tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50715535014517536532024-03-19T09:22:53.099+01:00Art News & ViewsFrancesco Fontana, AWS -
Fine Artist Blog
Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-36472081217391711572024-03-11T10:12:00.011+01:002024-03-11T17:45:47.763+01:00Leaving the Social Networks<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Do you promise to quit but never do it? </b></span></p><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Weird! A few days ago I couldn't get into my Instagram. And then in none of my Facebook accounts. No password works. I said to myself: they had me. After 13 years in social media I should have expected that sooner or later I was hacked! </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Keep calm dad!</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I think it's a bit of a disaster. What with the thousands of people who followed me for years. Well maybe is only half a disaster, I said to myself. After all, who can say that is so bad? But I kept fumbling and swearing for an hour, until my 18 year old, digital born daughter says: it's a global thing, dad! Social networks are down all over the world. Keep calm, they'll be restored soon. And they are indeed a few hours later. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrboToRBizcoLdsY956pdweZ7L49yAXHHDo3BVcTEGdwo8qM5pqVHNSxAkRoys0LR9vJD49tD5_bfVz4m6ysmRjkTLHQKXvyeD6sa7fcT9raaE2kjwQF0fKKXkqhA2rdHL4BsuxNGDCc4yM2vBZJUCOST9KvdkW1vIYyud43GjY3MWEkO5EtN_moRoTk/s2893/IMG_20230830_113820_1-EDIT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img alt="My laptop and coffee by the Engelbecken pond, Berlin" border="0" data-original-height="2893" data-original-width="2892" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrboToRBizcoLdsY956pdweZ7L49yAXHHDo3BVcTEGdwo8qM5pqVHNSxAkRoys0LR9vJD49tD5_bfVz4m6ysmRjkTLHQKXvyeD6sa7fcT9raaE2kjwQF0fKKXkqhA2rdHL4BsuxNGDCc4yM2vBZJUCOST9KvdkW1vIYyud43GjY3MWEkO5EtN_moRoTk/w400-h400/IMG_20230830_113820_1-EDIT.jpg" title="My laptop and coffee by the Engelbecken pond, Berlin" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">My laptop and coffee by the Engelbecken pond, Berlin</span><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> <br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm almost disappointed. After all it was a great opportunity to set myself free from this digital slavery. To get rid of this illusory circle of unknown friends and followers. Not to mention the tons of stupidity an hate, commercial bombing and atrocity news. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Fear of disappearing</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I promised to leave that for years, but then don't have the courage to cut off! Social media have become just a distraction from serious studio work and an obligation to be on screen every single day! Else you don't exist. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Maybe I tell myself changes need to be radical. The gradualness that seems a sign of wisdom only increases the agony, the fear of rupture prolongs the suffering. And instead I should say: Yes, delete! </span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Happy Art Life! -- Francesco</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">PS. Mailing letters are different from social platforms: they are more personal and easier to quit. If you don't like mine, please sign out. If you like them instead, invite a friend to sign up and receive my <a href="https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/590246/forms/101102649291573010" target="_blank">Artist Letters</a>!!</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div><a href="https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/590246/forms/101102649291573010" style="background-color: #f8f9fa; font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Join my (News) Artist Letters!</span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Visit my Art Store</span></a><br /><a href="http://instagram.com/francesco.fontana.artist" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Follow me on Instagram</span></a><br /><a href="https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/590246/forms/101102649291573010" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">Share and have a friend subscribed</a><br /><span><a href="Mailto:info@francescofontana.com?subject= Message from the Blog" target="_blank">Send Francesco an email</a></span></span></p></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.1px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-86082331876365956482024-02-23T17:44:00.005+01:002024-03-11T10:11:36.119+01:00How to design your artwork<p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Do you make prep drawings of your painting? ~</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In all the arts, from dance to cinema, from music to literature, a work is planned, rehearsals are carried out and parts are rewritten before performing it. But <b>many amateur painters are surprised</b> that even in painting it is necessary to do all of this. However, I can't remember of a great master in history - from Leonardo to Hopper - who did not invest in studies and preparatory sketches.</span></p><p></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A thought before picking up the brush</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This photo it's a good example of the process of composing and <b>designing a painting, regardless of the media</b> we're going to use. Here we see the studies of my student Daniel, which in this case will be developed into a watercolor artwork.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Some steps before making a watercolor (Daniel)" border="0" data-original-height="2604" data-original-width="2940" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_QDeOuj-Sg_cn1_mSxwPtOQQJRZV_60TiJSeHPyz8YtWNSsU61r-Qb9uTV0aViXJ7WNwmKvLcpEYo0fsCN7g6Jnoy9eKMJ8uR8yp_mYLD_kjmenG0eLxDGrGFtHY6FoTEESbTznc5WoWrvH78Mp-RMhlbqRt-s8NzAp-l3QaibN-X9IvHKaCaIqtw_s/w400-h354/Design%20Lesson%20DAniel%201.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Some steps before making a watercolor (Daniel)" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Some steps before making a watercolor (Daniel)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Draw to get into know your subject</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">At first glance a photograph or life scene may look simple. But it is only by drawing it (therefore observing it in detail) that <b>we realize its complexity. We must learn to simplify</b> it to make it manageable according to our project.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The importance of a tonal scale</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We translate the initial photo into a tonal drawing of a credit card size, at most a postcard. Here we are <b>working on a toned paper </b>that corresponds to value #2 in the five-value scale I use and suggest. The value #1 (white) is applied <b>with a dense opaque watercolor</b> titanium white.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>These studies give us, among other benefits, these opportunities:</b></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">simplify the subject and crop the framing and format</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">consider more design options, for example varying some tones</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">establish a focal element (such as the bell tower)</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>In version A (red dot)</b> the mid field is cleaned of chiaroscuro details. Both the strip of land on the horizon and <b>the sky become lighter </b>(tone #1). Clouds are grouped up except for a few accents, which will become blue in the painting.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAMHrzwmN9meRL0PpjwzzmPg5zOF52SZBnxmLK6IcsQHwl-HvLzBwmJSDY7Kt33hHsSQEpq51tDenl_HV8EskV8vZ7j6f7ArToK6GhkYZ97YtjRrEt9PRF3aPMuKYS-EcF6knfoeyhGUKrqkDawp-WZl21Ei61yebHiczcZFO82ZqhXzFr4Ym9CnLsOE/s2299/Design%20Daniel%20Lesson%203.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img alt="The reference image of our painting" border="0" data-original-height="1461" data-original-width="2299" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAMHrzwmN9meRL0PpjwzzmPg5zOF52SZBnxmLK6IcsQHwl-HvLzBwmJSDY7Kt33hHsSQEpq51tDenl_HV8EskV8vZ7j6f7ArToK6GhkYZ97YtjRrEt9PRF3aPMuKYS-EcF6knfoeyhGUKrqkDawp-WZl21Ei61yebHiczcZFO82ZqhXzFr4Ym9CnLsOE/w400-h254/Design%20Daniel%20Lesson%203.jpg" title="The reference image of our painting" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span>The reference image of our paintin</span><span style="font-size: medium;">g<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b>In version B on the right</b>, the light of the clouds is reduced to spots and has a V-shaped direction. The <b>ground on the horizon becomes darker</b> again as in the original picture.</div></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The monochrome preview in watercolor</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">The two pencil sketches are repainted in a monochromatic watercolor on cotton paper. <b>Black is obtained by mixing complementary colors</b> and dosing the dilution in five degrees. This phase brings us closer to the pictorial stage. Here <b>we consolidate the lighting and atmosphere</b> that we want to maintain in the final color version. Please note that in the watercolor draft A the ground below the skyline is darker than in the sketch. <b>Daniel got 'distracted' by the photo</b> rather than following the instructions implied in his pencil drawing.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhei16Con6NY9lrsYfR7y4rWetWE0r6ggAi9BFMpeyr71WBSW4XHvHOP9eyk0KZo7kFX8iqDEOfu3HCG0iydPi5JvpnQl8Cao8ndn5ERPTmIyxMXaprD_BAwMT8DiKRqgkhW04gAEaL8PsMYfybFH_WV6LlxfrjGR5UcrcaX268r7So6gQJB169iNsgoEY/s3018/Design%20Lesson%20Stefano.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img alt="Another example of value study before painting (Stefano)" border="0" data-original-height="3018" data-original-width="2618" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhei16Con6NY9lrsYfR7y4rWetWE0r6ggAi9BFMpeyr71WBSW4XHvHOP9eyk0KZo7kFX8iqDEOfu3HCG0iydPi5JvpnQl8Cao8ndn5ERPTmIyxMXaprD_BAwMT8DiKRqgkhW04gAEaL8PsMYfybFH_WV6LlxfrjGR5UcrcaX268r7So6gQJB169iNsgoEY/w348-h400/Design%20Lesson%20Stefano.jpg" title="Another example of value study before painting (Stefano)" width="348" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Another example of value study before painting (Stefano)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The distribution of weights and shapes</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The two first steps are very important to get familiar with the subject, both visually (light/dark) and as <b>an anticipation of the type of brushstrokes to use</b>, layering, dampness of the paper and for the edges and effects we desire. The compositional part definitely includes many other aspects, for example the distribution of forms and their weights in the space. Not to mention the <b>color palette and harmony choices</b>. But let's not go into more detail here.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">These topics need a longer course to be covered. But you can comment and ask questions here or by email. In the next episode we will see how Daniel resolved his final painting.</span></p><p><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>Happy Art Life! - Francesco</b></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span><span><span>PS. I you want to learn more about this, a</span></span></span><span class="color_15 wixui-rich-text__text" color="rgb(var(--color_15))" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">sk for a free 20 mins Zoom individual call at </span><span class="wixui-rich-text__text" color="rgb(var(--color_14))" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wixui-rich-text__text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wixui-rich-text__text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wixui-rich-text__text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="wixui-rich-text__text" href="mailto:workshops@francescofontana.com?subject=Info%20about%20in%20presence%20workshops%20worldwide" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_self"><span class="color_31 wixui-rich-text__text" color="rgb(var(--color_31))" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wixui-rich-text__text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">workshops@francescofontana.com</span></span></a> We'll figure how to plan a set of mentorship sessions. </span></span></span></span></span></p><div><a href="https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/590246/forms/101102649291573010" style="background-color: #f8f9fa; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;" target="_blank">Join my (News) Artist Letters!</a></div><p><a href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Visit my Art Store</span></a><br /><a href="http://instagram.com/francesco.fontana.artist" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Follow me on Instagram</span></a><br /><a href="https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/590246/forms/101102649291573010" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Share and have a friend subscribed</a><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="Mailto:info@francescofontana.com?subject= Message from the Blog" target="_blank">Send Francesco an email</a></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-71710845242954437182024-02-02T12:16:00.016+01:002024-02-12T12:36:44.218+01:00My 9 Ways to Overcome Creative Crisis<p><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Stuck in a creative slump? Fear not!</b></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;">Late last year I've been not so willing to paint new projects. Kinda of waiting for fresh ideas. That feeling of being stuck in a creative slump as an artist, can be frustrating and disheartening. <b>If you're there, fear not!</b> I know the proven measures I've used to go through this transitions. Not a drama, chances are we simply have exhausted the potential of our previous path. </span></p><p><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;"><b>Be confident you'll find the next direction</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;">Stagnation is a natural part of the creative life. Embrace it as an opportunity to learn and grow. It's how we respond to setbacks that truly defines our artist journey. You'll find the road to the next station!</span></p><p><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;"><b>Inspiration is found in the action</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhF9IqBATHf6hMNAbBpWESImYYvv06xFaxnBqJHB6737q7xvBMxEpUbRJ4kC3svctWjmcSDHL2bwJFFoeTSXUuU8RKSdnKGaFo8gmHwGy_AwBNwe5jZFtDHqUVg7vcFYPsZWtgdVbypc-VKdQyOXII11pcb5S2BJFVjdRlDb-zD0rv_FLeXPMudCFWTY/s3278/Franceso%20Fontana%20-%20Monochrome%20'Basilicata'.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Tree in Basilicata ~ Watercolor by Francesco Fontana" border="0" data-original-height="2187" data-original-width="3278" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhF9IqBATHf6hMNAbBpWESImYYvv06xFaxnBqJHB6737q7xvBMxEpUbRJ4kC3svctWjmcSDHL2bwJFFoeTSXUuU8RKSdnKGaFo8gmHwGy_AwBNwe5jZFtDHqUVg7vcFYPsZWtgdVbypc-VKdQyOXII11pcb5S2BJFVjdRlDb-zD0rv_FLeXPMudCFWTY/w400-h266/Franceso%20Fontana%20-%20Monochrome%20'Basilicata'.jpg" title="Tree in Basilicata ~ Watercolor by Francesco Fontana" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree in Basilicata ~ Watercolor by Francesco Fontana</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;"><b>Inspiration meant as magic is overrated</b>. Writer Alberto Moravia -- who lived in typewriter times, said: inspiration is one page after the other thrown in the trash bin! To me inspiration is nothing but activating new connections from /to what we already know. </span><p></p><p><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;"><b>Small goals and little routines</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;">Start by setting small, achievable goals for yourself. Whether it's completing a painting within a certain time frame (<b>I often set the timer</b>) or experimenting with a specific technique, having a clear objective can give you a sense of purpose.</span></p><p><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;"><b>Search in you not on the net</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;">Museums and art galleries are a great way to find ideas that resonate to me. The venue itself is often a source of meditation and self search. Drawing to study great masters is a great experience. <b>Browsing art online is to do with caution</b>, I do 15 min day tops: it's become overwhelming and a distraction from hearing my inner voice. Contemporary art galleries might also trigger creative thoughts.</span></p><p><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;"><b>Let me recap and add a few pointers</b></span></p><p></p><ol><li><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;"><b>Display on a wall</b> old and recent paintings and find what they have in common (a color, a subject, a mood,.. ) (Jerry Saltz's totem concept)<br /></span></li><li><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;">Play Mode. <b>Set a game</b> with one or two simple rules (<a href="https://francescofontana.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-mother-of-invention.html" target="_blank">see my article</a>) (size, medium, time)</span></li><li><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;"><b>Remake some</b> of those you like in a different media. If anything you'll learn more about the peculiarities of your typical media.</span></li><li><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;"><b>Join a group</b> and ask for feedback. They see what you don't see!</span></li><li><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;"><b>Travel</b>, meet people, go to not art museums (aviation, design, history..). </span></li><li><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;"><b>Recall</b> what you loved to draw/paint at the very beginning. The real you may be there</span></li><li><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;"><b>Draw, scribble</b> with no purpose, but a giving time and slot every day</span></li><li><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;"><b>Paint unfamiliar subjects</b>, those you think you're not good at. Surprise!</span></li><li><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;">Use the <b>internet as a newspaper</b>, not as an art book. Real art is in real life. <br /></span></li></ol><div><p><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;"><b>Seek support from fellow artists</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;">One of the best ways to overcome a creative slump is to connect with other artists who understand what you're going through. Join local art groups or online communities where you can share your struggles, seek advice, and <b>receive constructive feedback. </b></span></p></div>Hope this helps. It's only a small part of the practice I do. <b>Talk to me and ask questions,</b> that will pull out more inspiration. <p></p><p><span style="color: #202124; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/590246/forms/101102649291573010" style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;" target="_blank">Join (News) Artist Letters!</a><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">
