See More Worlds: art

Showing posts with label art. Show all posts

Monday, 16 September 2013

Artists in the hills of Assisi

A wonderful excursion in the afternoon today, with a special group of artists. About thirty of us climbed up a hillside in Assisi, not far from Perugia, and then, each artist placed his artwork that had been prepared before hand, on a rock. or in a tree, or on the ground, each far from the next. The clouds and the day moved on, changing the lighting and creating a marvelous backdrop for each of the art pieces.
It was cold, but there was red wine to keep us warm. Lots of pictures to take, and new people to meet, old friends to chat with. Extraordinary experience.

Thursday, 21 March 2013

Toilet art

WHO would have thought of putting this fine art piece above a toilet?
I will give you a few guesses:

It is in a restaurant in Italy.
It is in an American restaurant.
It is in an Italian restaurant in Italy.
It is in a bar in Los Angeles.
It is in an Italian restaurant in Los Angeles.
YOU ARE RIGHT....THE LAST ONE!!!
Is THIS where art is supposed to end up?? Down the drain? OR......
is this one way of getting people to visit an art show?
However you look at it, when you are looking at this piece, you either have finished doing what you have to do, or you are waiting to do something.
And while you are waiting you can enjoy art!

Friday, 21 September 2012

Seymour's Art - new blog

http://stephanieseymourart.blogspot.it/

My art blog....just created minutes ago.
Only art.
Photography, illustrations, paintings, cartoons.
Just art.
My art.
Take a look and hope you like it.

Stephanie

Monday, 10 September 2012

Occupied by Art - Susan Chandel in Maine

Susan Chandel, artist, writer, musician, has come up witn an incredible idea in the state of Maine and here it is on Youtube: Occupied by Art.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAm1S7fVtJ8&feature=share

The film says it all, but let me just say what I feel about Susan.

Several years ago an artist I had met in NY sent me the link to a peace website, knowing I love to travel and love meeting people and getting them together as well. This website was the hub for artists, poets, writers, and not only. We were 22,000 people when the site fell apart, unfortunately, due to much internal confusion and even some ugly things that went on (as they can) behind the scenes.

It was a huge disappointment, because I and others had been involved in some very interesting groups, and online friendships had been created.

One of the most CREATIVE ladies I met on the site, and have kept in touch with, is SUSAN CHANDEL. She is so filled with ideas and a positive attitude, although she has been through so much in her life, her personality and lust for life has helped her get through very hard times.

We are still in touch every so often, and I did buy a book she wrote "The Dream was to Soar Through Walls" of her poetry and memoirs.

http://www.lulu.com/shop/susan-chandel/the-dream-was-to-soar-through-walls/ebook/product-16302380.html

Take a look at the video for a look through her artsy house in Maine and listen to her story.
Wonderful person, fabulous creative artist.

Hi there Susan, good luck to you and all you are doing.

Friday, 30 March 2012

Berlin, Germany - museums and a walk around town

Started my day always at this pastry shop....

Window displays are very immaginative in Berlin

This is made completely of Lego

Museums, just marvelous

Every kind of art you can imagine is in this city

The whole world admires the great art Berlin has to offer

Love this...

The architecture of each museum is totally different from the next

Magnificent, and with a coffee area to match -- like having coffee in a regal palace

So many museums in 5 days time. It is a city to admire, discover, and go back to.

Tuesday, 28 February 2012

Coloured pencil drawings

A little group I did the last couple of evenings...

Little colored pencil drawings

SO fun to make these little cartoon style drawings.
Ideas just sort of pop into my head while I draw.

I like to use paints too, but these were just sort of a lazy time, just sitting and coming up with these little faces, little birdies....fun!

I have always loved to draw girl's faces, even when I was a little girl. And plants, and people standing alone looking into the distance then....close up, a serious little girl thinking, reflecting, dreaming......

CREATIVE WORKSHOP N.2

JUST IN CASE YOU ARE IN TOWN....
On March 11 I will be giving a creative workshop where we will have lots of fun. I LOVE to use found objects, wire, cardboard, sponges, corks, etc to make all sorts of things.
And the morning of March 11 at 10am until 12.30 we will do lots of experimenting.
I like to make things that can be used at home to organize my work space, or in cupboards. And also I love to create gifts for people, that make them laugh, just because they weren't expecting to see something made out of so little!
Come over to Italy, I will be here (as usual) at ONNIVORA which is a splendid theater in Ponte Felcino which is just outside the center of town, in the industrial area. I see many people who follow this blog are from very far away indeed. That is just fine!! There is always space for you, so hope to see you there!

How many items can you find here.....well....for one, there are plenty of paper clips! And then, a wire for the face, a little screw for the eye, filled with a piece of sponge, like the mouth. The earring is the wooden ring for curtains, and the necklace is a big cork cut up. On black paper, and there you have it! Or should I say, there you have HER!

