Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Venice's Acqua Alta: A Survival Guide

Navigating Venice by passarelle; photo by Gwenael Piaser from Flickr
We've all heard about Venice's flooding...this phenomenon usually occurs in the winter months, but it can happen earlier.  According to this informative article, courtesy of www.walksofitaly.com, most of the city stays dry during such floods and locals and tourists may carry on with their plans.  But it's a fascinating read nonetheless, especially as I and Kelly Medford take our students to Venice for our painting workshop on October 12, 2013. 

How often does acqua alta occur?

Statistically, exceptional high tides—when the water level of the lagoon is 140 cm (55") or more above the standard sea level, the point at which more than half of the island of Venice is flooded—only happen once every four years. But more minor flooding occurs much more often: Water reaching 110 cm (43"), at which point flooding covers 14 percent of Venice, happens about four times a year.
In general, if you’re coming during the winter, particularly November or December, be prepared for the possibility of acqua alta!
Here’s a good video tour of what to expect when it gets really bad...click HERE to read more (including why you shouldn't bother taking your rain boots)!
Come with Helen K. Beacham and Kelly Medford to paint Venice this October...
Two Spots Left!
click HERE for details!

READ MY LATEST POST HERE.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Dali Exhibit in Venice

"The Dali Universe" at  Museo di Sant'Apollonia - Venice, Italy
A retrospective exhibition through May 20, 2013
This exhibition of over 100 artworks is dedicated to the renowned artist and master of Surrealism, Salvador DalĂ­. You will see an important grouping of sculptures of which the Profile of Time and the Space Elephant are two famous examples.

The exhibition also consists of an important collection of rare, hand-signed graphics illustrating the great themes of literature.  Read more HERE....

Come paint Venice this October with Helen K. Beacham and Kelly Medford.
Click HERE for details!

READ MY LATEST POST HERE.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Italian Fiesta

Salmon Carpaccio
The term ‘carpaccio’ is used for any preparation made with thinly sliced raw meat, fish or vegetables (usually seasoned with lemon or vinegar, olive oil, salt and grounded pepper) or fruit.
Carpaccio is the international name of a typical Italian dish made with raw meat. The dish was proposed with this name for the first time in Venice, at the time of an exhibition dedicated to Venetian ...read more here.


Come paint Venice this October with Helen K. Beacham and Kelly Medford.
Click HERE for details!

READ MY LATEST POST HERE.

Roman Coliseum - Appears before your very eyes!



Fascinating to watch another artist (Dr. Azizi) sketching the Roman Coliseum - especially because it's in high speed!  Enjoy the video HERE.

Dr. Azizi is an architect, and you may see more of his magnificent drawings on this page HERE.

Come paint Venice this October with Helen K. Beacham and Kelly Medford.
Click HERE for details!

READ MY LATEST POST HERE.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Video of Beautiful Venice

This is a great amateur video of beloved Venice!  

See it HERE.


Come paint Venice this October with Helen K. Beacham and Kelly Medford.
Click HERE for details!

READ MY LATEST POST.



Tuesday, April 23, 2013

In Venice, Capturing the Brio of Festivities Past




VENICE — To find the atelier of Antonia Sautter, a period costume designer and founder of one of Venice’s legendary Carnival balls, you alight at Saint Mark’s vaporetto station along the Grand Canal and follow a young man carrying a purple velvet heart.  The cutout was this year’s invitation to ...read more here.


Antonia Sautter in one of her workrooms in Venice, amid some of the elaborate creations she both sells and rents.

Come paint Venice this October with Helen K. Beacham and Kelly Medford.
Click HERE for details!

READ MY LATEST POST HERE.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Italian tourism industry benefits from wedding business



Published: April 20, 2013 at 12:27 PM

How do you say "I do" in Italian?
ROME, April 20 (UPI) -- Italy's tourism industry took in $411 million in 2012 from couple's traveling to Italy to be married, a private consulting firm said.

Italy played host to 6,180 weddings of foreigners in 2012, drawing an estimated 1.2 million wedding guests, leisure consulting firm Jfc said.

The ceremonies cost a combined total of $114.6 million, and 82 percent of foreigners who got hitched in Italy elected to stay in the country for their honeymoons, generating another $29.7 million, Italy's ANSA news agency said.

Wedding guests spent another $267.2 million on travel and accommodations.

Venice and Florence have added a "wedding tax," for couples choosing public places for their ceremonies.
A wedding at the lavish Sala Cuoi d'Oro in the Ca' Vendramin palace in Venezia, costs the happy couple 5,000 euros or $6,538.

Courtesy of: 
http://www.upi.com/Business_News

Come paint Venice this October with 
Helen K. Beacham and Kelly Medford.
Click HERE for details!

READ MY LATEST POST HERE.