</span></span></span><a href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Visit my Art Store</span></a><br /><a href="http://instagram.com/francesco.fontana.artist" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Follow me on Instagram</span></a><br /><a href="https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/590246/forms/101102649291573010" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Share and have a friend subscribe</a><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="Mailto:info@francescofontana.com?subject= Message from the Blog" target="_blank">Send Francesco an email</a></span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-79098854440285173512023-12-29T11:27:00.055+01:002024-02-02T12:22:18.559+01:00Masters Who Inspire Artists (Me)<p><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;"><b>What makes a painter a great role model? ~ </b></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">I am often asked who my reference artists are, great masters of the past and contemporary authors. Not an easy answer, artists in history are endless! And just as many today, when visual access to art is global and often overflowing. I look with admiration at Turner, Monet, Hopper, Fattori, Segantini. But also living artists the like of Dean Mitchell or Sean Cheetham. Each of them has something specific that inspires me and pushes me to learn.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBeZMSwakli3QWNKlyZH4khI8NwBCxgYcLEHgxLNLGvhPDDHGQ1G7ySGR9aInvBl-UW6QARrtILx6Er-rQcV1Dx24kfZq5VwfYyRbf9VUxWeAu2GV9T1DxhdbS1aGb1QukNlPYDFO2K0pzN8pMrek_AN4vv2t77xtTge1LfmDXTdv85a_oEPPYZ61CHw/s1920/Sorolla%20Sotto%20l%20tenda.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1436" data-original-width="1920" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBeZMSwakli3QWNKlyZH4khI8NwBCxgYcLEHgxLNLGvhPDDHGQ1G7ySGR9aInvBl-UW6QARrtILx6Er-rQcV1Dx24kfZq5VwfYyRbf9VUxWeAu2GV9T1DxhdbS1aGb1QukNlPYDFO2K0pzN8pMrek_AN4vv2t77xtTge1LfmDXTdv85a_oEPPYZ61CHw/w400-h299/Sorolla%20Sotto%20l%20tenda.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202124; letter-spacing: 0.2px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">Under the Awning, on the Beach of Zarautz</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;"><b><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/JqkKdhqHHJveKQWf8" target="_blank">See more of Sorolla's works</a></b></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">However there is one who somehow represents them all: Joaquin Sorolla (b. 1863, Valencia, Spain). I was blown out at his exhibition at Palazzo Reale in Milan in 2022. It completely overwhelmed me! Not even the visit to the Sorolla Museum in Valencia had such an impact on me. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;"><b>Why Sorolla?</b></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">Because his work expresses a complete range of fundamental aspects of pictorial art, in his case in oil but not only.</span></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">The composition of his scenes, often complex, with unusual angles and a combination of figures and landscape, never intimidated by very large size. </span></span></li><li><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">The absolute mastery of drawing, which emerges from proportions and anatomy.</span></span></li><li><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">His tonal strategy and his sense of light. For me his dynamic power surpass Caravaggio, the monument to tonalism.</span></span></li><li><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">Sorolla's palette is an infinite vocabulary of colours, warm and cool, often high key -- which make his phrasing very rich, like the timbres of an orchestra.</span></span></li><li><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">Finally his alla prima brushwork, energetic, fat and sensual. It ties everything together in a rhythm and a fantastic dance!</span></span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">As if that weren't enough, many of Sorolla's masterpieces were <b>painted en plein air</b>. He's not the only artist to do this for sure -- Monet and Cezanne even a little before him. But he worked outdoors on larger formats and in challenging conditions, on the seashore, under blinding light and with water, boats and figures in motion. For days.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;"><b><span style="color: #202124;">He was able to transfer this vibrancy to his studio works as well. </span></b></span></p><p><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">Studying Joaquin Sorolla therefore means for me studying almost everything about the artistic practice of painting. He became a model later in my career. This means to me that reference models change over time and are perhaps an achievement of maturity. Just at the stage where you no longer need to imitate them.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;"><b>Happy Art Life! - Francesco</b></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">PS. Sorolla is a genius of alla prima painting, which was re-actualized by a great personality of recent times, <b>Richard Schmid.</b> The American master who passed away a few years ago, influenced a couple of generations of oil painters around the world with his iconic book Alla Prima.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">PPS. There are so many historical and contemporary artists that I admire. I think I will need more posts to talk about it. <b>So be ready by signing up now and receive my <a href="https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/590246/forms/101102649291573010" target="_blank">(News) Artist Letters!</a></b></span></span></p><div><a href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Visit my Art Store</span></b></a></div><div><a href="http://instagram.com/francesco.fontana.artist" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Follow me on Instagram</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/590246/forms/101102649291573010" target="_blank">Share and have a friend subscribe</a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="Mailto:info@francescofontana.com?subject= Message from the Blog" target="_blank">Send Francesco an email</a></span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-4503962828505457362023-12-15T21:47:00.001+01:002023-12-24T00:27:23.627+01:00 Paris 1: Art, Love and my Bohemian Life <p><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oVhGc6znMnhzpMcP6LKZPTAiOSSeRIhFyBd3FxzeCjSrv7tnq-AQugJU4C5sYgwnj2Tc5yT17bHZg9s3NsLL7fm5OYyTdQLUSsjIBmUn4JEaeYFsmjfE5XX7vOt6LmPOe7pCtbH8jv7FJqelP_hIdcRLOmsW0RPxYiPDnazHLWGM4Yla1iD9mqo0Bfo/s3212/Francesco%20portrait%20by%20Davy%20Lim%20square.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Portrait of Francesco Fontana (detail) by Davy Lim, Paris 1982" border="0" data-original-height="3004" data-original-width="3212" height="84" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oVhGc6znMnhzpMcP6LKZPTAiOSSeRIhFyBd3FxzeCjSrv7tnq-AQugJU4C5sYgwnj2Tc5yT17bHZg9s3NsLL7fm5OYyTdQLUSsjIBmUn4JEaeYFsmjfE5XX7vOt6LmPOe7pCtbH8jv7FJqelP_hIdcRLOmsW0RPxYiPDnazHLWGM4Yla1iD9mqo0Bfo/w91-h84/Francesco%20portrait%20by%20Davy%20Lim%20square.jpg" title="Portrait of Francesco Fontana (detail) by Davy Lim, Paris 1982" width="91" /></a></span></span></b></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Myth of broken artists and the struggle to make a dream come true ~<br /></b></span></span>Paris Memoir <a href="https://francescofontana.blogspot.com/2023/11/paris-2-friendship-and-resilience-in.html"><span class="s1" style="color: #0000e9; text-align: right;">Part </span>Two</a> | <a href="https://francescofontana.blogspot.com/2023/12/paris-3-stories-of-friends-and.html" style="text-align: right;" target="_blank"><span class="s1" style="color: #0000e9;">Part Three</span></a><span style="color: #0000e9;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #0000e9;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;">As you may have heard from some interviews with Eric Rhoads, I started my career in Paris in the eighties. But never shared details that I believe might interest the fans of artists' life. I was twenty years old and earned my bread as a tourists' portrait artist. The most iconic place I worked was Montmartre. This early experience gave me an artistic and ethical imprint for life, and is still an inspiration 40 plus years later. Maybe some of these memories can inspire you too.</span></span><p><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Van Gogh and his time in Montmartre</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Van Gogh's Le Moulin de la Gallette." border="0" data-original-height="793" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkTihVboBSy-sHxEL-VML_xkTsdBE-moUobx3v3HOh3Uuw4SEHV1-8UONuToY-VeTcFnk5yiYDbawhuhBcj9k0HNdCZSP8Gcui-ZgBazQ_hyphenhyphenTBlXS11QR-bnn9Sh97vi_rlvU1VDU-ODCBGu5gW_kovPSvKx8eoCPkplgKwk6fykJs5rDjy9aKB1Ju9A/w323-h400/Mulen%20de%20la%20Galette%20Van%20Vogh%20Montmartre.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Van Gogh's Le Moulin de la Gallette." width="323" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">Van Gogh's Le Moulin de la Gallette.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The Basilica of Sacre Coeur at the top of Montmartre hill can be seen from many corners of Paris. Behind the large white church lies the famous Place du Tertre, jam packed with artists' stand and cafe terrace. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Back in the day it was already a tourist attraction, with many souvenir shops. But it was still the place where Gauguin, Pissarro, Toulouse-Lautrec used to be and where Van Gogh lived for a while </span></span><span>with his brother Theo in Rue Lepic </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">and painted the nearby windmill: Le Moulin de la Gallette.</span></span></div><p></p><p><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The fight to grab a spot</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Permitted artist a their official spot in Montmartre, Paris" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3016" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcQ_m7gKN4TjUJ-H_OzLFsyXMLEunYjx99kj4z3lOVHKOFrvXf35rXkFJZYzM59XgwTAflOzOQqmvA0aCDyWqvEnaxA-gB63JfiUEXnA4mbSDm4Qq0aGlFfUTo-E-8jWgRtfSEpGGliZwGjhh9x3UO2ezPTCFREGYVDTtezgwGJPD63rbO_ic9m75ilM/w299-h400/IMG_20230406_142002_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Permitted artist a their official spot in Montmartre, Paris" width="299" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Permitted artist a their official spot in Montmartre, Paris<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The space was limited. In addition to the official permits that the City had recently established, the square was kinda bossed by a clan of Slavs. I guess that was the legacy of the first come first sat up times. No longer than ten years earlier, the artists daily battle to grab a spot began at 5 in the morning, still dark. (<i style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">1972, The Underdogs of Montamartre</i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">, </span><a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0vB5lBU6l1M&feature=share#bottom-sheet" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;" target="_blank">video</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">).The many unauthorized walking artists at the entry of the square, are a tradition too. </span></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>New romance every </b><b>day </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Therefore the street portraitists who continued to arrive from abroad had occupied the large Beaubourg plateau, in front of the Centre Pompidou. In the evening we moved to the Latin Quarter, especially on the legendary Boulevard Saint Germain. Which I remember as romantic stroll place, where new romance started every other night!</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I was one of these kids attracted by a bohemian dream, who had left Sicily and landed in France with no money nor a word of French.</span></i></p></blockquote><p><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">When the fakirs attacked us</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">On the Plateau du Beaubourg it was tough, there were about 40 painters and as many street artists including fire eaters, fakirs, acrobats. One day a group of them attacked us, throwing our stools and easels into the air. To make room for their special event. I proposed myself as a negotiator between calling the police and go for revenge. We ended up shaking hands and share a drink with the fakirs!</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBddn28s1TG0z8k9LAQg9ULlHlYBUBFxxQ9DRGCMv4CZG6W5RBcBiW6MJYeI0XWJwa-Jbqak6m7obwkr6nraqwC48QZzcNw-uDlSB-PuwaVWqNVbbbA8waKJv8CwFeVyiT2QwS2vaRKKHqgXeQKJyU9Qd-qyNByWJKwqB2kWSDTdkLscLawaG3w-JPXQo/s3300/IMG_20230406_135341-EDIT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Walking portraitist at the entry of Place du Tertre, Montmartre" border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2695" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBddn28s1TG0z8k9LAQg9ULlHlYBUBFxxQ9DRGCMv4CZG6W5RBcBiW6MJYeI0XWJwa-Jbqak6m7obwkr6nraqwC48QZzcNw-uDlSB-PuwaVWqNVbbbA8waKJv8CwFeVyiT2QwS2vaRKKHqgXeQKJyU9Qd-qyNByWJKwqB2kWSDTdkLscLawaG3w-JPXQo/w326-h400/IMG_20230406_135341-EDIT.jpg" title="Walking portraitist at the entry of Place du Tertre, Montmartr" width="326" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking portraitist at the entry of Place du Tertre, Montmartre</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Nevertheless I had the chance to be head butted in another fight and had my front teeth almost knocked out. I had tried to defend a girl who had her necklace snatched by an Arab gangster, - as she approached for a portrait. My mouth bleeding, I was taken to a dentist who saved my smile!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Part 2 next week.</b> Stay tuned for Picasso around the corner, Love and the great old masters, Lifetime friendships and more stories!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Happy Art Life! -- Francesco<br /></b>PS. What story would you like to read in my MuseLetter? Comment below or reply to the email<br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Paris Memoir </span><a href="https://francescofontana.blogspot.com/2023/11/paris-2-friendship-and-resilience-in.html"><span class="s1" style="color: #0000e9; text-align: right;">Part </span>Two</a><span style="font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://francescofontana.blogspot.com/2023/12/paris-3-stories-of-friends-and.html" style="text-align: right;" target="_blank"><span class="s1" style="color: #0000e9;">Part Three</span></a></span></p><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><a href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Visit my Art Store</span></b></a></div><div><a href="http://instagram.com/francesco.fontana.artist" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Follow me on Instagram</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/590246/forms/101102649291573010" target="_blank">Share and have a friend subscribe</a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="info@francescofontana.com?subject= From Artt Against Cruelty Blog Post" target="_blank">Send Francesco an email</a></span></p></div></blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/590246/forms/101102649291573010" target="_blank"></a></div></span><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-71155861382218745082023-11-22T18:27:00.026+01:002023-12-22T20:21:30.765+01:00Paris 2: Friendship and Resilience in the Artist's Journey <h4 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oVhGc6znMnhzpMcP6LKZPTAiOSSeRIhFyBd3FxzeCjSrv7tnq-AQugJU4C5sYgwnj2Tc5yT17bHZg9s3NsLL7fm5OYyTdQLUSsjIBmUn4JEaeYFsmjfE5XX7vOt6LmPOe7pCtbH8jv7FJqelP_hIdcRLOmsW0RPxYiPDnazHLWGM4Yla1iD9mqo0Bfo/s3212/Francesco%20portrait%20by%20Davy%20Lim%20square.