Borsheim Art Newsletter:

by artist Kelly Borsheim

copyright 14 February 2019
CONTENTS:

* Happy Valentine's Day - USA trip: Texas, Indianapolis, NC, VA, FL
* Lollipop
* Chianti Wine, Framed
* Brand New Abundance Videos!
* Vasily Fedorouk: Planet of Harmony
* Valleriana Visit and Art Workshops-Snow Pics
* Valentine Gift and FAA
* Blog Highlights: Selling Stone
* Subscription Info.

Dear Art Lover,

     Happy Valentine's Day! Or Buon San Valentino, as is said in Italy. I have laid low on social media art marketing so that I could really focus on finishing some paintings and starting new projects, as well as planning my trip to the USA in the spring.

     I will be visiting the Austin, Texas, area in late April, with Florida before that. In May I hope to see you either at The Franklin Barry Gallery in Indianapolis or at possible events in North Carolina and Virginia. By the next newsletter, some dates and places will have been firmed up so that we can make plans to see each other, if at all possible.

Lollipop Painting:

     One of the best things about childhood is how care-free and natural it feels. A protected and safe child is free to explore the world and see it with his young eyes. Everything is new. Almost everything is of interest. It is a joyful time before the weight of the world of adults comes 'round.


     In 2013, I went to Pontremoli, Italy, with my friend and colleague Kumiko Suzuki, to carve stone for their annual Medieval Festival in August. We were asked to carve huge chunks of horribly cracked marble, and make something worth keeping in just a few days and almost all by hand! The stone was in bad shape because it had been pulled out of the Magra River. Thus, most of my time in Pontremoli was working close to the water. And there, I watched the children play and frankly, wanted to join them. It was a relaxing weekend and reminded me of a simpler time.


     In this painting Lollipop, I not only wanted to capture that moment of the boy, oblivious to anyone else around him and just "being," but also I wanted to paint with more texture [this is mostly a palette knife painting], get some depth into the image, and move away from the traditional skin-tone palette that I have learned in Florence, Italy.


     In fact, some years ago I was introduced to the work of VojtÄ›ch Adalbert Hynais (1854 - 1925), a Czech painter. A friend got some great close-up photographs of some Hynais artwork he saw in Prague. The subtle shifts from cool to warm colors in the skin tones of the artist's figures was much lovelier than anything I have seen on the Internet by Hynais. Subtlety has rarely been my strong point, but this is a direction for which to strive!


     Here is Lollipop and I hope it brings back memories of freedom from worry and a time in which we accepted our natural curiosities about everything.


Lollipop, 30-in diameter, Oil on Wood


Lollipop Detail to see colors and texture

Lollipop
30-inch diameter round
Oil on maple wood professional panel
Copyright 2018-2019 Kelly Borsheim
$4200.

    Many years ago, I bought some wonderful maple wood professionally made panels for oil painting. They are an inch thick! The largest one I bought was a 30-inch diameter circle. A year ago, I had many of my personal things and larger art-making things shipped to Italy, but I have been contemplating what to do on this round board for a long time now.

     You may have seen the instructional video series that I made of Lollipop either on Patreon or on my YouTube channel. I explain there some of the design choices I made. Here is a little taste in this 36-SECOND promo:

https://youtu.be/fmzTJ_1Msqo

     If you would like to see more images from the festival in Pontremoli, please visit:

http://www.borsheimarts.com/news/2013_09_StoneCarving-PontremoliMedievalFestival-Italy.htm

To see the finished bird I carved, click on the link above.


Sketching in the River Magra during Pontremoli, Italy's, Medieval Festival


Chianti Wine, Framed:

     In the last newsletter, I introduced a small painting of a wine bottle from Chianti, a small block of cheese, and a bunch of grapes. I really love painting grapes! Here is the piece framed, some snapshots I took yesterday out in the sun. Isn't the Tuscan yellow wall behind the art really enhancing?


Painting: Chianti Wine, Cheese, and Grapes, 30 x 25 cm Oil on Canvas


Chianti Wine, Cheese, and Grapes, Framed 30 x 25 cm Oil on Canvas


Title Image for Abundance Video

Brand New Abundance Videos!


Abundance was a commissioned pastel painting that I delivered just before Christmas. I recently made two videos about its creation.


The short version [1 minute]: https://youtu.be/y4OEGYDc2dQ


The instructional version [about 35 minutes long] is about Compositional Considerations: https://youtu.be/XXbimNs1UMo


Vasily Fedorouk: Planet of Harmony

     Much of Vasily's work was about family and love, and balance. This garden-sized sandstone carving Planet of Harmony features a female figure back to back with a male figure. They have the planet above and between them. It is a clever design and a lovely piece for the outdoors. Please visit the site and contact either Dilbara (Vasily's wife) or me, if you are interested in collecting any of his available works.

http://vasilyfedorouk.com/

[This year marks the 10th anniversary of Vasily's tragic death.]


Planet of Harmony, female side, Sandstone

Valleriana Visit and Art Workshops-Snow Pics

     Valleriana is the collective name of TEN "castled" villages in the district of Pistoia in Tuscany. Pescia is our nearest large town with train and bus stations. The hills are absolutely lovely here and the location is not far from some of the most beloved places in Italy. We had a light touch of snow on 31 January and I was happy that I had a reason to be out so that I could stop and admire "my" village, Castelvecchio. I hope you enjoy these images of her below.


     One of the things I would like to do is help the economy of this gorgeous area. Work is getting harder to find for the people who live here and often the young move off to make their lives. However, the natural resources, and the centuries-old stone buildings are not going anywhere. I have plans to host a plein-air painting competition, although I have some serious hurdles to overcome. This is Italy after all.


     However, to that end, I have started a Web site in English as a guide to Valleriana. It includes where to stay, where to eat, what to do, and images of our area.


     If you would like to visit Valleriana while you are in Tuscany, I hope this site can be a resource for you. Also, I offer art workshops from a half-day to a full week or more, depending on your desires, minimum two participants. Enjoy paradise with me and make some art to boot! [little pun on Italy]

http://pleinairvalleriana.blogspot.com/



Light Snows over Castelvecchio in Valleriana, Tuscany, Italy 31 January 2019

Castelvecchio with just a touch of white [Valleriana in Tuscany]

Valentine Gift and FAA

     For the remainder of February, I would like to offer my newsletter readers a Valentine gift: Free Shipping on any artwork valued at over $1000. Just mention this newsletter to receive the perks, please.

     There are many ways to support the art that you enjoy seeing and touching. Here are a few suggestions:

* My Patreon page is here: https://www.patreon.com/KellyBorsheim

Even $1 a month does a lot.


* Fine Art America [FAA], my art on a variety of products. If you do not see your favorite image, please ask me and I will upload the one you want so that you may order whatever you like.

https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-kelly-borsheim.html

Request an image if you do not see it on this page and I will upload it to create the art you want.


* Watch, like, subscribe, and share my art-making videos on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/kellyborsheim/videos

* Sculptors and students: Buy my uncut stone that exists in central Texas: I have a variety of rocks that I hate to part with, but it is more difficult to work in two countries and much of it I must allow other carvers to turn into lovely art.

* Oh, and the obvious: BUY art when you can; BUY when something moves you. Or just BUY art and hang it over your couch. It is the choices we make that show off our personalities and it is a joy to create your surroundings to your own liking.


Happy Valentine's Day. Aren't we lucky that there are so many types of love in the world! Enjoy as many as you can.


Peace,

Kelly Borsheim

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