Portuguese Blue Azulejos Ceramic Tile Mosaic Art Portugal
Portuguese Blue Azulejos - Borsheim Art Newsletter
Portuguese Azulejos Blue Ceramic Tile Art
Borsheim Art Newsletter:
copyright 5 September 2018
CONTENTS:
- Portugal Blue: Azulejos [ceramic tile murals]
- Phone-Friendly New Site
- Portuguese Marble and Blue Marble Sculpture by Vasily Fedorouk
- Blog Highlights: Red, White, and Passion
- Subscription Info.
Dear Art Lover,
These last couple of months have been a good time to regroup and reconnect. I was fortunate enough to have family visit me in Italy before we then traveled to Spain and Portugal together. These opportunities are rare and not-to-be-missed.I want to share with you what I found lovely and different during my trip. I am writing now about the azulejo or blue and white ceramic tiles of Portugal. Blue, especially of the royal, cobalt, ultramarine variety, is my favorite color, but even so, it is hard for anyone to miss the azulejo. It is everywhere throughout Portugal! I had recently posted on Facebook an article about the history of the color blue in painting. It seems it was historically a very expensive color to manufacture, since the semi-precious stone lapis lazuli was one ingredient. It was used sparingly by artists until new ways of creating the hues were found. However, I asked everyone in Portugal who I thought might know the answer what inspired the color choice of blue over all of the colors available. No one really knew, but one tour guide said it is a color of royalty. I had always thought that was purple. Boh!
Azulejos ceramic tile mural in Sintra train station, Portugal
The tiles were intended, like the affresci [frescoes] and tapestries in Italy, to decorate otherwise blank walls. However, they were also much appreciated for their insulation against extreme temperatures and humidity. [As you know, tiles are great for bathrooms and other typically humid areas in homes.]
Thanks to a link from Angie Nixon, a friend and fan on my professional art Facebook page, you may enjoy these wonderful images of the azulejo, as well.
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/portugal/articles/a-brief-history-of-portugals-beautiful-azulejo-tiles/
Here are some of the images I took of the azulejos in Portugal, in the order of the places we visited:
Braga, Portugal
Azulejos ceramic tile bench, above the Bom Jesus outside of Braga, Portugal
Azulejos ceramic tile mural in a university building in Braga
A university in Braga features azulejos ceramic tile murals, Portugal
Detail of azulejos, Braga, Portugal (and also below, I like the shaping of the edges and even the holes)
Porto, Portugal ~ Azulejos
Azulejos blue and white ceramic tile mural on the side of a church in Porto, Portugal - Stunning!
Azulejos blue and white visible from a boat ride on the River Duoro in Porto, Portugal
They really ARE everywhere!
In Porto is the São Bento Railway Station, famous for its beauty using the azulejos.
I wish we thought to beautify more of our more mundane, but useful, public spaces.
Azulejos São Bento Railway Station in Porto, Portugal, share to remember local history.
Azulejos São Bento Railway Station in Porto, Portugal, share to remember local history.
Azulejos São Bento Railway Station in Porto, Portugal, share to remember local history.
Azulejos São Bento Railway Station in Porto, Portugal, share to remember local history.
Azulejos São Bento Railway Station - some art deco.
Azulejos São Bento Railway Station in Porto, Portugal: truly lovely.
Luso and the Buçaco Palace [Bussaco in English]:
Next to the public fountain, where we saw a lot of people bringing a lot of bottles to fill, the blue and white azulejos even decorate the signs in many languages that describe how Luso, Portugal became famous for its nearby forest Bussaco and its clean water supply.
Azulejos at the Buçaco Palace near Luso, Portugal
Azulejos at the Buçaco Palace [Bussaco in English] near Luso, Portugal
Azulejos at the Buçaco Palace near Luso, Portugal
Azulejos at the Buçaco Palace [Bussaco in English] near Luso, Portugal
View from the Train from Luso [really Coimbra] to Sintra:
Sintra [west of Lisbon], Portugal
My brother, his daughter, and I never made it into Lisbon, other than the taxi ride to the airport. Nearby Sintra was so beautiful and we have a friend who lives near the beaches, so went to see her one day of our short visit to that area. Here I will show you just a few of the lovelies we saw during our trip to Sintra.
Elaborate azulejos at the train station in Sintra, Portugal
Azulejos outside of the train station in Sintra, Portugal
Elaborate azulejos enhance Sintra, Portugal
Castles abound in Sintra, Portugal
This blue and white mural inside the park with the castles (shown above) is also fairly large.