How to Avoid Jet Lag

Afraid of Jet Lag?
Jet lag is often the reason people dread flying.  I found this website very helpful in planning for my upcoming trip to Venice.  Click HERE.

Come paint Venice this October with Helen K. Beacham and Kelly Medford.
Click HERE for details!

READ MY LATEST POST HERE.

Rick Steves' Tips about Venice!


Keeping my eyes and ears open for news from Venice!  And here, just in time, is some from Rick Steves! 
"In Venice, the Accademia, which is known for its great collection of Venetian Renaissance art, is open but still in a constant state of disarray, with a major expansion and renovation dragging on for years. The locations of paintings isn't yet set. The upside is that crowds have died down, so there's no longer a need to reserve a ticket in advance.
To make the most of cruising Venice's Grand Canal on a public vaporetto (water bus), catch the boat at Piazzale Roma (just before the crowded train-station stop), where you'll have your choice of seats. A few boats have seats in the bow with great views; make a beeline for these."  
Come paint Venice this October with Helen K. Beacham and Kelly Medford.
Click HERE for details!

Thursday, April 4, 2013

The Grand Canal

My breath was taken away!
I distinctly remember the feeling when I first saw the Grand Canal!  
You can read about it, but till you experience it in person, you'll never really KNOW it!

The Grand Canal - breathtaking!
The day we arrived in Venice, it was raining...but who cares?!  I was already in love!

Come with Helen K. Beacham and Kelly Medford to paint Venice this October...
click HERE for details!




Friday, March 15, 2013

Church in Bellagio

Rustic, yet elegant, church door in Bellagio.


As those of you who travel to Italy know, all churches (no matter how small) seem to have incredible treasures that have been there for generations.  This church in Bellagio offered us some peace and quiet as we started out our journey through this magnificent country.

Church in Bellagio, Italy

Come with Helen K. Beacham and Kelly Medford to paint Venice this October...
click HERE for details!


READ MY LATEST POST HERE


Thursday, March 7, 2013

Collaboration - Venice (Italy) Art Workshop

Social media is terrific for connecting with other artists around the world. That's how I met Kelly Medford, who lives and paints in Rome.  

As a result of her obvious dedication to daily plein air paintings, she and I are collaborating on teaching a painting workshop this October in the lovely and seductive VENICE!  (...you may take a virtual tour of Venice HERE).

Kelly will teach the oil & acrylic painters, while I'll teach watercolors, gouache, pen & ink, and graphite.  Details for the workshop may be found here:  WORKSHOP.

This is a picture of Kelly, doing what she does every day!  Do you see her mode of transportation?
Kelly Medford (www.KellyMedford.com)
In Kelly's words....
"I first came to Italy to take a landscape painting workshop in 2004. Little did I know that only 6 months later I would move to Italy and call it my home. In 2005 I had a scholarship from the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga where I was to study art abroad for 1 year, so I took the opportunity and went into the drawing program at The Florence Academy of Art.

After that year, I decided to stay and experience Italy, and I lived in Florence for 6 years. In the fall of 2010 I had the opportunity to move to Rome."

Via del Crocifisso, Rocca di Papa (20"x15")
Oil on Linen (by Kelly Medford)
Click HERE to purchase this painting.
She continues..."Rome is a world of marvels and, to break it down into smaller bites, I started my journey as a full-time painter in Rome with a project exploring the neighborhoods and streets, one painting at a time.

In the fall of 2012, I held my first solo exhibition in Rome with over 25 of those paintings done on the streets around the city.  I continue to teach both sketchbook journaling and oil painting workshops around Italy and participate in regular exhibitions and plein air competitions around Italy."

"Morning Market, Pigneto" (9" x 12")  Oil on Panel
by Kelly Medford
Click HERE to purchase this painting.
You can see more of Kelly's work on her website at www.kellymedford.com
or read stories about the paintings on her Adventures in Painting blog at www.kellymedford.blogspot.com

Monday, March 4, 2013

Why a blog about Italy?

As I get ready to teach an 8-day workshop in Venice, Italy in October, I think back to the absolutely stunning trip that my husband and I made to Italy several years ago.  It's gotten me thinking "everything Italian", so I'm going to start sharing memories, new insights, and paintings that are based on my Italian journey.  There are not too many countries that I have envisioned myself living in, but while we were there, I definitely felt it.


This was in Bellagio in northern Italy.  We were on our way from Milan to Venice when we stopped for a day in Bellagio.
Please check back soon in order to understand me, my art and my love of Italy just a little bit better.  Why not leave me a comment about YOUR experiences with this beautiful country!  


Come with me & Kelly Medford (an oil painter who lives in Rome) to paint captivating Venice in October.  
Click HERE for details about the workshop!