It showed up! After five different approaches, my final painting for the April show, made its complete appearance today, and wow did I work for it. A good tussling match ensued, scraping, gluing, mixing, slathering, tearing – new print blocks were cut and printed. Scraps from previous works were embedded.
And the Roman Forum was built, this time, in a couple months. Daily approaches were made but the seascape did not survive, nor did the night scene of Campo dei Fiori nor did the Roman wall and on and on I went shifting the surface and watching what was happening. Daily I questioned how was the composition evolving, what were the values doing, where colors working, what was happening under the surface and what did I want to save and sacrifice? I questioned mark-making techniques and were they working towards my direction successfully? And which ones were beautiful?
As the Romans constructed with bits of other and older buildings so I constructed with the remnants left from the making of the Roman Sketchbook. All the ponderings and workings from the sketchbook process were piled on my worktable. They became fodder.
Up went the Arch of Septimius Severus and the Temple of Saturn. Up went the Column of Phocas, glued on was the Arch of Titus with the opening into the arch being a finger print, albeit carefully placed, and blessedly the tiny Temple of Vesta in her roundness showed up, to mention a few of the participants.
Umbrella pines were scraped across the top of the Palatine while the Coliseum weighted down the left side of the painting. Bricks are imprinted everywhere as the cores of all the buildings are brick, and in many cases, is all that is left. Basalt paver stones wander their way across the entire piece simulating the Sacred Way that comes through the Arch of Titus and finds it’s way to the Capitol Hill, the Campidoglio.
The experience of standing on the Campidoglio and looking down in to the ancient Roman Forum in the late afternoon sun returns to me now.
7 - the number of completion.
4 - the square - this life here and now
3 - the triangle - the divine trinity
Archetypes, that cross time and place.
Why not celebrate with food. Hence the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
And so anchovies go shhhhh…..
Moses by Michelangelo is part of a whole…part of the tomb of Julius the II. Ultimate he was pulled from the project to do some “painting”. Moses, however, remains a potent and powerful figure. But you may wonder why the horns?
From glorified skin to radiant as a halo to horns, from Greek to Latin with bits of Hebrew, translations made alterations hence the horns. Just think rays of light!
Fall brings chestnuts. You will smell them roasting on most every corner of Rome. Holiday time candies them, marrons glaces, try them. And as my dear Lida told me of roasted chestnuts…”always with white wine”. So next time in Rome buy a cone-ful of perfumed nuggets and sit down with a glass of white, and take your time.
Oh and do try the marrons glaces gelato too!
A delicious lunch is easy to come by in Orvieto. Don’t forget to have the local wine by the same name. And when you are at home, making your own red sauce, don’t forget the carrot, good olive oil, some onion and a grate of carrot (perhaps some pancetta too) makes a delightful preparation for the San Marzano tomatoes to be received in to. Then simmer and later savor
Don’t forget the carrot. Not only does it add to the flavor but to the color as well.
pigeons were raised for meat. Hence underneath Orvieto, there are many dovecotes pocketing the walls of the underground.
Etruscans were the inhabitants of Central Italy eons before Rome got herself organized. As they built their city states in Central Italy the Greeks were organizing
the South of Italy. The Etruscans left us a lot of art, and curious architecture to ponder, that is what the Romans did not destroy.
Travelers often consider going to Cervetere or Tauquinia to see Etruscan ruins. And I do recommend going. But unknown to many is that fact that underneath the great Orvieto is an equally fascinating city. The plateau/rock that Orvieto sits upon it riddled with carved out buildings. Grab a ticket, that comes with a guide, and go down under.
What the Etruscans started many have since used as well. Here olive oil was pressed.
