DREAM

I was commissioned to do a calligraphy piece for a friend for her doctor's Christmas present. The background was Arches Text Wove paste paper that I created at a week-end workshop. I chose McCaffery's ivory ink and a pointed pen to calligraph the quote. The quote is one I love by Edgar Allan Poe.

There was one day in Bologna that I had all to myself. While my family took the train south to the small village of Riola to see a church designed by architect Alvar Aalto, I walked to town exploring the area on foot, enjoying an opportunity to visit its colorful, lively markets. I headed straight for il Quadrilatero where many gourmet food shops are located. The streets were alive with people. Shopkeepers were as busy as cranberry merchants at Christmas time! The various aromas coming out of the small cafes and restaurants were intoxicating. I joined the many people who were admiring the fresh food and flowers that were situated either in front of or inside centuries-old buildings in narrow alleys. People have shopped here for thousands of years, no wonder it was so close to perfect! What a great place to live! On one corner of Via Pescherie I could have stood there all day just watching the people. However, I had some shopping to do for family and friends back home, and this was my chance to do that without Tim and John having to wait for me. Also, there was lunch to look forward to on my own. If looking at food is fun, tasting it is even better!

Pizza Party in Bologna

Shown here is our pizza party in Bologna with Barbara, her daughter, and friends with my family.  The joy of new friends, an opportunity to sample some the most delicious pizza in Italy at Barbara's friend's pizzeria, great stories that included a "Mama Mia!!" ending, plus good local wine = great time had by all!  This is one of those times that I relive in my memories and remember what a special evening it truly was.  Who would have thought that when I began learning calligraphy that it would open friendship doors like this?  Cheers to pen and ink and to our good friends in Italy!

Connecting Through Calligraphy

When the Nashville Calligraphy Guild hosted IAMPETH (International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting) in 2009, that was my first exposure to the calligraphic art of Barbara Calzolari from Bologna, Italy. I really liked what I saw in her work, and found myself both mesmerized and inspired by her unique designs. Also, I loved her personality that came through in her teaching and in her art. I met her briefly as she demonstrated her calligraphy one evening at IAMPETH. Later, I “followed” her periodically online on Facebook and her website, always very impressed with her art and continually fascinated with her abilities.

This year my husband, father-in-law, and I were making final plans to go Italy in May, and Bologna was purposefully included in our itinerary. There were three main reasons I wanted to go to Bologna. My main goal was to see if the Emilia-Romagna region truly had the best food in all of Italy as I had read. Now that is the subject for a much longer discussion! The second reason was because we wanted to explore that particular intriguing city and that area. The third reason was because I thought it would be fun to get together with Barbara if I possibly could!

I tried to contact Barbara a couple of times through Facebook, but I didn’t hear back. I knew she was one very busy lady, so I didn’t give up even after we arrived in Italy. Once we were approaching Bologna, I sent her another message. Still no response, and she didn’t know me, so I was beginning to think the possibility of meeting her was becoming more remote. I was beginning to allow that goal to die.

However, I received an email from my calligraphy mentor back in the USA, Jan Hurst, nudging me, saying, “Aren’t you going to see Barbara?” I explained to Jan how I had not been able to get a response from my FB messages and how we were busy discovering all of these things and I might not pursue it any further. Suddenly, Jan is reigniting my interest to connect with Barbara, even taking it upon herself to find her email address and write her directly. The next thing I know I have Barbara contacting me, plus enthusiastically inviting me to join her pointed brush lettering class she was teaching the next day.

The following afternoon I took a fifteen minute mad cab ride to the art store where Barbara was teaching. I arrived with my heart racing from that adventure! But do you want me to tell you how much FUN it was being in Barbara’s brush lettering class? Oh my! It was a beginner’s class using the Pentel brush with young students and a few adults like myself mixed in the bunch. They all were very welcoming. Barbara is a passionate teacher as many of you know and her class was superb! Although most of the class was taught in Italian, I felt I understood what she was saying. It was like calligraphy itself was this beautiful, fluid, universal language. At one point, she looked up and asked me in English if I thought it was difficult mastering the “thicks and thins?” I replied, “Oh yes, no matter what hand style you are working on, that is a challenge.” Then I thought to myself, “no matter whether I am in Kentucky or Italy, it is definitely a challenge!”