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Portrait of Francesco Fontana (detail) by Davy Lim, Paris 1982" border="0" data-original-height="3004" data-original-width="3212" height="84" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oVhGc6znMnhzpMcP6LKZPTAiOSSeRIhFyBd3FxzeCjSrv7tnq-AQugJU4C5sYgwnj2Tc5yT17bHZg9s3NsLL7fm5OYyTdQLUSsjIBmUn4JEaeYFsmjfE5XX7vOt6LmPOe7pCtbH8jv7FJqelP_hIdcRLOmsW0RPxYiPDnazHLWGM4Yla1iD9mqo0Bfo/w91-h84/Francesco%20portrait%20by%20Davy%20Lim%20square.jpg" title="Portrait of Francesco Fontana (detail) by Davy Lim, Paris 1982" width="91" /></a></h4><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Light and dark of bohemian life ~<br /></span></b>Paris Memoir <a href="https://francescofontana.blogspot.com/2023/11/paris-love-art-and-my-bohemian-life.html">Part One</a> | <a href="https://francescofontana.blogspot.com/2023/12/paris-3-stories-of-friends-and.html">Part Two</a></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Saint Germain is a mythical boulevard, writers such as Hemingway, Sartre or Henry Miller used to seat at the Cafe De Flore or the Deux Magots. At different times in history masters the like of Sargent, Boldini, Modigliani, Monet and countless others, had hung out in the neighborhood. Pablo Picasso finished Guernica in his studio at Rue Des Saints Augustins, three minutes walk from my center of gravity: Rue Mazarine, where my American girlfriend live in a <i>chambre de bonne</i>, a tiny messy attic!</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Love and violence</span></b></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">She too is an artist, a beautiful and sensitive soul. Originally from the Antilles, she was an air-hostess (as they say) and a stylist for Pan Am, before fleeing to Europe after the drama: an intruder broke down the door of her condo in New York and God knows how she survived. </span></p><ul class="ul1"><li class="li4" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">We conceived a baby and decision was hard</span></i></li></ul><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">We conceived a baby. But her health is poor, I am too young and stupid, and we are both penniless. Before I know it she decides not to be a parent. I visited her for a few years, trying to give a little help, until she breaks off even as friends. Now she's left this world. Rest in peace my sweet Jeanne Marie!</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI9Zgak7e1q89mhS4969TXR9-NNlAeNXWd5weRBiEHdwuvaQVUOL2gx2-j8rXrrR8Bw0HgjroaqNJtJJS5kq__dIBl1iEIuGfiJUEp6XqQiAei3RxrUx0L0JuMr8gSG1Y1e7Z0i4TN75I3hY8Qx0Ht7_6UKRUA44O_Gpi6SLrEz-1bYWOJDg9kmebkU5o/s4032/Ian%20Hargreaves%20in%20Poole%20:%20Montmartre%20blog%201.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ian Hargreaves with on of his oil painting of Morocco" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3016" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI9Zgak7e1q89mhS4969TXR9-NNlAeNXWd5weRBiEHdwuvaQVUOL2gx2-j8rXrrR8Bw0HgjroaqNJtJJS5kq__dIBl1iEIuGfiJUEp6XqQiAei3RxrUx0L0JuMr8gSG1Y1e7Z0i4TN75I3hY8Qx0Ht7_6UKRUA44O_Gpi6SLrEz-1bYWOJDg9kmebkU5o/w299-h400/Ian%20Hargreaves%20in%20Poole%20:%20Montmartre%20blog%201.jpg" title="Ian Hargreaves with on of his oil painting of Morocco" width="299" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ian Hargreaves with on of his oil painting of Morocco</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></div><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Talents from Countries at war</span></b></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Among the many young expatriate artists there are Iraqis and Iranians who coexist amicably on the Beaubourg pave while their countries are at war. We are in the 80s, The Poles arrive from Poland as the Country is inflamed by the Solidarnosc protests, nine years before the Wall falls. Many of them are very talented and have a strong art education from the academies of Eastern Europe. There is Ian from London, Omar from Argentina, and Davy who is a British-Malaysian. All landed into Paris in different ways. </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKHQlS_g93UXItHOLqJmeCV-BLDFQCzDWqsOyLvmNyPOKynN1PIeekPyWyUhOOJRjJKDkRKvZza7w4eaICLT6ftSTcJq_YnkvSKCFtIMKICA9PBul4opvveesT1m-6s5ut6nDaDecojb04HgqL7r16ytzs4vgE_35DvsYQvN-JmVvc3X-UWk5aEg5DZtE/s4032/Ian%20Hargreaves%20in%20Poole%20:%20Montmartre%20blog%203.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ian Hargreaves by the art studio he's built in his backyard in Dorset, UK" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3016" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKHQlS_g93UXItHOLqJmeCV-BLDFQCzDWqsOyLvmNyPOKynN1PIeekPyWyUhOOJRjJKDkRKvZza7w4eaICLT6ftSTcJq_YnkvSKCFtIMKICA9PBul4opvveesT1m-6s5ut6nDaDecojb04HgqL7r16ytzs4vgE_35DvsYQvN-JmVvc3X-UWk5aEg5DZtE/w299-h400/Ian%20Hargreaves%20in%20Poole%20:%20Montmartre%20blog%203.jpg" title="Ian Hargreaves by the art studio he's built in his backyard in Dorset, UK" width="299" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ian Hargreaves by the art studio he's built in his backyard in Dorset, UK</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></div><p></p><ul class="ul1"><li class="li4" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">We were young and looking for adventure</span></i></li></ul><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ian had to leave London for he was on the spot where</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> a gang attacked one of the portrait artists in Piccadilly one evening. Blood is pouring from his head, and he lay on the floor unconscious. Many people stand watching as they beat him and kicked him, but nobody does anything. Except Ian. He decides to help him and grabs the leader from behind before the artist gets killed. "A few minutes later a policeman arrived and the gang run off - Ian recalls -- but the gang leader swears revenge. I felt I had to leave the city for a while. That's how I landed in Paris and met you Francesco"</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Ian Hargreaves and Francesco Fontana at Ian's art studio" border="0" data-original-height="1516" data-original-width="3200" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyAYASXk9DALoBSlZUcAA7h1iBo-q5UcjDDNwmMzNGvxX5oizkH6EQSy5RHU8C_3ZHcyNuRucJmmvaZdmCwkz1kXUyBEjpDKIl7KY3EEmQdvwdudWRFqtvmBxb9VowlaPQZqBDl8XL-9GzzxXr7DcRKwjQEpvLqlSXPARuj9GOAYCR1afT2Q4N_JWgQY/w400-h190/Ian%20Hargreaves%20in%20Poole%20:%20Montmartre%20blog.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Ian Hargreaves and Francesco Fontana at Ian's art studio" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ian Hargreaves and Francesco Fontana at Ian's art studio</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyAYASXk9DALoBSlZUcAA7h1iBo-q5UcjDDNwmMzNGvxX5oizkH6EQSy5RHU8C_3ZHcyNuRucJmmvaZdmCwkz1kXUyBEjpDKIl7KY3EEmQdvwdudWRFqtvmBxb9VowlaPQZqBDl8XL-9GzzxXr7DcRKwjQEpvLqlSXPARuj9GOAYCR1afT2Q4N_JWgQY/s3200/Ian%20Hargreaves%20in%20Poole%20:%20Montmartre%20blog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></a></div><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">A lifetime friendship</span></b><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">When I returned home in Sicily, Ian joined me for some time and we painted portraits on the street of Palermo. We imported this custom totally new to the city. His love for the sunny views of the Mediterranean begins here. Many years passed and we kept in touch, even before cell phones and the internet were invented. I went to visit him in the south of England a couple of times a dozen years apart. </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Ups and downs of art business</span></b></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I love to browse through his canvases in the studio he built in the garden. We chat over art and tennis and eat fish and chips. Definitely the friendship of a lifetime! From the streets of Paris, and thru the ups and downs of art business, Ian finally has anded in many prestigious galleries and built a solid career with his splendid oil views of Italy. You can admire them here: https://ianhargreaves.net/</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><b>The story of my Paris times can't stop here! <br /></b></span><b>Be ready for part 3 next week. </b></span><span>Meanwhile please interact in many ways</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: right;">Paris Memoir </span><a href="https://francescofontana.blogspot.com/2023/11/paris-love-art-and-my-bohemian-life.html" style="text-align: right;" target="_blank"><span class="s1" style="color: #0000e9;">Part One</span></a> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">| </span><a href="https://francescofontana.blogspot.com/2023/12/paris-3-stories-of-friends-and.html" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: right;" target="_blank"><span class="s1" style="color: #0000e9;">Part Three</span></a></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><a href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Visit my Art Store</span></b></a></div><div><a href="http://instagram.com/francesco.fontana.artist" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Follow me on Instagram</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/590246/forms/101102649291573010" target="_blank">Share and have a friend subscribe</a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="info@francescofontana.com?subject= From Artt Against Cruelty Blog Post" target="_blank">Send Francesco an email</a></span></p></div></blockquote><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-78923899237921582262023-11-15T15:52:00.001+01:002023-12-23T23:17:52.157+01:00Paris 3: The Struggle of The Street Artists<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oVhGc6znMnhzpMcP6LKZPTAiOSSeRIhFyBd3FxzeCjSrv7tnq-AQugJU4C5sYgwnj2Tc5yT17bHZg9s3NsLL7fm5OYyTdQLUSsjIBmUn4JEaeYFsmjfE5XX7vOt6LmPOe7pCtbH8jv7FJqelP_hIdcRLOmsW0RPxYiPDnazHLWGM4Yla1iD9mqo0Bfo/s3212/Francesco%20portrait%20by%20Davy%20Lim%20square.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: x-large; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Portrait of Francesco Fontana (detail) by Davy Lim, Paris 1982" border="0" data-original-height="3004" data-original-width="3212" height="84" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oVhGc6znMnhzpMcP6LKZPTAiOSSeRIhFyBd3FxzeCjSrv7tnq-AQugJU4C5sYgwnj2Tc5yT17bHZg9s3NsLL7fm5OYyTdQLUSsjIBmUn4JEaeYFsmjfE5XX7vOt6LmPOe7pCtbH8jv7FJqelP_hIdcRLOmsW0RPxYiPDnazHLWGM4Yla1iD9mqo0Bfo/w91-h84/Francesco%20portrait%20by%20Davy%20Lim%20square.jpg" title="Portrait of Francesco Fontana (detail) by Davy Lim, Paris 1982" width="91" /></a><span><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Is becoming an artist worth a lifetime of sacrifice? ~</span><br /></b></span><span style="text-align: right;">Paris Memoir </span><a href="https://francescofontana.blogspot.com/2023/11/paris-love-art-and-my-bohemian-life.html" style="text-align: right;" target="_blank"><span class="s1" style="color: #0000e9;">Part One</span></a> | <a href="https://francescofontana.blogspot.com/2023/11/paris-2-friendship-and-resilience-in.html"><span class="s1" style="color: #0000e9; text-align: right;">Part </span>Two</a></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It's dark but my memory is clear. I see myself in the evening in the Latin Quarter, together with Davy Lim. Me and him with our <span class="s1">drawing boards</span> and camping seats, scoping boulevard Saint Michel in search of a spot to work overtime. Just to raise some extra francs with a couple of portraits under a street lamp, perhaps of some tipsy tourists.</span></p><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbiOGprb5tN_kmG9CVtA8WRdQYCxnz6FvBRyZLADVgVwUuY_bggSSeskx1dqU2dMYuIhrYFkPT296G5639Y-OgAl6MsOyMtmwojPzHDZu7_q7_Cxj0kUXFu0uMRXPmwilxxv41ob9yIZK93FH-GhLKRXAO9419lLsQYCk-mdzB_iT9ZtjtgY9r82NtvZk/s1599/Davy%20Lim%20in%20Montmartre%20ca%202023.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Davy Lim at his spot in Place du Tertre, Montmartre" border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="899" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbiOGprb5tN_kmG9CVtA8WRdQYCxnz6FvBRyZLADVgVwUuY_bggSSeskx1dqU2dMYuIhrYFkPT296G5639Y-OgAl6MsOyMtmwojPzHDZu7_q7_Cxj0kUXFu0uMRXPmwilxxv41ob9yIZK93FH-GhLKRXAO9419lLsQYCk-mdzB_iT9ZtjtgY9r82NtvZk/w225-h400/Davy%20Lim%20in%20Montmartre%20ca%202023.jpeg" title="Davy Lim at his spot in Place du Tertre, Montmartre" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Davy Lim today at his spot in Place du Tertre, Montmartre</td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Oh yes, the street lamps evoke other jobs, indeed we too were hookers after all!</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrKGqQV02hd9qCS8o7CFbaKA53SQaiw64l2CF-yc2hhIhRv5jPZrxf5v1KwYwsD1tVTcUcweMUHya3FjC6MD853fvbCXDbHyt3_D1qhwoxR046yyryFpFX5IvIASHGT2x9SOkmsWrKlcB5neYVQQKABfsnFSvKf1GEz1KDbCx4EKfNNmXlVPEIOssHe8/s1600/Davy%20Lim%20close%20up%20photo%20of%20the%2080s%20:%20Montmartre.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Davy Lim in the 80's" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1294" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrKGqQV02hd9qCS8o7CFbaKA53SQaiw64l2CF-yc2hhIhRv5jPZrxf5v1KwYwsD1tVTcUcweMUHya3FjC6MD853fvbCXDbHyt3_D1qhwoxR046yyryFpFX5IvIASHGT2x9SOkmsWrKlcB5neYVQQKABfsnFSvKf1GEz1KDbCx4EKfNNmXlVPEIOssHe8/w324-h400/Davy%20Lim%20close%20up%20photo%20of%20the%2080s%20:%20Montmartre.jpeg" title="Davy Lim in the 80's" width="324" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Davy Lim back in the 80's</td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"></p><span style="font-size: medium;">Davy is a British citizen of Malaysian origin, and I immediately had great admiration for him. He's a terrific draftman! While he draws I try to learn from him, to steal his craft. I look at him like you look at a mentor, even though he is only two or three years older than me and never tried to teach me anything.</span><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">My escape from drugs and terrorism</span></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I am very atypical for a southern Italian. We are in the 80s. At such a young age I lead a totally unique life! At twenty years old, my peers go to college, have middle class ambitions or in any case do not leave the comfort of mamma cooking pasta for them. Those who reject this prospect end up involved in the political violence or devastated by heroin and then by AIDS. Hundreds of them. Ultimately, my trip to Paris was an escape from both of these deadly destinies.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Sdln4Xr8XR3lAKrVA1IEdzJ11luV3yjpWQgPZAhJC3d6j_umLDKRZL5uGzK11giYoxGrrs93uSbPN0WZnkon6SVgP48UPjfZLiNsrbCCBgvITE0zair5TJOHgJkPf8FcZXm4vs9HZlXLLKusijeefK95OZJIMX66AAjhMRZZXrPr065DxVKvQbObuHk/s1599/Studio%20Sete%20Davy%20Lim%20:%20Montmartre.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Davy Lim's artist studio view in the South of France" border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1599" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Sdln4Xr8XR3lAKrVA1IEdzJ11luV3yjpWQgPZAhJC3d6j_umLDKRZL5uGzK11giYoxGrrs93uSbPN0WZnkon6SVgP48UPjfZLiNsrbCCBgvITE0zair5TJOHgJkPf8FcZXm4vs9HZlXLLKusijeefK95OZJIMX66AAjhMRZZXrPr065DxVKvQbObuHk/w400-h225/Studio%20Sete%20Davy%20Lim%20:%20Montmartre.jpeg" title="Davy Lim's artist studio view in the South of France" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Davy Lim's artist studio view in the South of France</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Nevertheless it seems to me that I am far too respectable compared to Davy. He smokes and drinks the English way, that is, on an empty stomach. At most he grabs some junk food. I'm too Italian: picky about eating, matching shirts with trousers and drinking like an altar boy!</span></p><ul class="ul1"><li class="li2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>I was a chain smoker and drank a fast beer after almost every portrait. At the St Michel pitch, near the old Gilbert Jeune bookshop, there was a bar right opposite the lamp post I claimed for the night shift.</i><span class="s2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><i>Yeah, all I ate was junk food. I've got emphysema now because of the cigarettes, and I've had to give up the booze..</i></span></li></ul><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Davy lived outside Paris with his girlfriend, a French sculptor. One day we go to Montreuil, I think he hosted me for a couple of nights, I don't know why. But above all he paints a portrait of me in acrylic on green pastel Canson paper, like the one we draw charcoal portraits on. It's the dearest souvenir I have from that era! I've kept it in a drawer all these years like a relic, but now is time to frame it and hang it on the best wall of the studio!</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Buying a house with portraits money</span></b></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Later, once the story with the sculptress is over, he will tell me that he bought a house. He takes me to a small apartment, well not exactly an apartment!</span></p><ul class="ul1"><li class="li4" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">My room was 12 sqm. Yep, there was a mezzanine and just enough space for a studio easel and painting equipment. There were no cooking facilities. Turkish toilette on the landing. There my neighbour (absolutely horrible character) used to leave me disgusting presents up and down the walls. It cost me 65,000 francs (some $36,000 of today) No regrets at all!</span></i></li></ul><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In that period Davy took on some commissions for sacred paintings. I think it was his plan B for the winter. I admire this about him too. That ability to build brick by brick, with sacrifice but with the clear priority of financial security. Quite the opposite of me!