Thursday, 2 February 2012

Paper snowflake

Kind of a lonnnng snowflake, but gee, I used to make these when I was little....and that was a lonnnnngggg time ago!

Un pò lungo come fiocco di neve...ma li facevo quando ero bambina...tanti anni fà!

Tuesday, 31 January 2012

Art Project: new materials

Exciting, starting a project I have thought about for years.
And stimulating using materials I have never used. Like this rod cutter that cuts this meter-long rod that has threading on it. Have to make my own screws. Sounds funny, but it works.

Eccitante cominciare un nuovo progetto di cui penso da diversi anni.
E stimolante utilizzare materiali che non avevo mai usato. Come questo strumento che taglia barre filettate per poter fare delle vite. Suona strano, ma funziona.

Monday, 30 January 2012

New art project

Fun to make little figures made of wire

and cotton

and thin scothtape!

You can bend them

anyway you want!

Divertente fare delle figure pieghevole con fil di ferro, cottone, e lo scotch. E si piegano in qualsiasi modo!

Monday, 23 January 2012

Creative Workshop number two

My next workshop...should be fun!
We will work with wire, cardboard, corks, sponge, lots of things. Not only can one make decorations and artwork, but also solve little problems at home, using ones imagination.
At Onnivora, Ponte Felcino, Perugia, Italy. http://www.onnivora.org/

Thursday, 12 January 2012

My first workshop at Onnivora

Sunday, January 15 at 10am until 12.30 I will be giving a workshop on creating with many different mediums.
Watercolours, acrylics, tempera, pastels, pencil, ink on paper, plastic and glass.
Come and try out many different techniques, and learn a bit about the different ways to use paints, etc.

Domenica il 15 Gennaio dalle ore 10 fino al 12.30 farò il mio primo laboratorio a Onnivora a Ponte Felcino, utilizzando tanti medium diversi. Acquarelli, acrilici, tempera, pastelli, matita, inchiostro, su carta plastica e vetro. Vieni a provare e sperimentare con diverse tecniche, ed impara dei diversi modi che puoi utilizzare il colore.

HOW TO SPEAK ITALIAN...in 60 seconds

Cavolo...means cabbage BUT you can use it when you want to say WOW!
Non so. So simple, and it means, I don't know. The word no, is no (easy) AND the word so comes from the verb sapere which is to know. So is used for I.....io so, I know. But in this case it is so simple...forget the I, and just say NON SO. Everyone will know what you mean, that is that you don't know!!
Raffreddore -- it means, a COLD. Like a fever, a cough, like what I feel I may be coming down with right now. If I want to say that I have a cold, I say "Sono raffreddata". That translates that I have (or I am) with a cold. You can also say "Ho un raffreddore" which means, I have a cold. Anyway you look at it, you will have to stay in bed or around the house, until you become....guarito or guarita, which means that you are cured!
IMPEGNATA!!! That is what I have been lately. BUSY! Lots of IMPEGNI (appointments, things to do, tasks, chores, you name it!) Actually I should say IMPEGNATISSIMA....meaning very very busy. And to tell you the truth, that is exactly how I like my life!
Per favore.....it is a nice way of asking someone "please" do this or that, or take one, or asking a favor. BUT you can also use it with hands wide and saying PLEASE!!! Stop it! Don't! Be quiet! It is all in the way you say it, and your body language. PLEASE!!!!!
Lo.......this is used when you have a noun like Spagnolo.....you see, this word means a Spanish man. Lo is used because the word starts with sp and you have to use lo rather than il, probably because it makes it easier to pronounce the two sounds....lo with sp rather than il and then sp lo sp, not il sp......When, on the other hand you need to use plural, that is Spagnoli, you must change the lo to gli and then say gli spagnoli. Oh my, this is difficult even for me. Signing off now, will be back with an easier lesson next time.
If you know Spanish, can it help you to know Italian?? YES!! Do I know Spanish? NO! But when I hear it, I can understand lots of it, and I am SURE it's because I know Italian.
Differente....it is easy to see what it means. But the hard part is the ORDER you put this word in. You don't want to use it like in English BUT to put it after the noun that you are calling different. Like I want a different book. Vorrei un libro differente. See, it is AFTER the noun, that is how you use adjectvies in Italian. And don't forget to say the letter E at the end....different - TAY.