Barbara was so gracious and kind. She insisted my family and I join her that night at her friend’s pizzeria. She was meeting a couple there whose wedding invitation she was designing and she would be finalizing decisions with them before dinner. She promised we would discover the best pizza in Italy if we came!

There were good times shared with Barbara and her friends that evening, a lot of laughter and good stories were told, and the most delicious pizza consumed! Plus, her lovely teenage daughter, Frida, joined us, who is absolutely beautiful like her mother. It was such a treat to get to know them. Barbara had her portfolio with her that we enjoyed looking through that included her commissioned work she did for Pope Benedict XVI, writing and illuminating the national anthems of the countries represented at the 2009 G8 Conference.

I look back on the pictures and memories of our time spent with Barbara in Bologna, and I am always reminded of the wonderful connection that calligraphy gives us to each other and to the world.

FLORENCE: Walking along the Arno, headed towards the Ponte Vecchio, I felt someone was looking over my shoulder. I paused to take photos of the kayakers on the river and then turned my attention to the bridge. I was excited to catch this time of day at this historic place. Still, I kept feeling like someone was watching me. I looked back over my right shoulder, and there he was! I pulled my camera around and captured him gazing at me. The man in the guard tower never sleeps!

Roman Theater in Spoleto

The Spoleto Roman amphitheater (1st century AD) is one of its most famous architectural structures. Its ancient marble floor is one of few remaining in the world. The whole theatre was buried for a long time with medieval structures of a church and convent, but in 1954 was uncovered.

Read more: http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Italy/Umbria/Spoleto-142134/Things_To_Do-Spoleto-TG-C-1.html#ixzz1W2PvJMK3

Spoleto Aqueduct

On the far left of this picture was where our hotel was located. We hiked from there to across this aqueduct one morning before lunch. Our last day here we walked to the castle, Rocca Albornoziana, built in 1359–1370,that houses a very interesting museum containing ancient sarcophages and has many beautiful frescoes.

Spoleto Back Streets After Dark

Walking back each night after dinner to the Palazzo Leti, this was the last corner we turned. I found myself drawn to this intersection each time we walked by here, and I tried to capture with my camera what caught my eye.

Spoleto After Dark

Spoleto is an intriguing place, and it is a great city for walking. We could walk to wherever we wanted to go. We loved all of its Roman architecture still remaining. There are some excellent restaurants and we enjoyed delicious meals here during our three night stay.

Spoleto Passage

On a morning walk in Spoleto, I paused to photograph this alley. I loved the mixture of weathered stones along the pathway.

Florence at Twilight

Yes, I wish I was back here right now. Captured this shot while walking over the Arno River bridge heading back to our hotel after a wonderful dinner our last night in Florence. May 2011

HOPE is

HOPE IS the name of this angel. . .one of my new flying friends asked me to post some of my art. This is an angel I painted with acrylics on a block of wood left over from our remodel project. Today I decided to use the scanned image of it and paint over the words in Photoshop to give her a bright dress and to make the image more ethereal.

Revitalization in Progress

Joined Kelly Rae Roberts' e-course on "Flying Lessons," and this week it began. She has inspired me to revitalize my blog that has remained dormant for the most part of these last few years. I will be focusing on projects that I'm diving into, what floats my boat, and the world that surrounds me. I'm energized by this course and the many very creative participants who I'm beginning to meet from all over the world.

Back to Italy

Back to Italy this month with the Hacker men (husband and father-in-law) because we loved it so much here two years ago.

We flew into Rome from Chicago, and headed out in our rental car with my husband driving to Spoleto for 3 nights at the Palazzo Leti whose garden is pictured above. It's a very nice beginning to what I know will be a great trip!

Finding our hotel was our first challenge. Spoleto is not easy to navigate as there is a lot of congestion from construction equipment as a major restoration is going on in its cultural center. Its narrow streets limit which direction you can go. The stop lights that were obscure to us the first day are now clearly seen tucked in odd places where no rules seem to apply on their location. At one point coming into the middle of town, we were surrounded from all sides by cars, each wanting to go where the other one was. Driving in Europe is not for the faint of heart!

We are on a mountain, overlooking a green valley out our window of this lovely, historic property.