</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrU70PI3LwwfijPqGQwZ0VMvMVRL7hTaz91lsZC1GU-sI2UFwEB4uOJpBWPJHxb4V1LtH2NhkDZWCA4EoFtNmqpjLuMDfv9JB49Z3J2r9MPNATcnibpFd8wQpzfP7raAs2lK7vDp5ZAGcyHAJ_jd0On5smkXyM9x-nn0eLkN91AuaLDbHsNX6RaqAKKcw/s1600/Stuio%20DAvy%20Lim%20in%20Sete%20:%20Montmartre.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Davy Lim's artist studio in the South of France" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrU70PI3LwwfijPqGQwZ0VMvMVRL7hTaz91lsZC1GU-sI2UFwEB4uOJpBWPJHxb4V1LtH2NhkDZWCA4EoFtNmqpjLuMDfv9JB49Z3J2r9MPNATcnibpFd8wQpzfP7raAs2lK7vDp5ZAGcyHAJ_jd0On5smkXyM9x-nn0eLkN91AuaLDbHsNX6RaqAKKcw/w400-h225/Stuio%20DAvy%20Lim%20in%20Sete%20:%20Montmartre.jpeg" title="Davy Lim's artist studio in the South of France" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Four decades later</span></b><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We met again a few years ago. I discovered that Davy is a YouTube star and to my surprise, that after forty years he is still working in Montmartre! Despite his precarious health, he insists on riding his scooter three times a week to the same spot that was assigned him many years ago.</span></p><ul class="ul1"><li class="li4" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">I got my official authorization in 1994, and my first "pitch" was no. 101. I am still sitting on the same spot. Though it's now called no. 84.</span></i></li></ul><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We had lunch and he congratulates me for having the guts to get off the street and develop my art. “I think you had a natural talent and so much potential” - says Davy. I know that his amazing talent could be expressed in different ways but he preferred to win his bread on the field. The road allowed him to send the son he adopted with his partner Agnes to an International school. Much respect!</span></p><ul class="ul1"><li class="li2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">As decrepitude goes up, it’s more and more difficult to work on the street now, especially in winter. But I feel totally blessed to have spent my whole life being free and doing something so enjoyable! I hope to spend more time to serious painting in the small atelier we have in the South of France. But it's still nice to have access to an easy and fun source of income in a legendary location like Montmartre!</span></i></li></ul><p class="p4" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>If you happen to be in Paris, you know who to ask for a portrait! </span><span>You can also visit Davy Lim online https://www.davylim.com/ ~ </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/DavyLimvideos/videos"><span>https://www.youtube.com/c/DavyLimvideos/videos</span></a></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Happy Art Life! -- Francesco</b></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">PS. I realize my Paris story could go on forever. I should consider writing a book. Please let me know if you want to read more about it. </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvHBgBZSImEeP1eZUt68QLTs48dPRd842d7_UxTA3awtEGW6VUAGmSVkcmeLirz3Jhmtp7F5PI51YHGHcG0deetWka8iRSIAWp2eow50ZLV3cjQv7CjR-UVdVjHvt3E49HdDZNRwE6vEcIs_bNgvogSC1aVVN1bnC3FLR7AP9Fg9HugxEVpYM3Iwr8z0/s4032/Francesco%20portrait%20by%20Davy%20Lim%201982.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The portrait of Francesco Fontana by Davy Lim, Paris 1982" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3016" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvHBgBZSImEeP1eZUt68QLTs48dPRd842d7_UxTA3awtEGW6VUAGmSVkcmeLirz3Jhmtp7F5PI51YHGHcG0deetWka8iRSIAWp2eow50ZLV3cjQv7CjR-UVdVjHvt3E49HdDZNRwE6vEcIs_bNgvogSC1aVVN1bnC3FLR7AP9Fg9HugxEVpYM3Iwr8z0/w299-h400/Francesco%20portrait%20by%20Davy%20Lim%201982.jpg" title="The portrait of Francesco Fontana by Davy Lim, Paris 1982" width="299" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Acrylic portrait of Francesco Fontana by Davy Lim, Paris 1982</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Through Ian, Jeanne Marie and Davy I told the stories of some different ways to experience the journey of painting starting from my youth. I understand that these stories of mine can demystify the legend of bohemian Paris and demolish the belief that the life of the artist is always fun and privilege.</span><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The truth is that choosing from a young age to make a living from your art almost always costs enormous sacrifices and sometimes terrible misadventures. Is it worth it? Yes, definitely! The reward is a strong sense of identity, the realization of who you truly feel you are. Belonging to some kind of brotherhood, even if your real friends in the business are two or three.</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This generates a form of happiness that is not visible to others but very profound. People think success is fame and wealth, but before that there is the pride of having carved out a place in the world based on your talent and tenacity. The fulfillment of being able to give people emotions through your art, which can sometimes last a lifetime.<br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: right;">Paris Memoir </span><a href="https://francescofontana.blogspot.com/2023/11/paris-love-art-and-my-bohemian-life.html" style="text-align: right;" target="_blank"><span class="s1" style="color: #0000e9;">Part One</span></a><span style="font-size: medium;"> | </span><a href="https://francescofontana.blogspot.com/2023/11/paris-2-friendship-and-resilience-in.html"><span class="s1" style="color: #0000e9; text-align: right;">Part </span>Two</a></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Visit my Art Store</span></b></a></div></blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-13452087486727246312023-11-14T10:48:00.001+01:002023-12-22T12:16:16.530+01:00A Story of Everyday Love<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Why Art makes people so happy? ~</span><br /></span><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="" class="mlMainContent" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody style="direction: ltr;"><tr style="direction: ltr;"><td style="border-collapse: collapse; direction: ltr; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><div class="ml-rte-text" style="direction: ltr;"><p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />A couple of Sundays ago I was in my hood church to host the charity sale of 60 paintings that a local painter bequeathed. The exhibition is set up in the room right next to the altar where kids are babysitted during the mass.</span></p></div><div class="ml-rte-text" style="direction: ltr;"><p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here I meet Marco and Monica, middle-aged parishioners who help with the exhibition. He tells me about his amateur watercolorist father, she tells me about his talented mosaicist father, who disappeared mysteriously years back. Kind people, can't help but invite them for coffee in my studio a few days later.</span></p></div><div class="ml-rte-text" style="direction: ltr;"><p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><strong style="direction: ltr;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Love in little everyday things</span></strong></p></div><div class="ml-rte-text" style="direction: ltr;"><p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While chatting about the neighborhood, they browse trough my larger figurative paintings. They love at least a dozen of them but often return to the same piece. An image of a senior couple in the kitchen getting coffee. It's the portrait of Bill and Randy, who hosted me as invited artist at plein air Texas festival. Two sweet people, who collected at least two of my paintings.</span></p></div><div class="ml-rte-text" style="direction: ltr;"><p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">-- <strong style="direction: ltr;">Marco says:</strong> See how in the painting she looks at him sweetly, while he pours the coffee into the cup for her.</span></p></div><div class="ml-rte-text" style="direction: ltr;"><p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">-- You can see that he takes care of her, who is probably a safe harbor for him for many regards -- <strong style="direction: ltr;">replies Monica.</strong></span></p></div><div class="ml-rte-text" style="direction: ltr;"><p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I let them comment for a while. I could feel something is making its way into their hearts. I tell myself that this couple play in unison! Than I say:</span></p></div><div class="ml-rte-text" style="direction: ltr;"><p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><strong style="direction: ltr;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">-- Do you know how this painting is called? Ordinary Love</span></strong></p></div><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" role="presentation" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody style="direction: ltr;"><tr style="direction: ltr;"><td align="left" class="ml-rte-image" id="imageBlock-27" style="border-collapse: collapse; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><img alt="Geometrical shapes in a watercolor by Francesco. Fontana" border="0" height="240" src="https://storage.mlcdn.com/account_image/590246/kohESiB6K26kejXj2GamVbEsIwO2z0JMpMrQcbBz.jpg" style="border: 0px; direction: ltr; display: block; outline: none;" width="320" /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="ml-rte-text" style="direction: ltr;"><p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><strong style="direction: ltr;"><a data-link-id="105294750023682035" href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" style="color: #007bff; direction: ltr; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank"><u style="direction: ltr;"><span data-redactor-span="true" data-redactor-style-cache="font-size: 12px;" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Ordinary Love ~ Watercolor by Francesco Fontana, 50 x 65 cm</span></u></a></strong></p><p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">-- Yes, they reply -- that's exactly how we feel! This painting is the perfect representation of how we want to grow old together!</span></p></div><div class="ml-rte-text" style="direction: ltr;"><p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><strong style="direction: ltr;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We are overjoyed to purchase it!</span></strong></p></div><div class="ml-rte-text" style="direction: ltr;"><p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I smile to myself proud to have captured a moment so full of meaning for me, and apparently important for others too. They can totally identified with the subject. When this happens people's emotion and gratitude are gigantic. For me as an artist that is the greatest reward! </span></p></div><div class="ml-rte-text" style="direction: ltr;"><p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><strong style="direction: ltr;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now it's your turn</span></strong></p></div><div class="ml-rte-text" style="direction: ltr;"><p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You too can find the painting that resonates with your feelings in my <strong style="direction: ltr;">Small Works Studio Sale 50% Off Black Week.</strong> This is valid only until Tuesday, Nov 21 at midnight PT. The discount is automatic and includes free shipping! Get your slice of love now!</span></p></div><div class="ml-rte-text" style="direction: ltr;"><p style="direction: ltr; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Don't feel guilty if you like a painting simply because it decorates your living room. This too is daily love! <span class="ml-rte-link-wrapper" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 22.5px;"><a data-link-id="105294750087645180" href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" style="color: #007bff; direction: ltr; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank"><u style="direction: ltr;">Choose your favorites now!</u></a></span></span></p></div><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" role="presentation" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody style="direction: ltr;"><tr style="direction: ltr;"><td align="left" class="ml-rte-image" id="imageBlock-50" style="border-collapse: collapse; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-family: inherit; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial;"><a data-link-id="105294750098130943" href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" style="direction: ltr; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_self"><img alt="Hundreds of small paintings by Francesco Fontana available at the artist Studio Sale" border="0" src="https://storage.mlcdn.com/account_image/590246/3nS0aUpJWBmEQf7kj80jpMoagqvOTd5WwcGmfZ5T.jpg" style="border: 0px; direction: ltr; display: block; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;" width="207.09812108559498" /><br /><br /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Black Week Sale 50% Off</span></b></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://instagram.com/francesco.fontana.artist" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Follow me on Instagram</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.francescofontana.com/free-art-gift" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sign up and get a Gift</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/590246/forms/101102649291573010" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/590246/forms/101102649291573010" target="_blank">Share and have a friend subscribe</a></span></div><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="info@francescofontana.com?subject= From Artt Against Cruelty Blog Post" target="_blank">Send Francesco an email</a></span></p><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="" class="mlMainContent" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: initial; border-spacing: 0px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(209, 211, 211); direction: ltr; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody style="direction: ltr;"><tr class="ml-hide-branding" style="direction: ltr;"><td style="border-collapse: collapse; direction: ltr; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-55667253731596691142023-11-08T18:50:00.012+01:002023-11-08T20:47:29.754+01:00Art Against Cruelty<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What artists can do in war times? ~</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Writing frequent letters involves opening eyes and hears to find inspiration and ideas in the environment. And of course trying to cherry pick interesting topics for a conversation with art enthusiasts.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Pretending it's business as usual</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrs4fmiGwDyWSuHSh-2sHPmApT77LwnS0_P-4cIwPXazMxHbGIqvtoiDLWIasI8WPIFzTh9jSQBnMZptxIJ5_abSZ3NFo0iKQrgqrX86IVKJOidFYKLgI-FnADSLlfao9TZMspH9AeXM44r4LXjGogayOwBvvuF5Gnq_IljRvCgkSuWVgD5jDibwuhMa8/s3542/Hold%20my%20Hand.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2615" data-original-width="3542" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrs4fmiGwDyWSuHSh-2sHPmApT77LwnS0_P-4cIwPXazMxHbGIqvtoiDLWIasI8WPIFzTh9jSQBnMZptxIJ5_abSZ3NFo0iKQrgqrX86IVKJOidFYKLgI-FnADSLlfao9TZMspH9AeXM44r4LXjGogayOwBvvuF5Gnq_IljRvCgkSuWVgD5jDibwuhMa8/s320/Hold%20my%20Hand.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Hold my Hand - Watercolor by Francesco Fontana</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Today I feel a certain discomfort because what is going on in the world shake my soul to the core. It is impossible to ignore the atrocity of war, and pretend this is business as usual. I can't get used to human cruelty, I guess I am too naive to not be surprised to hear someone feels rewarded or have <i>good reasons</i> to inflict pain to others.</span><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Universality of art</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Artists are very sensitive to the human condition, but at the same time we are warned not to openly take a political standing. In same cases we don't want to upset segments of the public or customers. In the best cases it's because being partial seems to betray a sense of universality and connection with the condition of all humanity.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">To me establishing who is wrong and who is right seems to be mere speculation. My ethical position is simple: </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Anyone who attacks defenseless people is wrong. It doesn't matter it's an action or a reaction. </span>Killing innocents is never justified.</span></b></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I don't think I'm politically biased if I say that those who attack young people at a music festival and kill in cold blood more than 1,000 in their household, are dead wrong. And I don't think I'm being politically partial if I say that murdering thousands of civilians, including 3000 children as an <i>unavoidable</i> price to target terrorists, is not less wrong. More than wrong. These actions are mass crimes!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Life to resists death</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">People here seem trapped in their own daily business, and although they are hunched over their cell phones, they look like no one has told them thousands of people are dying. I don't want to think that it's just selfishness. Perhaps silence is a form of resistance, of emotional defense. Ultimately, not losing sight of the path of a constructive life can be our most powerful weapon, the life that does not recede in the face of death.