Mosaics with gorgeous colors and inspired by tropical Nature decorate the floor in a castle in Sintra, Portugal
Castles with brilliant mosaic floors are savored in Sintra, Portugal
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azulejo
- https://theculturetrip.com/europe/portugal/articles/a-brief-history-of-portugals-beautiful-azulejo-tiles/
- http://www.golisbon.com/culture/azulejos.html
- Lovely pics of a list of top 10 tiled Facades in Lisbon:
https://www.lisbonlux.com/magazine/the-10-most-beautifully-tiled-facades-in-lisbon/- I love the empty canal shot [you may note the height of the lower steps is likely near the normal water line] and the workshop image near the bottom of the article: https://www.lisbonlux.com/culture/azulejos.html
- Wow, what an effect this blue and white has!
http://www.golisbon.com/sight-seeing/fronteira-palace.html and There is a tile museum that shows the process of making the azulejos:
http://www.golisbon.com/sight-seeing/tile-museum.html
Sculpture by Vasily Fedorouk:
It is so hard to miss people. I think often of my many conversations with my late friend and mentor Vasily Fedorouk, especially as I am carving stone. Here are a couple of his carvings that are related to this newsletter's topic:
Apollo Portuguese Marble with Gold
And staying with the blue theme, here is a blue marble torso:
New Blog Post:
http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.com/2018/08/red-white-and-passion-painting.html
Lollipop WIP Painting
I hope you enjoy this little snapshot, a 36-SECOND video showing a new painting Lollipop being painted:
If the above does not show properly, you may view the video on youtube at:
https://youtu.be/fmzTJ_1Msqo
As with my Web site, I hope to develop my YouTube channel based on the requests and curiosities of those of you interested in art and how it is created. I want this channel to be useful to you and could use your input and opinions. Thank you… and thank you for sharing, as well as subscribing. Go here now:
https://www.youtube.com/user/kellyborsheim/videos
This next video features the artworks available by my ONLY gallery in the USA.
Less than TWO minutes long!
or here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsCNqo0IzPg
If any of these mostly available works interest you, please contact Don Elliott at the Franklin Barry Gallery, 617 Massachusetts Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 Tel. 317.822.8455, Don Elliott: theframeshopindy@aol.com
Fine Art America : prints on metal!
I have been really enjoying licensing my art on the FAA products online:: 30 day guarantee... pillows, shower curtains, prints on metal, etc. During my Kickstarter campaign in 2015, the prints on metal were some of the awards and upon the success of that project, I ordered some and hand-delivered them to supporters. I was pleased with how happy people were with them: A good quality product and fast service! They arrive ready to hang, so easy!
If you see an image on my site, my blog, or even my Facebook pages that you would like to own as a print or note card or pillow or anything FAA offers, please contact me and I will upload the image for you. I do not earn much off of licensing, but you know, every bit helps me to continue making art. The best part is that you get to enjoy the art images in a way that makes you happy. Win-win.
Recent Blog Topics:
You may follow a variety of art topics on my blog, mostly travel and art:
http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.com
(This is a different subscription list than the one for this art newsletter.)
Thank you for sharing this journey with me. Thank you for sharing this newsletter with your friends and colleagues. Thank you. Please let me know if you would like to commission an artwork; or add an existing work to your home or work collection.
Peace,
Kelly Borsheim
5 September 2018
HOME / Newsletter Table of Contents
If you enjoy Borsheim Art News, please forward it to friends and colleagues. It comes to you about 6-8 times a year from a Tuscan, Italy-based American artist Kelly Borsheim.
----------------------
Give a Book Review:
Thank you for your interest and support in the book I wrote in the summer of 2011 about being a street artist in Italy. I was thrilled to receive such glowing feedback about how I had shared not only the art and the artists, but also something of the political environment regarding street art, interaction with the public and other street performers (my favorite chapter is the one in which I have invited children to join me on the pavement), as well as images of the Renaissance City herself.
The book is titled "My Life as a Street Painter in Florence, Italy." If you have read the book and would like to help in the promotion of it, perhaps you would consider writing up a short review for Amazon.com (or even send me a testimonial for my own site). Your review does not have to be fancy. The intention is to help other people get a better idea about what is inside and whether or not they may enjoy the read.
Just click here.
Scroll down to the section on Customer Reviews.
Click on the button to the right that says, "Create your own review"
Sign in and follow their guide.
or just buy from Amazon.com:
Order from Amazon (US):
My Life as a Street Painter in Florence, Italy
Above: Cover for book:
"My Life as a Street Painter in Florence, Italy"
by Kelly Borsheim
I have about 20 copies here with me in Italy and some in North Carolina, so if you are also here, just write me and we will organize the rest.
Copyright © 2018 Kelly Borsheim
All Rights Reserved
Contact The Artist About This Artwork
HOME / Newsletter Table of Contents
Be the first to see new art: Subscribe to this newsletter below!