plan to "chop and drop" as green manure and some of which I will allow to bear fruit. I love raw anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-25002744680759225942013-03-09T19:28:00.001+01:002013-03-09T19:28:30.703+01:00Spring is right around the corner - La primavera e` dietro l'angolo
You would not know it though from the last three very cool and foggy mornings.
Non si direbbe dalle ultime tre mattinate, molto fresche e nebbiose.
Today started like this, but turned into a very warm and sunny day, the kind that makes you forget all but really serious problems. I made plans for the 13 new trees I need to plant - 10 Laurels (Laurus nobilis) for a hedge, a anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-86328013924423408452013-02-28T19:22:00.002+01:002013-02-28T19:22:19.694+01:00Mostly in the background - E` tutto nello sfondoThis is the third visual journal page that started with finding images in the painted and gessoed background. This is how it looked after I started outlining the images I saw with a pencil.
Questa e` la terza pagina del quaderno che e` iniziata con la ricerca di immagini nello sfondo preparato con strati di pittura e gesso, dopo aver definito alcune immagini con la matita.
anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-85279078882230973392013-02-22T10:56:00.000+01:002013-02-22T10:56:00.987+01:00Creatures n. 2All of these creatures, except for the little girl's head, legs and one arm, simply appeared in the layered paint background. I just pulled them out of the shadows (probably the shadows of my brain!).
Tutti questi esserini, con l'eccezione della testa, le gambe e un braccio della bambina, sono apparsi nello sfondo fatto con strati di pittura acrilica. Io li ho semplicemente fatti uscire dalle anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-84051843951268200472013-02-21T13:54:00.003+01:002013-02-21T13:54:52.596+01:00Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls Let me say right off the bat that this is a very approximate recipe, and since I made it up as I went along there are no precise measurements. I made four large rolls on the stove top and ate two before I even thought of taking a photo. They are good!
I used a variety of cabbage that here is called "Cavolo Verza Riccio" and it is the one in the third photo from the top here. It's the anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-28875797044051511632013-02-19T15:51:00.000+01:002013-02-19T15:51:05.344+01:00Creatures and CornbreadIn the midst of putting the final touches on this visual journal page entitled "It sure is crowded in here",
I suddenly got a craving for stovetop skillet cornbread, which is kind of odd since I've never been crazy about cornbread and have eaten it only a few times. I searched a lot for a recipe that fit the bill, and the one that most appealed to me was this one by Martha Stewart.
Of anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-42563105384202586492013-02-17T20:46:00.000+01:002013-02-17T20:46:15.520+01:00A Sunday outing - Giretto domenicaleI usually do nothing on Sunday, at least nothing that involves leaving the premises, but today was different. My friends and neighbors, Klaus and Alex, who are originally from Germany, but currently live here, took me with them to one of their favorite places: the antiques market in Martina Franca.
In genere faccio quasi nulla di domenica, almeno nulla che richieda che mi allontani da casa, ma anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-41550618526790689822013-02-14T17:08:00.000+01:002013-02-14T17:08:31.149+01:00A quick visit to Brindisi - Un veloce giro per BrindisiA few photos of Brindisi, where I spent my last two years of Italian high school, taken a couple of mornings ago.
Qualche foto di Brindisi, dove ho frequentato gli ultimi due anni del liceo scientifico, scattate un paio di giorni fa.
My car was in the shop so we had to walk for about 30 minutes to get to the bus stop, trying not to slip and slide on patches of ice.
This anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-18400397280406579092013-02-07T12:12:00.001+01:002013-02-07T12:12:39.258+01:00Someone's having fun! - C''e` qualcuno che si diverte!
We spent the last few days planting fruit trees, repairing a 21 ft segment of collapsed dry wall (with expert help) and pulling previously cut ivy off of a large olive tree. I let the dogs run loose and they were all in heaven, but the one who had the biggest blast was the infamous Cirillo. The trouble-maker, the bully, the leader of the pack, the one who leads the others down the road to anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-36278724771935452392013-02-03T19:02:00.000+01:002013-02-03T19:02:06.481+01:00A Sunday walk in the neighborhood - Una passeggiata domenicale nella contradaIt was too glorious of a day not to go for a walk, so off we went, camera in hand. Everywhere, silence and sun. This is a taste of what we saw.
Era una giornata troppo splendida per non fare una passeggiata, quindi, macchina fotografica in mano, ci siamo avviate. Ovunque, silenzio e sole. Ecco un assaggio di quello che abbiamo visto.
anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-76602953938011731222013-01-30T19:12:00.000+01:002013-01-30T19:12:15.089+01:00A visit to Ostuni, "The White City"Today, on a gloriously bright and sunny morning, my guest and I went to Ostuni, known as "La citta` bianca" - The White City. Here are some photos.
Oggi, sotto un sole splendente e un cielo blu, io e la mia ospite abbiamo visitato Ostuni, "La citta` bianca". Ecco alcune foto.
anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-77450974415192074902013-01-29T22:34:00.001+01:002013-01-29T22:34:44.617+01:00Just food, no paint - Solo cibo, niente pitturaToday a friend with many years of experience using a wood burning oven came over to help me try out mine, which I have never used and which I don't believe even my parents ever used.
We prepared bread, a pizza stuffed with onions, olives and a very strong tasting fermented ricotta, and a pizza with tomatoes and oregano. It was a heck of a lot of work and I don't know if I will ever want to tackleanna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-84597324275981265522013-01-23T16:57:00.002+01:002013-01-23T16:57:46.199+01:00So many trulli - tanti trulliI have a guest staying with me these days and we are touring the local countryside. Yesterday we visited the strange and enchanting town of Alberobello. The entire area I live in is dotted with trulli, which are particularly abundant in an area called La Valle d'Itria, however, Alberobello is the only town whose entire historic center is nothing but trulli. Unfortunately I forgot my camera so I anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-73455877351953134422013-01-01T10:09:00.001+01:002013-01-01T10:09:19.388+01:00Dedicated to St. Melangell - Dedicato a Santa MelangellSaint Melangell is the patron of hares, rabbits and small animals. I completed this mixed media piece last night, just minutes before midnight, with her in mind.
Santa Melangell e` la protettrice delle lepri, dei conigli e degli animali di piccola taglia. Ieri sera, poco prima della mezzanotte, ho completato questo dipinto in tecnica mista, con lei in mente.
Happy New Year to all - Felice Anno anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-29495136591496109692012-12-29T18:00:00.004+01:002012-12-29T18:00:47.981+01:00Drifting hearts and canine apparitions - Cuori alla deriva e apparizioni canine
Collaged bits of paper, including pages from my Italian high school physics text book, stamps, stencils, acrylic paint, gel pens and markers, on watercolor paper.
Pezzi di carta, tra cui pagine del mio libro di fisica dal liceo, timbri, stampi, pittura acrilica, penne gel e pennarelli, su carta da acquerello.
The outline of the smaller dog and the top half of the larger one anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448412487658606254.post-70825869700753662652012-12-27T16:07:00.000+01:002012-12-27T16:07:24.909+01:00Winged creatures: angelic and not so angelic - Creature con le ali: angeliche e non tanto angeliche....After I completed my most recent art journal I adorned the back cover like so
Dopo aver completato il mio piu` recente diario artistico, ho decorato il retro della copertina cosi`
and then moved on to loose sheets of watercolor paper.
e poi ho cominciato a dipingere su fogli sciolti di carta da acquerello.
This first creature, inspired by Teesha Moore and Sandra van anna mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03053997040371741100noreply@blogger.com2