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Grow the beauty that unites</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">As artists, between our ego trip and our sense of guilt, there is a third way. Feel responsible and honored to exalt, defend and propagate the expression of vitality in the world through our creativity. Insist with our artworks on the universal value of a deeper truth and beauty, cultivate a form of love that unites all people. We did it during the pandemic. Looks like our job is not over. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Happy Art Life! -- Francesco</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><a href="http://francescofontana.com/" target="_blank">Learning Opportunities</a><br /></span><a href="http://instagram.com/francesco.fontana.artist" target="_blank">Follow me on Instagram</a><br /><a href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" target="_blank">Small Works New Selection</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><a href="info@francescofontana.com?subject= From Artt Against Cruelty Blog Post" target="_blank">Send Francesco an email</a></span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-3292040747109956712023-11-06T18:59:00.029+01:002023-11-07T12:45:22.843+01:00The Beauty of Geometry<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">Why do I paint lot of houses? ~</span><br /></span><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="" class="mlMainContent" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody style="direction: ltr;"><tr style="direction: ltr;"><td style="border-collapse: collapse; direction: ltr; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><div class="ml-rte-text" style="direction: ltr;"><p style="direction: ltr; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">A student of mine tells me I often paint houses, at least in my demos and en plein air sessions. Figurative is another story. How might this interest you? Whether you are a painter or a collector, this post helps you better understand the composition behind a painting.</span></span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><strong style="direction: ltr;">The beauty of geometry</strong><br style="direction: ltr;" /><br style="direction: ltr;" />My attraction is maybe a reminiscence of when we were kids and used to draw houses with sloping roofs and chimneys. Perhaps what appeals to me are geometric shapes: trapezoid, rectangle or the triangle, also found in the <span class="ml-rte-link-wrapper" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 22.5px;"><a data-link-id="104030082595554316" href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" style="color: #007bff; direction: ltr; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank"><u style="direction: ltr;">shape of my umbrellas</u></a></span>.<strong style="direction: ltr;"><br style="direction: ltr;" /><br style="direction: ltr;" />Rational forms and line of emotions</strong><br style="direction: ltr;" /><br style="direction: ltr;" />Actually my facades are always connected with trees and vegetation, combining geometric shapes with more random shapes, Euclidean rationale with intuitive lines.<strong style="direction: ltr;"><br style="direction: ltr;" /><br style="direction: ltr;" />Mountains like camels</strong><br style="direction: ltr;" /><br style="direction: ltr;" />The placement of elements, their variety, their proportions are a crucial framework for the outcome of a painting. Perspective is also critical. It's a good practice to break curves into segments. Beginners e.g. have a tendency to exaggerate the mountains profile, which often ends up resembling the humps of a camel!</span></p></div><div class="ml-rte-text" style="direction: ltr;"><p style="direction: ltr; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"></p></div><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" role="presentation" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody style="direction: ltr;"><tr style="direction: ltr;"></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Geometrical shapes in a watercolor by Francesco. Fontana" border="0" height="273" src="https://storage.mlcdn.com/account_image/590246/wBoxuO0HLx3oI2UVzAYQQVcW7i7T0M7aW3vMorfr.jpg" style="border: 0px; direction: ltr; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; outline: none;" width="320" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong style="direction: ltr;"><span class="ml-rte-link-wrapper" data-redactor-span="true" style="direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica; line-height: 15px;"><br /><a data-link-id="104030082604991505" href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" style="color: #007bff; direction: ltr; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank"><u style="direction: ltr;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Geometrical shapes in a watercolor by Francesco. Fontana</span></u></a></span></strong></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="ml-rte-text" style="direction: ltr;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="ml-rte-text" style="direction: ltr;"><p style="direction: ltr; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I draw a lot of preliminary studies, to make sure that there is a good variety of shapes and an interesting connection between them. Which combined with tonal values establish the <em style="direction: ltr;">weights</em> of the composition.<strong style="direction: ltr;"><span class="ml-rte-link-wrapper" data-redactor-span="true" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 22.5px;"><a data-link-id="104030082613380116" href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" style="color: #007bff; direction: ltr; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank"><u style="direction: ltr;"><br style="direction: ltr;" /><br style="direction: ltr;" />Paintings of semi abstract realism</u></a></span></strong><br style="direction: ltr;" /><br style="direction: ltr;" />Visualizing the geometric boxing in of organic elements is definitely more effective than details. If I have a boat in front of me, thinking of a trapezoid and two ovals helps me in two directions:<strong style="direction: ltr;"><br style="direction: ltr;" /><br style="direction: ltr;" />-- Control of curves and inclinations<br style="direction: ltr;" />-- Achieve a semi-abstract quality</strong><br style="direction: ltr;" /><br style="direction: ltr;" />These compositional principles can be fully appreciated in the beautiful small works available on my website Studio Sale. This selection of demos and plein air watercolors represent my design style to the full. <strong style="direction: ltr;"><span class="ml-rte-link-wrapper" data-redactor-span="true" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 22.5px;"><strong style="direction: ltr;"><span class="ml-rte-link-wrapper" data-redactor-span="true" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 22.5px;"><a data-link-id="104030082619671575" href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" style="color: #007bff; direction: ltr; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank"><u style="direction: ltr;">Collect these works</u></a></span> at a clearance fixed price thru November 2023. </strong></span></strong><strong style="direction: ltr;"><br style="direction: ltr;" /><br style="direction: ltr;" />Happy Art Life! -- Francesco</strong><br style="direction: ltr;" /></span></p><br /><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" role="presentation" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody style="direction: ltr;"><tr style="direction: ltr;"><td align="left" class="ml-rte-image" id="imageBlock-24" style="border-collapse: collapse; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 0px 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><a data-link-id="104030082634351644" href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sa" style="direction: ltr; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_self"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><img alt="Hundreds of small paintings by Francesco Fontana available at the artist Studio Sale" border="0" height="200" src="https://storage.mlcdn.com/account_image/590246/N6mCiqL5t94pbw79mTPVQxWYYUW8gmQOfAzXqg2p.jpg" style="border: 0px; direction: ltr; display: block; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;" width="186" /></span></a></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mlMainContent" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: initial; border-spacing: 0px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(209, 211, 211); direction: ltr; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%;"></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mlMainContent" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; direction: ltr; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody style="direction: ltr;"><tr style="direction: ltr;"><td align="left" class="ml-rte-footer" style="border-collapse: collapse; direction: ltr; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; padding-top: 15px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><p style="direction: ltr; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><strong style="direction: ltr;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Francesco Fontana Fine Artist </span><span class="ml-rte-link-wrapper" style="direction: ltr;"><a data-link-id="104030082639594526" href="http://francescofontana.com/" style="color: #007bff; direction: ltr; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">francescofontan</span>a.com</a></span></strong></p><div><strong style="direction: ltr;"><br /></strong></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-36968373109521640182023-11-01T11:02:00.011+01:002023-11-02T15:01:23.922+01:00Liberation From Fear<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>People's judgment hold you back? Five insights to help ~</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Silvia wrote to me: 'The fear of people's judgment paralyzes me or at least slows me down in my artistic expression. What to do?'</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">A recurring dilemma that afflicts even some accomplished artists. And I know the problem firsthand. As a teenager I was writing music but when it came to show on stage and sing I would go zero salivation! Finishing a song was a pain. I stopped making music despite some career opportunities.</span></p><p><strong style="background-color: white; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">You are not able to do it</span></strong></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">At the contrary, since I was a child, showing my drawings was not a problem. Good or bad that my art was, people's judgment was none of my problem. And that despite one of my works was rejected in a competition at primary school. It could have been a trauma, but as I made a career in painting, I guess that disappointment didn't paralyze me. A the contrary I had students telling me they were left stranded for decades after a school teacher's cynical ruling on an art assignment: too good to be your work. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Feeling authorized</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">It's not easy to understand why we are so self confident in some field and feel terribly inadequate in others, although we're equally capable. My mother supported my talent and sent me to art school. But my father didn't approve and it took me years to free myself from his disapproval. And that recovery costed me some professional help. My sense of identity and my psychic balance were at stake. Whether I was good or not at painting was not the point, not my concerne. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Digging into emotions</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span>My struggle was to give myself permission to become an artist in life. The minute I felt authorized, a huge relief happened and I ultimately took the road for the dream to come true! </span><span>What I'd suggest to Silvia is digging a little into her emotions, especially if the fear of judgment is effecting other aspects of her life.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>To begin with, I would do a little self interview, asking myself:</b></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">What exactly am I afraid of?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">What concrete consequences would a negative judgment have?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Would someone really look at my works and say out loud 'that sucks'?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Has it actually ever happened that someone mortified me?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">What do I not feel adequate in: the subject? The technique? The style?</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I'm sure that by honestly answering these five questions, Silvia can find insights to start removing the obstacles that block her. And take a path not to be too hard on herself and offer her art to the world without fear.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Happy Art Life! -- Francesco</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">PS. If you appreciate receiving these little reflections, I call MuseLetter, you might also like what I post on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/francesco.fontana.artist/" target="_blank">Instagram and follow me</a>. Thank you!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">PPS. And if you're in the mood of surrounding yourself with beauty, take advantage of the <a href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" target="_blank">Small Works Studio Sale</a> on my website.</span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-31749289648236948492023-10-25T17:18:00.004+02:002023-11-01T18:42:49.858+01:00The Mother of Invention<p><span style="font-size: large;">What's the secret of creativity? ~</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">When wearing seat belts in cars became mandatory in Italy, a stall appeared in Naples selling t-shirts with a black diagonal stripe printed on them. Don't we want to call them artists? They had a problem: heat in Naples and tickets from the cops, thus an idea was needed! </span></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvciftM_9lTZdoVpNDOmE7Ow2gnY6jOLmoVE8ta9OGHCB_2mOUHmRwhUndW96KYt-4yQV-4Cxt7TI1RdCojA_ETJ3R0MWsjKW9HfEh6NnxATwzVsPwoFEoihQiXJOk2tZ2zN__3C50SGt-WEeGAW04XzcL1r4_lfPqJB2M3P1OMtdgA1YQWxKsYffcUuE/s4032/IMG_20231014_185337_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3016" data-original-width="4032" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvciftM_9lTZdoVpNDOmE7Ow2gnY6jOLmoVE8ta9OGHCB_2mOUHmRwhUndW96KYt-4yQV-4Cxt7TI1RdCojA_ETJ3R0MWsjKW9HfEh6NnxATwzVsPwoFEoihQiXJOk2tZ2zN__3C50SGt-WEeGAW04XzcL1r4_lfPqJB2M3P1OMtdgA1YQWxKsYffcUuE/w320-h239/IMG_20231014_185337_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Necessity sharpens ingenuity</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This idea is not as simple as it sounds. Many novice and even expert painters think art is pure fun, and freedom of expression. However, self-expression does not take place without rules, because it does not trigger original solutions. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">In art, sport and business</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Thinking of sports might help better understand. It is essential to work around the things you are forbidden to do. You can't touch the ball with your hands, not even unwillingly. Why do we consider Pelè or Maradona genius? Precisely because of their creativity, inventiveness, style and intuition in working out their way to the goal without using their hands. Oh my God, Diego was actually accused to cheat a goal with his <i>mano de Dios</i>! Let's call it an exception</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Challenge and divergent thinking</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So in order to be creative, in art or business, we should make a set of obstacles and restrictions: what if i paint in 30 minutes? If I use only five forms? If I lay any color but the local one? If I paint with one eye closed? ... Result is unpredictable. And there lays the magic of creativity! </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This is a concept that an artist such as Larry Moore practice and shares in his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1111080899235292" target="_blank">What If University on Facebook </a> Larry reflects on this matter extensively and suggests some very intriguing challenges at times. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Hope I was creative enough to inspire you within the limit of less than 360 words and 90 minute writing time. Please let me know your thoughts, I am likely to return on to this topic. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Happy Art life! -- Francesco</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">PS. Some of this ideas are applied in my paintings. at the current <a href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" target="_blank">Small Work Studio Sale</a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1746" data-original-width="2736" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25nJljKok7ZU8xRsvkRynxbXFkG_x6hAd_aZLxtWZp0yyrylnh7_bCHj4i-TVpCqde8nVcDKGEXtgzHZTBC4KDiZy_weQyu4MnxmZKCA5KR0lwNyHyUdhBZ9iqG7_ObsqbwPb7hgvM7uWYVvOwOZBMp1cBKoSYrp52I1tRjqHkXXfhR2mvZ-cCqX6eG8/s320/result_img_2023_10_11_16_23_40.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-2112056391963147302023-10-16T16:15:00.014+02:002023-11-01T18:29:56.044+01:00 What price for your art? Know your value<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">How to ask more for your talent</span></h2><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>~ I was around 25 when I was called by the boss I was already working for, in a famous live jazz organization. He wanted to hire me as press secretary, for he had noticed that as a junior manager of their jazz club, I had shown good communication skills and some <i>attitude</i> I had brought from my time in Paris and London.