Curiosities of Italian Life

VERY curious indeed, this Italian life. On the OUTSIDE it looks like people have loads of money, buying expensive iphones, cars, clothes and even eating out and spending money here and there. BUT on the inside, we are all having troubles with paying bills, hoping our children find jobs (most want to leave Italy now, lots do anyhow). So, the curious thing is that Italians look like they are having an easy time, but believe me.............
Moods........hmmmmmmm......when I am on facebook, I see the difference of the mood here in Italy and the mood in the States. There is a huge difference. People here are moody, due to the politics, especially. We just don't have the fun-loving thouughts and moods of the people in the States. Of course, I am from there, so I have a pretty happy mood most of the time. But being in the middle of complaining and low moods makes it even harder to stay up. Grrrrrrrrrr!!!
No shopping list. What do I mean? I mean, when you go to the market, you don't always need to have a shopping list....you see what looks fresh, colorful and good, and then buy what excites you. I have often had guests for dinner without really knowing what I am going to make. I see zucchini, or tomatoes, or something else and then the idea comes to me. That's how it is in Italy, the visual gives one the idea of what to do next.
City streets.....why oh why are there so many HOLES in the streets!! They just wrote about them the other day in the paper, and there are hundreds (or thousands, don't remember) of holes of all dimensions all over this city. And that means uncomfortable driving that is for sure!! Bump bump bump! The rain opens them up more and then they get bigger. They fill them up sometimes but not well enough. Another of Italy's problems, beautiful country, but we have a large share of things that need to be improved.
Politics. Read on!! In Italy, no matter what the occasion, dinner parties, tv shows, meeting people on the street, watch out, because politics and talking about them is what is in store!!! People just can't get together without talking politics. It is a BIG part of Italian life. And talking about it often can get you in trouble IF the people you are talking to think differently than you do. If they are of another viewpoint, watch out!! If you ever saw two Italians with differing views, you will know what I mean.
SNOW....will it or won't it snow? If it does, the curious thing about snow in a small town, is that everything just about STOPS all of a sudden. They are very slow in cleaning up the streets, but in a way it is nice because you can go out and walk all over the place without any cars around, and then, it is very very beautiful and quiet. So.....into bed I go and perhaps tomorrow it will SNOW!!

EATING and other things....in Italy

TOMATOES -- it is easy to talk about tomatoes in this country. And easy to eat them. They come is such a variety, the ones for sugo, the ones for salad. Ones you can cut into little pieces, or lay out flat with oregano and oil and vinegar and salt.....They are so good, they get lots of sun, and people love to use them in cooking. If you don't know how to use them, just ask an Italian mamma in the store. She for sure can tell you everything you need to know.
Good parmesan, bad parmesan. You know, here in Italy we have wonderful parmesan. It is really really delicious. I once heard that in the States they take the waxy part of the parmesan and even use that to be ground into the stuff you can buy in a box. If that is true, that is really terrible!!!! It would be like eating candles!
Lemons. Why lemons? Because you can squeeze them in water, add sugar or honey; you can squeeze it on meat or fish or salad, or use them to decorate a plate. You can use the peel for flavor in a cake, or to decorate the top of a dessert. You can even use half to put into the dishwasher and make things come out sweeter. Why lemons you ask???
Wintertime weight gain. Yes. Easy to munch on cookies, or almonds or parmesan!! Or a glass of wine and nuts, or a bruschetta! Hard to take off that one or two kili.....that means taking a walk, and today it is going to rain, so wouldn't it just be easier to stay inside, with a nice glass of hot milk and coffee and a few cookies??
JUst how sweet do you want things? In Italy, sweets are sweet but not as sweet as in England, or the States. A cake may have something on it, but not as gooey and sweet as in other places. Salt, on the other hand, is used more freely here than perhaps in the States. Foods can often be very salty, though very good too. Sugar and salt, each country has their own way of using them.
Honey.....it's the time for honey lately, because it is cold, and in the evening is a good time for camomilla tea, or some other hot drink. I like to use honey, good for the throat, and tastes so good. The hard honey is the best, easier to bend a spoon getting it out, but better for you and more "real" and usually biological, whereas the liquid might just have some sugar in it, or not be quite as natural.
Sweet potatoes. If you love American sweet potatoes, the ones they serve on Thanksgiving, be prepared to NOT find them in Italy. It is very hard to find them (actually I just heard a Chinese market has them) but the ones they have in the normal markets are white on the inside! Sweet but white! Isn't that strange!
RED WINE (vino rosso) goes with meat, and WHITE WINE (vino bianco) goes with fish. But wine is so good in Italy, especially the really good ones, any wine is fine most of the time. Room temperature (reds) and white chilled.
CELERY?? When I was a kid, we ate celery sticks all the time. With salt, without, in the lunchbox, or at home in a glass of cold water. I think I have never been served a piece of celery like this in Italy UNLESS they served it with lots of other vegetables to create a vegetable platter to dip in oil and salt, and that dish is called pinzimonio. (better check my spelling on that one, and I will let you know!)
I am going to cook when I get to L.A. BUT it won't be as good as in Italy (see my last post under curiosities of Italian life). I try the best I can BUT the ingredients just aren't the same. And the cuts of meat are different too.

See More Worlds