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7EC3MZxZF2Od58WQ9NUTrPOt1VZ5SAYIFYGoh10WJTWh4YnzSJEFKpmTTzo8kHMVicwSgrJLAetKyFyq8hDXsujnRS67xIFnK8PC3HQ-E-tYfa7J3MthBTKbAeFRQ6IlRCV9-jNUkd05adnn1QjK8KR1esrn2VX8l4NhwPPxDa-HoUekAe52cXQdmE8/s681/Closing%20up%20a%20sale.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Francesco Fontana Artist - Collector in the Studio" border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="680" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7EC3MZxZF2Od58WQ9NUTrPOt1VZ5SAYIFYGoh10WJTWh4YnzSJEFKpmTTzo8kHMVicwSgrJLAetKyFyq8hDXsujnRS67xIFnK8PC3HQ-E-tYfa7J3MthBTKbAeFRQ6IlRCV9-jNUkd05adnn1QjK8KR1esrn2VX8l4NhwPPxDa-HoUekAe52cXQdmE8/w320-h320/Closing%20up%20a%20sale.jpg" title="Francesco Fontana Artist - Collector in the Studio" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Fontana with a collector in the studio</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Stellar artists</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">At theaters and large outdoor venues, headliners were stellar names. One for all Myles Davis! I thought it was a cool opportunity. I would have had relationships with the media and interviews with music legends! Seeing me excited, the boss asked me point blank:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>~ How much do you want?<br /></span><span>~ What do you mean?<br /></span><span>~ How much per year do you need to live well?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I mumbled something but I wasn't able to put a figure on it.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">~ You tell me.. - I said</span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">I accepted the offer he made, it seemed great. But what if I was prepared to figure my value? Years later I would understand that, for funding reasons, he had no interest in keeping costs low. (Italian politics, don't try to understand!). So I could have shot high! </span><p></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Millionaire until proof to the contrary</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It took me years to make a psychological change and stop basing my requests on the economic standard of my social class. I have learned to value my work <i>more</i>, never less! As far as I know, the potential customer in front of me, it's not the small official my father was, he's by default a millionaire - at least until proven otherwise!</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Time for pro bono</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I hate having a rich guy pay peanuts for my art, more than I hate losing a client who can't afford it. In this case I always have time to be generous, or do some charity.<b> How do I practically calculate the price of my paintings? Well, ask me and I will explain it to you.</b></span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Happy Art Life! -- Francesco</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">PS: I'm not selling anything today (<a href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" target="_blank">check my site</a> on weekends for that). I will just be happy to hear your comment on this post and what topic you want to read about next. </span></p><p>www.francescofontana.com</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-58379034491951427852023-10-10T09:13:00.030+02:002023-11-01T18:33:26.358+01:00 Alla Seconda: The Game Changer in My Style<p><span style="font-size: medium;">This summer I spent some time in Berlin, my new fav getaway city in Europe. There I joined a huge gathering of 1,070 Urban sketchers and loved it! This refreshed my old love for drawing. But also the memory of another experience I had in America. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObgnl2NCJxUaquappVBvczcc5dqKBlVW_do1YsLScAO_JlT25I5JRAQedrxjdJ1Xe41ULOZw65TouhSJ-kyBnG4ZWquSuXjmDKkvMqx4q3I-L0WjggUmF-Q4BAWj-AZ2hr0L4lNpLNdujpDeq01B9Byc5iwKQLcNn3G0H8lq5k_vi08ZEt-LufO_Sdqk/s4032/Urban%20Sketchers%20Berlin%202023%20Busk.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img alt="Urban Sketchers in Berlin BUSK 2023" border="0" data-original-height="3016" data-original-width="4032" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObgnl2NCJxUaquappVBvczcc5dqKBlVW_do1YsLScAO_JlT25I5JRAQedrxjdJ1Xe41ULOZw65TouhSJ-kyBnG4ZWquSuXjmDKkvMqx4q3I-L0WjggUmF-Q4BAWj-AZ2hr0L4lNpLNdujpDeq01B9Byc5iwKQLcNn3G0H8lq5k_vi08ZEt-LufO_Sdqk/w320-h238/Urban%20Sketchers%20Berlin%202023%20Busk.jpg" title="Urban Sketchers in Berlin BUSK 2023" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Drawing outdoors in Berlin</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Years ago I recorded a DVD in Texas about my <a href="https://painttube.tv/products/francesco-fontana-watercolor-the-italian-way" target="_blank"><i>Alla Seconda</i> Method</a>. It contributed a lot in changing my style in recent years, especially with regard to plein air painting.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The 4 critical steps:</span></b></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>1 - Wander and draw one or more sketches, even before I decide the subject matter I will paint</span></span> </blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"> </blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>2 - Pick the most convincing of these monochromatic studies, often the size of a credit card.</span> </span></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Memory as a tool </span></b></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>3 - Transfer my drawing on paper or canvas, then paint it. But most importantly, this can happen either immediately or days later, on the spot or in the studio, looking at the subject or even with my back to it.</span> </span> </blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"> </blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>4 - My reference will only be my sketch and my selective memory. We only remember what really resonate with us, and forget worthless details. A great natural tool! </span></span></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p></p></blockquote><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Reinventing the scenery</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Painting <i>Alla Seconda</i> it's my highway to creativity and abstraction. I let myself be inspired by reality, but use this approach to be taken where colors and design reinvent the scene and make it mine and unique!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3HVW25f_hR0PlZFkwr53SGKXBYrC8L7-FTRPfa41PAfgRgrfJhnKpNUCB6KdGo8ksWtJvWMFAmh9QxPTgh5Dfk0rYmT_snRhpFTnsNiSUZOfmC9zYkWgEaXlZLGbEqSXe5MADkmVSEuLD-TYC4xDKxkao-hhjkDKlidDpr3ZRM5DGsr3TxvAXC3EF5E/s3834/IMG_20220824_125815.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Waterocolor alla seconda by Francesco Fontana" border="0" data-original-height="2482" data-original-width="3834" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3HVW25f_hR0PlZFkwr53SGKXBYrC8L7-FTRPfa41PAfgRgrfJhnKpNUCB6KdGo8ksWtJvWMFAmh9QxPTgh5Dfk0rYmT_snRhpFTnsNiSUZOfmC9zYkWgEaXlZLGbEqSXe5MADkmVSEuLD-TYC4xDKxkao-hhjkDKlidDpr3ZRM5DGsr3TxvAXC3EF5E/w320-h207/IMG_20220824_125815.jpg" title="Waterocolor alla seconda by Francesco Fontana" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Big or small make it a project</span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Many people think you grab a brush and start painting. I ask my students: do you know any art such as music, dance, theater, writing -- where artists do not draft a project first? Rework it many times over? Rehearsal for hours before making it final for the audience? </span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Move towards originality</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">If you are an emerging artist, these ideas might encourage you to move towards greater originality. And if you are not an artist but love art, you might use this angle for a better understanding of my painting.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Happy art! -- Francesco</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">PS. If you want to know why I call it <i>Alla Seconda </i>just ask questions. <b>On this topic alone I prepared a fantastic workshop. Please consider <a href="mailto:workshops@francescofontana.com?subject=Host a Workshop Alla Seconda with Francesco Fontana" target="_blank">hosting a Painting Workshop Alla Seconda</a>. Cheers!</b></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_6smzi2Nqvyl455xLhYP13QjYnAh2FH9UwrZHnbKBIA73pkBr_ExYZY9-hLyvKrHV3TwzH8JvsntwTZOzNJjXC12Cte5kZYtZo3uyeIer1Q9nJ81NlHtnMw3AzHGB62sqrxnP6UvZvWp72giP827toS5qrM1FZQYgIug5LRYLGBOWRemmNWnM8PJAeg/s3068/IMG_20220824_125621-EDIT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Prep sketch by Francesco Fontana" border="0" data-original-height="2265" data-original-width="3068" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_6smzi2Nqvyl455xLhYP13QjYnAh2FH9UwrZHnbKBIA73pkBr_ExYZY9-hLyvKrHV3TwzH8JvsntwTZOzNJjXC12Cte5kZYtZo3uyeIer1Q9nJ81NlHtnMw3AzHGB62sqrxnP6UvZvWp72giP827toS5qrM1FZQYgIug5LRYLGBOWRemmNWnM8PJAeg/w320-h236/IMG_20220824_125621-EDIT.jpg" title="Prep sketch by Francesco Fontana" width="320" /></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiooqoWnv11oCdfEDZQ1JHIfkUh_hxqvDRSUEPqtApOG2TXGYFMd-Z8c5Sc4JWQJc0E93XFqwrCNaD2kU0kWZPl24LAoB2gp_CZDqJwgmsy0A0QMgADRPil9pNMTnhp3qOKJf4fMavj8IgcNywHfLrS_Vq2v5jbNygGPTilQPHJsL2VrWNqVNl_ll9ZGVQ/s4032/IMG_20220820_112726.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Plein air painting ordinary reference" border="0" data-original-height="3016" data-original-width="4032" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiooqoWnv11oCdfEDZQ1JHIfkUh_hxqvDRSUEPqtApOG2TXGYFMd-Z8c5Sc4JWQJc0E93XFqwrCNaD2kU0kWZPl24LAoB2gp_CZDqJwgmsy0A0QMgADRPil9pNMTnhp3qOKJf4fMavj8IgcNywHfLrS_Vq2v5jbNygGPTilQPHJsL2VrWNqVNl_ll9ZGVQ/w320-h239/IMG_20220820_112726.jpg" title="Plein air painting ordinary reference" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzLw8rY_J_RKAHtvoYJyhNcNKUJK0Wp4dzxVMiWOIZu1GhZ0gDGhZ0dWw71O_xdoc6IVUZvmoFO-1XEG8CedixSdCWJGkLK2_7_IBfwFupG3m1d8aB3h7RL0vhFnrgrKbq_E5mVbLVYCie8QsAiKt9AzXFJodACtcTTGyYYgmKWCurCfv3DsP-EZE4yY/s2174/20151114_124520-EDIT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img alt="Francesco Fontana Recording DVD in Austin, TX" border="0" data-original-height="2174" data-original-width="1976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzLw8rY_J_RKAHtvoYJyhNcNKUJK0Wp4dzxVMiWOIZu1GhZ0gDGhZ0dWw71O_xdoc6IVUZvmoFO-1XEG8CedixSdCWJGkLK2_7_IBfwFupG3m1d8aB3h7RL0vhFnrgrKbq_E5mVbLVYCie8QsAiKt9AzXFJodACtcTTGyYYgmKWCurCfv3DsP-EZE4yY/w291-h320/20151114_124520-EDIT.jpg" title="Francesco Fontana Recording DVD in Austin, TX" width="291" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-54432917559337339792023-10-01T17:15:00.011+02:002023-11-01T18:35:00.550+01:00Obsessed with Quantity<div><span style="font-size: medium;">Looking for new friends is an innate social tendency. But today, we invest a lot of energy in compulsively acquiring new contacts. It was almost a shock to discover that my phone book alone has over 1800 contacts! But how many can I hear in a day? On a good day maybe a dozen. Well below 1%! So why add more weight to my contact list? After all, how many good relationships does a person need?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">We're one short of two</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I have extended the same reflection to other aspects of my life. It seems mandatory to be informed about everything, to know how to do the most disparate things, from editing a video to speaking in public. Everything seems essential to be successful. And of course it's never enough. If we are not active on the latest trending social media we become invisible; if we don't apply this new type of marketing (yesterday's was a scam) we will never sell anything... In short, we are always missing one to make two!</span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Our hidden golden capital</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Interrupting this race for a moment, I realized that in my studio I have a capital of hundreds of paintings, that over time I have gained a wealth of life experiences and soft skills, that I have built a network of people who respect me and admire my art.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">So much to tell and share</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So I decided. For a period of time (maybe three months, maybe a year) I may want to paint only a few art works and dedicate more conversation with those I was lucky enough to meet and perhaps forgot too soon. Taking the time to study my existing work deeper. Perhaps my masterpiece is already there, or simply there is still so much to tell and share. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I hope these reflections inspire you. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Happy Art Life! -- Francesco</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">PS. I've redesigned the <a href="http://francescofontana.com" target="_blank">home page of my website</a> and rearranged my Collecting and Learning proposals. Please check it out and interact as much as you can. I appreciate that you let me know what you like and especially what you don't and your advise. Redesigning is still ongoing. Thank you!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://francescofontana.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img alt="Francesco Fontana Artist Web Site" border="0" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="776" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdzK3eEPmU5g7HmaP9Pdvh24QlobAqbhb9plbcnCDAJyrnRFwFhXG5EHUNfBOe9Vp4Jbw0Ltdtvc8KiFi0dyYph8MZ8OktjXrW1dWWwtuSltHxeuk_ecHLampEkqLPokJa5QXqEL1iBsw2jTgXASuM81pavjiSUzdLlhYGbvelglMwvI7lQ35JqXxECc/w400-h302/New%20homepage.png" title="francescofontana.com" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-16046723035452291452023-09-21T17:39:00.020+02:002024-02-03T18:08:30.434+01:00The Mentor I Always Wanted<p><span style="font-size: medium;">When I was very young I longed to have a mentor. My father, a good man in many ways, lacked the patience and character to be a guide, a beacon, a role model. His mission was to support five children! Not to support the artistic ambitions of a young hippie!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A wise guide since the antiquity</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In the Odyssey, Ulysses entrusts his son Telemachus to the wise Mentor, to carry out the function that he will not be able to carry out by going to war against Troy. Me, I struggled alone for a long time in the search for who I was and in authorizing myself to be so. But I was lucky enough to meet a couple of 'fatherly' men in my journey. Thanks to them I built self confidence day by day, one experience at a time, in different countries and with different personalities. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The answers you ignore to have</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Today I am told to be a good listener, and be able to guide my mentees so that they reflect and discover by themselves the best choice for them. I became a 'father'. It's true, I ask more questions than giving answers! And they love it! Beyond the technique and practical advice in painting, I suggest different lens to look at their own works, and let them finally see what is 'hidden' before their eyes. This gives great confidence to those who follow the path of art!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Happy Art Life! -- Francesco </b><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #202124; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/590246/forms/101102649291573010" style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;" target="_blank">Join (News) Artist Letters!</a><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">
</span></span></span><a href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Visit my Art Store</span></a><br /><a href="http://instagram.com/francesco.fontana.artist" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Follow me on Instagram</span></a><br /><a href="https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/590246/forms/101102649291573010" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Share and have a friend subscribe</a><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="Mailto:info@francescofontana.com?subject= Message from the Blog" target="_blank">Send Francesco an email</a></span></p><br /><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-8338928493733699862023-09-20T17:03:00.008+02:002024-02-03T18:07:53.805+01:00Love Museums Regardless The Art<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I have been traveling quite a bit this year, mostly in Europe. Not much of business travels, except for inspiration hunting, which can be definitely considered part of an artist's job, right? Consequently skipped writing letters and posting on social media. Worse and shameful, a did no show at a couple of zoom meetings (sorry). But when your mind is off duty, no way! </span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Rembrandt and the rockstars</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Good news is now I am able to share with you a bunch of photos and some stories from those visits. <b>Let's start From the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam</b>, well known for the masterpieces by Rembrandt and Vermeer. I love museums for regardless the art they display. They are often hosted in buildings which are piece of art in their own right. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Time is suspended</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">People generally step in them with a religious attitude, in a quiet atmosphere, well.. untile they gather at their rockstar masterpiece for a selfie! Time is suspended fro me there, and I take it slow to admire piece by piece, soak the history and still some masters' secret. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Hope one day I'll be able to include more write up. But for now my priority is to reconnect with you! So here is some beauty for you to enjoy: <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/tENeQqHWAeqPnZdR9" target="_blank">Masterpieces at Rijksmuseum</a></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/tENeQqHWAeqPnZdR9" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="3016" data-original-width="4032" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3SweWhomNVShoLZ5xVIcO3RsBph8o3KU4ITR6nig0cNc6Lyb7K7vRkLX8zsMv1a6pdO2bCGL4jfhxYb7sxNYEZ8gwyWp5NF4EwsIgoXRzJWyuPqrJ7ssZDsV3-AUQ5oteHU_kR2ebwVAf_0bhTfahesXveInX6c-khFqqM1aJP2j-jWTshsoh2Fh6-vM/s320/IMG_20230819_114043.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/tENeQqHWAeqPnZdR9" target="_blank">The Milkmaid, by Johannes Vermeer at Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam</a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><b>Happy Art! -- Francesco</b></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/590246/forms/101102649291573010" style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;" target="_blank">Join (News) Artist Letters!</a><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space-collapse: preserve-breaks;">
</span></span></span><a href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Visit my Art Store</span></a><br /><a href="http://instagram.com/francesco.fontana.artist" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Follow me on Instagram</span></a><br /><a href="https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/590246/forms/101102649291573010" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;" target="_blank">Share and have a friend subscribe</a><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="Mailto:info@francescofontana.com?subject= Message from the Blog" target="_blank">Send Francesco an email</a></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-61369576311835982872022-05-06T18:34:00.003+02:002023-10-24T15:52:06.289+02:00How to Enjoy Flying Again Overseas<p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Freedom can be scary after the long shutdown</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Let me tell you a little story about traveling again. Last April I finally returned to the United States, first time since the era of lockdown.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I was a little nervous while prepping all requirements: mask, covid pass, traveler locator form, extra insurance.. at a point I realized that I did not feel as safe as in many years of traveling. I have always been a traveler, at the age of twenty I moved to Paris with no french nor a dime. But this time it was stressful! It seemed impossible to me that I could, for example, fly five times back and forth overseas in 2017.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Sick away from home</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In fact, the minor and major health flaws happened in last three years have made me feel more vulnerable. Surprisingly, I skipped Covid, but maybe the effect of aging is just that: the fantasy of being sick and alone thousands of miles away from home -- which makes packing up not so exciting.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But I'm not a quitter. Rather, I reconsidered my trip: I canceled some business and reduced my tour to 13 days instead of 18; planned my tour as a vacation for most of the time and and scheduled visits with friends and family. Slowed down to listen to my belly in this great Country, America, that can be as exciting as scary at times. For future reference and therapy I wrote a diary.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Smart aging</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It was an almost perfect trip! Always surrounded by people who love me and who have pampered me, carried me around, talked in a more intimate and personal way then ever. People made a difference, they made me feel safe and at home in three states and four different cities; fears are gone and I am looking forward to return soon!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>In my diary I wrote: don't be proud. The smartest way to get older is to let others help you</b>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Let's talk about this, let's talk about art, let's meet in Bologna on 13 and 14 May 2022, at the Watercolor Festival. Will you be there? <a href="mailto@francescofontana.com&subject?=Bologna" target="_blank">Reply here</a></span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Francesco </span></b></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-7916076274989465672022-03-01T09:21:00.009+01:002022-03-03T14:54:21.600+01:00Break Your Records Like a Champion<p><strong style="color: #a76922;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Learning competitiveness from winning athletes</span></strong></p><p><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;">Yesterday a friend posted his painting that was rejected from a major competition. He had no complain, was just proud to share it with the world. And it was indeed a good work, pretty original. I complimented him publicly and (privately) suggested to reflect on some part of the composition that might have looked unresolved by the jurors. I meant it as an encouragement and he appreciated the hint. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a76922;"><span><span><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Managing disappointment after blaming others </span></strong></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: #050505;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://swswatercolor.org/workshops/francesco-fontana-workshop/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2694" data-original-width="3773" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwt9QszAfTW9cVHUKYGM10e9Exr2L_c3ro2oLaBTrqHVeKFVRkVwHl-V2jwKkqj744MJJzWuFbFPCJQB3JH5vyezsobl86MVGIiBP4UY4rwI-v5xPyush43k19qsG4EM1hVPvAzGVhy8U8xv6FALfvTw_oYOA7tctJONl2c6CsBjPMLdLNO_yDJKZs=w400-h285" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span><strong><span style="color: #050505;"><span><a href="https://swswatercolor.org/workshops/francesco-fontana-workshop/" target="_blank">Old Time Concho, Watercolor by Francesco Fontana<br /><br /></a></span></span></strong></span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #050505;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;">But it's not always so easy. You know I have been there, in the Rejection Blue Room. That place were you either get depressed, or take it as a message for you to work harder and become a better painter. The way I learned to manage these disappointments, is to consider my career like sport people do. Sometime you win, sometime you lose, some other time you go tie. I found that a healthy competitive attitude helps face the defeats as part of the game. And, after a beer night blaming it on the referee, we want to forgive, forget and set a tighter training plan for the next challenge. Athletes and players do that all the time. </span></span></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #a76922;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><strong>Healthy competitiveness make your art grow</strong></span></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;">In my my business of art, breaking a record basically means master some skill I am still weak at, research a more original idea, or introduce a more effective step in my process. Then present a new version of my work to the next test. Which can range from a friend's honest. feedback, to a submission for a top international competition. If you look at a workshop in this perspective, you will consider the training you get, a building block of your ability to win at the next games! </span></p><p><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium;"><span><strong>We are the champions my friend! Let's become a team!<br /></strong></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #a76922;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><strong>Cheers -- Francesco</strong></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">BTW If you're an art promoter consider hosting my workshop. If you're a watercolor painter <a data-cke-saved-href="https://swswatercolor.org/workshops/francesco-fontana-workshop/" href="https://swswatercolor.org/workshops/francesco-fontana-workshop/" target="_blank">join my workshop</a> at Southwestern Watercolor Society in Dallas, TX in April. </span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-79407182530897046512022-01-11T18:22:00.010+01:002022-01-28T10:11:07.863+01:00Just Good Luck?<p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Why strong resolutions work</span></b></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: medium;">2 min read</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Against all odds, 2021 It’s been a good year, even better than the previous one, which surprisingly wasn't bad at all for my business. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Preoccupation for my life</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But not later than 30 months ago I thought my journey was over. Illness and hospital seemed to be my new reality. Business had been terribly slow even during the previous dozen months. I guess preoccupation about my life effected my ability to be creative and productive.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">*****</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Out of the tunnel</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">However in 2021 I won several major awards, the projects I am being offered are top notch, and when I look at my recent art I can see how much I have grown. The wheel turn good! </span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Just good luck?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Maybe, but let me think of some strong decisions I took when I was struggling to survive:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">— As my body got thinner I felt <b>closer to my soul</b> and I decided to show more of it, tell my story, use my voice, be honest..</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">— I challenged my impatience and forced myself to work on <b>paintings that requires time</b>, days or weeks, versus the comfort of (plein air) painting-a-day </span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">— I <b>accepted my ambition</b> and rose the bar, planning more complex pieces of art that may one day hang in a museum.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">-- I believed I had <b>something to say</b>, and started to say it, though my discourse wasn't completely formed </span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">— <b>I never stopped studying</b>. I discovered that while the satisfaction for a good job vanishes quickly, learning is for good.</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s not on me to tell how far I have gone and how long the good time will last. But for sure I made progress that stand out enough to provide acknowledgment and new opportunities. And for sure there’s still a long way to go. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">More courage in 2022</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">That's why I take resolutions very seriously and suggest you to do the same. I know it's hard to keep up with the diet, but maybe you got stronger motivations in your business of art. Maybe -- like me -- for 2022 you need to be bolder, take more risk with your choices, learn skills you're still weak at, get involved with new people! </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And of course welcome good luck if it knocks at your door!</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKdGBTrIN1sXUem5f95T9O6NIXwypfsQk-p0TH20FJ5v1PSRgue6Q2pLYdC8PRoAB8oL_rT_hTYon-UTFOTQYx0QybR_RtCzECWPDyvJGtbfU91YkH2vvJCDlzoad_VpERXWyw4N0UaherNUMYNxuc5NNx06laCWlsn2NpIw0ba5IxzYXwkXALznEg=s1081" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b></b></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b><b><span style="font-size: medium;">I love to hear from you!</span></b></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Francesco</span></b></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://event.watercolorlive.com/wcl2022?affiliate_id=353712" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1081" data-original-width="1081" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgC67LiIEo76EdUfHnMmAJGdEqPIVTcKArifizlC5BXfSZa9mZzUB4KidJMuT3W6prHCFC5xCSoFPp9btFsDm2v1YgPj51nzWSgAvuVuxVviohXoE4H-gWgrySJEclY7_Vw__6rVxS3bTU0xjYxi7T63UQb5XqHWDjd4irY2xCUBkouDewXaadHq-3p=s320" width="320" /></a></div>BTW </b>One of the awesome projects I am involved in is </span><a href="https://event.watercolorlive.com/wcl2022?affiliate_id=353712" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">Watercolor Live 2022</a><span style="font-size: large;">. If you are a watercolor fan, don't miss my demo and that of stellar international artists on Jan 26 - 29, 2022. Get your seat here: </span><a href="https://event.watercolorlive.com/wcl2022?affiliate_id=353712" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">link https://event.watercolorlive.com/wcl2022?affiliate_id=353712</a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>BTW 2</b>. If can also meet me in presence at my 3 day <a href="https://swswatercolor.org/workshops/francesco-fontana-workshop/" target="_blank">workshop in Dallas</a>, TX 11-14 April 2022. Sign up here: <a href="https://swswatercolor.org/workshops/francesco-fontana-workshop/">https://swswatercolor.org/workshops/francesco-fontana-workshop/</a></span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-47215393060104567602021-12-22T11:02:00.021+01:002021-12-22T12:50:16.429+01:00Happy Like a Kid<p style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, verdana, sans-serif;">Analog vs digital, a newfound joy</b></p><p style="text-align: right;"><strong style="font-size: 16px; text-align: right;"><span style="background-color: red;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;"> <a href="?=merry">Flash News</a></span></strong></p><p><span face=""helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">My memory today goes back to last fall, when I took a walk in the park as the sun was hitting the wet grass. Not a big park just a neighborhood park, where residents walk their dogs and chat. The leaves on the trees reflect <b>all sort of color, except</b> for blue maybe. Yellow, orange, red, purple, and of course green, plus tons of their variations. For a moment I feel like I am wandering in Central Park. In addition to the beauty of these big overlapping masses of color, <b>I realize the magic</b> is also given by the carpet of fallen leaves at the feet of every tree, and by the translucency of the sunlight thru them.</span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span><a href="mailto:wokshops@francescofontana.com?subject=Talk to me!" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="800" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYYE_R-vVB5dZh2vpGS-T7arm_Xq7zsYYcj--d77i_Gtq-QJIgxJAhqsMjkTLReNl8n5siyAWqLT1D6fWeGylwacuLzKEHhL0WEfsx5mK2etfK7dcgOGvB7_67zgzLgNdaSWtcy-qPHbNwXY2o53dSPhv1AgawoGWx0U-DlVtDnx6LoRk3fzFHjRt7=w400-h241" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">*** </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Instinctively I pulled out the phone to take '</span><b style="font-size: 16px;">beautiful photos</b><span style="font-size: 16px;">' -- for the sake of it and as possible later panting references. Ops my photo memory and 100 gb storage are full! Darn it, I knew I needed to slim down the thousand of pics I hold, and by no way I will add more today! </span></div><span face="helvetica neue,helvetica,arial,verdana,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:wokshops@francescofontana.com?subject=Talk to me!" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3016" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_Hqb8JJIy9PT9loz6kzaaIi65pXiEg1KPk_4AHhxUUCTG_g6Ev9mnFvHX7YL9ziVXDN9jwdtRij0ZmG8vkBwht_2kJBmwz3v7NNCW7nexLrbO6YewToS1gu4r9MHP62IOmhABEPwHpXC7RDYy8Jk8ygC1CfEPHOrixDdvr2Pgeq4fAn2KzwC4hE5D=w197-h209" width="197" /></a></div><div><span face="helvetica neue,helvetica,arial,verdana,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div>So I contemplated the Idea of keeping the moment for myself, just as a memory. No need to record everything that happens in my life. In the process I picked up a couple of leaves from the ground to look closer. In a few minutes I collected two dozens of different samples. It reminded me <b>when we were kids</b> and would collect stuff all over the place, to play, make a gift, or simply manipulate material. </span></span><div><span face="helvetica neue,helvetica,arial,verdana,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="helvetica neue,helvetica,arial,verdana,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 16px;">The feeling of a stronger connection to the place and its nature revamped in me! Digging my shoes into the wet grass, find a way to hold the bunch with one hand while bending down and get my hands dirty - <b>was way more fulfilling</b> than the easy touch on the camera screen to quickly pass on. Maybe normal if you live in the big wild, but very unusual for the city slicker I am!<br /><br /><strong>This might be called analog in the digital era. </strong>Then took one, and only one pic of the bunch and went home holding my treasure tight. Happy like a kid!</span></span></div><div><strong style="font-size: 16px;"><br /></strong></div><div><strong style="font-size: 16px;">Merry Christmas!</strong><strong style="font-size: 16px;">🎄</strong><strong style="font-size: 16px;"> Francesco</strong></div><div><span face="helvetica neue,helvetica,arial,verdana,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><span><a name='more'></a></span></span></strong></span></span><strong style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: red;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;"> I can't wait to return to the US in April 2022, 12 - 14 for a watercolor workshop in Dallas, and for more initiatives TBA. </span></strong><strong style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><a href="mailto:wokshops@francescofontana.com?subject=Talk to me!" target="_blank">Click here to talk about making something special happen!</a></strong></div><div><strong style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><br /></strong></div><div><strong style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: red;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></strong><strong style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">I am excited and honored to be among the stellar faculty of Watercolor Live, largest online event 26 -- 29 January 2</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><b>022. <a href="https://watercolorlive.com/tickets/" target="_blank">Check it out</a>!<br /></b></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-17507052073670969772021-03-13T19:55:00.005+01:002021-03-13T20:08:53.980+01:00Breakfast with Honor<h1 style="text-align: center;">Bronze Medal of Honor</h1><h2><div style="text-align: center;">American Watercolor Society</div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 9px 18px;" valign="top"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://instagram.com/francesco.fontana.artist" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img alt="Bronze Medal of Honor, American Watercolor Society" border="0" data-original-height="2015" data-original-width="1612" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-leBqiw1-tElDzqT5rYeEu6anekESqm4mBOogsmK6kxP1lSIUgLbqM_JaEwMAh1x8vCHECNDtWtw6MXDo6pdBfGjEPvIYleDCMTTZj-4kRe8IyBrBeRnFs55noQuHFb08MTEzRftvrl8/w320-h400/Breakfast+in+America+-+Watercolor+by+Francesco+Fontana.jpg" title="Breakfast in America - Watercolor by Francesco Fontana" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Close up of Breakfast in America (with Flora) - Watercolor 21 x 14.5 in (54.5 x 36,5 cm).</div></td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;" valign="top"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></h2><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 9px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="m_2118471592435215393mcnTextContent" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 18px 9px;" valign="top"><h1 style="color: #060606; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">What an awesome news to share! My painting </span><span class="il" style="font-weight: normal;">Breakfast</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> in America has just been awarded Bronze Medal of </span><span class="il" style="font-weight: normal;">Honor</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> at American Watercolor Society's International Exhibition 2021. So </span><span class="il" style="font-weight: normal;">honored</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> and proud of this third place overall and profoundly grateful to the great jury of award Schaller, Nuttall and Smith. Wish to thank AWS president Antonio Masi and their relentless staff and art selectors. Congratulations to the amazing fellow artists participating! </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">And not least, thank you my beautiful daughter Flora for being my muse! I guess I must share the prize with you baby! </span><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; font-weight: normal; height: auto; outline-color: initial; outline-width: initial;"><img alt="♥️" class="CToWUd" height="16" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgeefWImxnQhfDTkNu9pDRBhz5YqSqBIsFfk5gIpMj2LGfxWhikKyJ_nQiwd2bY7EEV4R3HImE2g1kdJHLcRQTFdh_CHn4EC-jz1pa3JlAYiCb0FJsnRYP_W3u_zwuxWAqqRiDTBq4OFiJ2b7gviZISJOvCR6BI31GjS0yURlPafI8=s0-d-e1-ft" style="border: 0px; height: auto; outline: none;" width="16" /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "playfair display", georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: normal;"><em>De</em><em>a</em>r</span><em style="font-weight: normal;"><img align="left" class="CToWUd" height="82" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhHn9EzDSNXDGUpEo_0eAjt8z_djdB7xeaKm0UwqI7bb9i115k4FYnbr6gWyVaj7GndQC2cWdRESU4T562R4anQV58IgJD332Nig6TZkOD-DFxuvNOdtmL28cT-M6pMx5TsDqHRUK4fFiVq2RKngwAW-LOP6Z-kPYmLGBkGp4g2yE8euSF10qRKOKrZY1NwFQEK3rEUMubPjy5IIjJYW2hTFVZD=s0-d-e1-ft" style="border: 0px; height: 82px; margin: 0px 20px 30px 0px; outline: none; width: 100px;" width="100" /></em><span style="font-family: "playfair display", georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-weight: normal;"><em> Francesco,<br />I have the <span class="il">honor</span> of informing you that your painting "<span class="il">Breakfast</span> in America" in the 154th Annual Exhibition has been awarded the AWS Bronze Medal of <span class="il">Honor</span> with a check. Congratulations on this achievement! </em><strong>Antonio Masi, President AWS</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">Awards are given among the 135 exhibiting artists selected out 1,300 who submitted their art this year. The exhibition is due to open April 12, 2021 at historic venue Salmagundi Club, Fifth Avenue, New York. Hope to see you there! </span><br /><br />Want to celebrate with me? <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://instagram.com/francesco.fontana.artist&source=gmail&ust=1615747389981000&usg=AFQjCNGLL-HCoNpEeNTi6_2mmq-vSy4PvQ" href="https://instagram.com/francesco.fontana.artist" style="color: #6dc6dd; overflow-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Follow me on Instagram! </a><br /></h1><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-83058231044251005222020-11-26T15:40:00.013+01:002023-10-24T15:47:22.323+02:00What Artists and Criminals Have in Common<p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.outdoorpainter.com/pleinair-podcast-193-italian-artist-francesco-fontana-on-watercolor-and-more/" target="_blank">My talk with Eric Rhoads on launching festivals, creating style and facing mafia</a> (1:20 min read) --</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Many of us artists and most galleries and event promoters, raise questions about the unique voice of an artist. Being recognizable it is considered key to visibility and success. And I agree it is, as long as it's not just a branding operation. In a recent podcast with #1 publisher, tireless mentor and artist himself Eric Rhoads -- I talked my idea on how to achieve that uniqueness. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.outdoorpainter.com/pleinair-podcast-193-italian-artist-francesco-fontana-on-watercolor-and-more/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img alt="Podcast Francesco Fontana with Eric Rhoads" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9WfzGrTLAtOFQtoRkZjCGSmbdJxdC1laV0RcbKt8u7Gd2B0WCTme_4CsT9EEypnAKZHGPkgcpfHr7vNHDA5x95Yax_RUj8dRVx5A8-pR0pAHsE-qlXg8n45RsiH5FS-kgnaEgBj5WSb4/w213-h213/Plein+Air+Podcast+-+Francesco+Fontana+-+Instagram.jpg" title="Podcast Francesco Fontana with Eric Rhoads" width="213" /></span></a><span style="font-size: medium;">With time I discovered that originality it's not only based on a concept or just your personality, but is a modus operandi. Yes like serial killers, great criminals and <b>great artists, always leave a signature!</b> A modus operandi is a set of tools and actions to do things - that make a difference as they exclude other ways. In this conversation I reveal some of my personal rules, such as my 7/5/3 design mode.Eric is a curious kind, never short of questions! So we talked over many topics, from the difference between Europe and USA in <b>organizing plein air events</b> to the need for artists to engage in social issues. And for those who love stories, we recalled lot of anecdotes from my early career adventures in bohemian Paris and the <b>Montmartre 'portrait artists mafia</b>'!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.outdoorpainter.com/pleinair-podcast-193-italian-artist-francesco-fontana-on-watercolor-and-more/" target="_blank">Do not miss listening to this unusual podcast conversation!</a> I truly believe you will find insights for your art and business! </span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Be safe and happy! - Francesco</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">PS. Please, your feedback is so very welcome publicly <a href="https://francescofontana.blogspot.com/2020/11/what-artists-and-criminals-have-in.html" target="_blank">in my blog</a> or just by replying to this email. </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><a href="http://www.francescofontana.com"><span style="font-size: medium;">www.francescofontana.com</span></a></b></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-73070442498640433402020-04-10T20:41:00.004+02:002020-05-14T00:19:43.803+02:00Be Like a Brush<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The real meaning of resilience </b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: right;">(2 min read)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't e</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">xactly know what specific issues your are facing right now. I assume you are quarantining, and so adjusting to a new routine required by the pandemic. I am not sure what concerns you more, if your health at risk, your business to crash, running out of TP or getting bored at home. Or all of them. I guess it might depend on where you live. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">As we Italians are about two weeks ahead of USA, we past the shock phase, the scary phase, forgot the sing an cry phase, the family yelling at each other phase, the ok let's make a cake (followed by let's make a pizza) phase. Now we are in the phase: cool to slow down and reconnect to what really matters, but how long the hell are we gonna live like this?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Things we miss</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">They say our life will never be the same. I hope so, there's so much to be changed in the world! Still there are things we're deeply missing, being outdoor in the first place</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Last time I went out for a non-grocery reason, I walked to the huge park I use to go roller skating, but without skates. If the orthopedic ER sees me again, they will spit the coronavirus on my stupid face on purpose! So I went to run a bit. We were still allowed to run or gym solo and in the neighborhood. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">That day I found the park completely deserted, only one dog walker, in a mile square area. We did not even crossed each other, taking different trails as we spotted each other from afar. I guess I scared the dog. And as I was panting and sweating (man how rusty I am!) a lot of what I have been through in my life, came into my mind. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tough skin</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Mafia, terrorism, illness -- to only mention the scariest ones. I grew up seeing bodies on the pavement for mafia murders in Sicily, survived the killing and bombing of political terrorism in the 70's and shared the shock and terror for 9/11. More</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> recently I cried the innocent lives shot at the Bataclan in my elective city Paris, and not later than 12 months ago, faced a tough and scary surgery to 'save my life'.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">At that very minute in the complete silence of the sunny park, I found myself stronger than ever! "If you made it so far, you'll make it this time too" - I said to myself! Tough skin.. resilience..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">So when anxious about the current situation, we should think of the difficulties we have been through and how and where we found strength, courage, faith and help to overcome them. We so easy forget. So as soon I got home, I searched the precise meaning of the word resilience: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">- The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>- Ability to spring back into shape; elasticity. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Wow, just like a good painting brush. Spring back.. then I started painting. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Keep safe, have a bit of fun and help others.<b> </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Francesco</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">PS. Needless to say, artists need to resist financially as well as emotionally. Please take a minute to check my <a href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" target="_blank">StayHomeArt</a> sale to both support the arts and enjoy a special happy deal! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><b style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Please leave a comment and visit <a href="http://www.francescofontana.com/">www.francescofontana.com</a></i></b></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com1Via della Capinera, 5, 20147 Milano MI, Italia45.4564497 9.119430322.6815842 -32.1891637 68.2313152 50.4280243tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5071553501451753653.post-67719121003808372032020-03-17T16:04:00.000+01:002020-04-18T19:33:26.140+02:00Italian Diary with Surprise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">13 things I am learning from the total lockdown</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've been staying at home for most of the time in the past couple of weeks. Since the all of Italy lockdown, we can only go out for grocery, pharmacy and other essentials. That’s severe, we can get a fine if police check on us and we fail to prove a good justification. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flags (Before St Patrick, NYC) <br />
Oil by Francesco Fontana, private coll.<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: white;"><a href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; text-align: right;" target="_blank">Click here for my<br />Italian Diary Surprise Deal!</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: right;"> </span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0G1XpvhKztrU1snGd_E7yDZuNj9jj3nr9Xr02lv148y2mbudpvie0PrUB4tQolQK1b7IhavLYpobmHAFzOXGlj_oPi2ymLayFFEflRFz7raX82bBDVaWTC-9vLK5EuCfT2uxISERLNU/s1600/Flags+-+%2528St+Patrick+NYC%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Got more time to paint, study and research</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Enjoying the silence from my deserted avenue</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More family time (nice!) and more fight (crap!)</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Reconsider lifestyle, what if I keep it this simple?</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Confrontation with the fridge. Who's gonna win?</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Realize how many products I can perfectly live without</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For the reason above, I am sorry for the people losing their job</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wonder why we’re so surprised, as many disasters have happened before </span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Virus don't need a passport, a new meaning for globalization</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s a leadership test, governments turn out their real nature</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lucky we can still be connected (another meaning for globalization)</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I lost a lot of business (class) but I am spending virtually nothing (see 6.)</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lucky we don’t need to fight for toilet paper. Got bidets! </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hope some of these points can inspire you, help take care of your safety and make you smile! </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cheers — Francesco</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">PS. Today is St Patrick day. Let's celebrate and pray together to get rid of fears. <b>Good news is today the CV19 cases in Italy have decreased for the first time.</b> One more good news is this a good time to buy. Prices are going down for many a product. As an artist forced to close his studio to classes a month ago, I want however be part of the solution. <a href="https://www.francescofontana.com/buy-watercolor-oil-painting-sale" target="_blank">Please click here if interested in my Italian Diary Surprise deal!</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Please leave a comment and visit <a href="http://www.francescofontana.com/">www.francescofontana.com</a></i></b></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">www.francescofontana.com info@francescofontana.com</div>Francesco Fontana, AWS http://www.blogger.com/profile/09507808721013827224noreply@blogger.com7Via della Capinera, 5, 20147 Milano MI, Italia45.456526 9.1190683-0.37041850000000665 -156.1153172 90 174.3534538