ITALY CAN ONLY BE A DREAM FOR NOW

Panicale ( Umbria)

I was expecting this news from Brussels yet when it was made official

I was struck by how devastated I felt. The European Union was opening up

to outside nations but  not to the United States.

Our friends in Italy told us about their three month lockdown which was

extreme and enforced. They did not like it, but they complied and now Italy

has very few Covid-19 cases.  Who can blame the EU for not admitting

Americans? I live in New England and in this region of the U.S. where
the cases of Covid -19 have been low and are declining. We

followed the stay at home orders and are wearing masks. Many of the

States in the South and West have had their heads in the sand on 

the seriousness of Covid-19  and are now seeing the cases rise dramatically

in those regions. Please, wear a mask and follow social distancing
measures......it's not that difficult and the results are enormous.

The world is a changed place, Italy, America and 

anywhere you put your finger on a global map,

 due to this pandemic.

 The sun still rises each morning , beyond that no one

knows. All I do know is that James and I will not be returning to Italy as

soon as we'd like.  

We will miss seeing great works of art

in  places such as Florence, Rome, Assisi, Montefalco, Ravenna, and Venice. 

  We will miss eating the foods from

the fields and farms of Umbria and Tuscany and drinking the wines. We will

not be seeing the very same landscapes that Perugino or Raphael looked at and painted.

We will not be sitting in the piazza drinking our morning cappuccino at the bar. We will not 

be having an October lunch in our friends olive grove while the harvest is on 

or eating fresh umbrichelli pasta with truffles being shaved over the top in

a local restaurant.   

But most of all we will miss our friends and all the kind people 

we have gotten to know through the years of spending time at home in Panicale .
To everyone, we will return.

A few memories to hang on to.................

Panicale with Lake Trasimeno

Perugino

Rome rooftops and St. Ivo

Venice

Sardegna 

Umbria landscape

Panicale

I did not include  pictures of everyone and  of  all of our friends but we are dearly

thinking of you all.

abbracci tutti!

AN ARTIST'S RESPONSE ( part 8)

Like most of us, I have been trying to come to terms with this plague 

that we are suffering through.

I try do do it with paint.

STUDIO VISIT

PAINTING IN PROGRESS

TURBULENCE 

Often when we visit Venice it is raining. Not just a little drizzle

but full buckets of water falling onto this floating city. With 

Vaporetti rocking and canals rolling it's difficult to know which

way is up, but it really doesn't matter because it's all such 

a wonderful swirl.

The Swirl

[detail of cloths]

In its Malthusian way sickness moves through the World's 

population. We are social animals and so interconnected that any

pathogen can and will move effortlessly through us.

That is what it does.

[detail of cloths and city]

But we will survive and continue to expand, it's what we do.

This painting has obsessed me for months, sorry for sharing

my obsession, but it's what I do.

Siena Daylilies ( in progress)

James Aponovich

oil on canvas, 30" x 28"

AN ARTIST'S RESPONSE ( part 6)

Like most of us, I have been trying to come to terms with this plague 

that we are all suffering through. I try to do it with paint.

Painting In Progress

KINDA NOT BLUE

Siena Daylilies (in progress)

James Aponovich

oil on canvas, 30" x 28"

When I taught, I used to tell my students, "listen to your paintings,

they will tell you what they need." My students would squirm

uncomfortably and avoid any eye contact with me. They must have

thought that I was crazy. After I reflect on my lectures of the

glories of Bounty paper towels ( full sheet) they may have been right.

Siena Daylilies (in progress)

with sky ( blue)

Siena Daylilies ( in progress)

with sky ( white)

What I had 'wanted' was a sky that transitioned from an almost

white on the horizon to a deep blue. What I got was an 

uncomfortable feeling every time I looked at the 'pink / blue thing'.

So the blue had to go. Right now it is almost a monochromatic color

structure, a first for me. But, hey! What do I have to lose? If it works

let's just say that, 'I am a very good listener.'

( cloth detail)

Onto the cloth.....not so easy.

AN ARTIST'S RESPONSE ( part 6)

 Like most of us, I have been trying to come to terms with this plague
that we are all suffering through....
I do it with paint.



PAINTING IN PROGRESS


STUDIO VISIT

THE GHOST SHIP SETS SAIL

Morning Glories ( in progress)
James Aponovich
Oil on canvas, 12" x 10"

After painting so many roof tiles in the Siena painting I had to give
my eyes a break from Burnt Sienna and Terra Rosa.

 Morning Glories (detail)


Nothing like plunging into Ultramarine and Turquoise.
The composition and basic forms are set, now I paint the
first layer of color trying to coordinate the color composition.
The cloth is going towards red, green or deep blue?

AN ARTIST'S RESPONSE ( part 5)

Like most of us, I have been trying to come to terms with this 

plague that we are all suffering through. 

I do it with paint.

PAINTINGS IN PROGRESS

STUDIO VISIT

Siena Daylilies ( in progress)

James Aponovich

oil on canvas, 30" x 28"

Some artists never show their work until it is completely

finished. Believe me, I have nothing to hide and I think it

may take some of the mystery out of art if you show the

rough spots, indecision's, and miss cues of a painting.

Siena Daylilies ( detail /in progress)

A whole lot of roof tiles.

Basket of Fruit and Vegetables ( in progress)

James Aponovich

oil on canvas, 24" x 22"

The cloth is 'kinda' finished, now I must wait for the

right fruits and vegetables.

 Truth be told, I make them up...

AN ARTIST'S RESPONSE ( Part 4)

Like most of us, I have been trying to come to terms with

this plague that we are all suffering through. 

I do it with paint.

PAINTING IN PROGRESS

THE GHOST SHIP

Morning Glories ( in progress)

James Aponovich

oil on panel, 16" x 12"

On the Mediterranean Sea during the Summer of 1348

it was not uncommon to see ships under full sail aimlessly

floating wherever the wind blew them.

Their crews were all dead....from the Plague.

Try to board and claim salvage? You will certainly join them.

So what does this have to do with a painting?

Morning Glories ( in progress/ detail)

Well to me, there is something a bit ghostly about the beginning

of this painting of Morning Glories. Sometimes if I know

I'll not be able to finish a painting 'in season', I'll sketch the

composition in pale earth colors and wait until next (this)

year for flowers to bloom.

We'll see how it goes.

AN ARTIST'S RESPONSE

PAINTING IN PROGRESS

Like most of us, I have been trying to come to terms with this plague we are all

suffering through .

THE UNDER PAINTING

( what lies beneath)

Siena Daylilies  (detail)

James Aponovich

oil on canvas, 30" x 28"

I sketched these 'Elizabeth Salter' daylilies from our garden last
season. They are a personal favorite. I'll finish them this summer when
they bloom again.

I have chosen a cityscape of Siena, Italy. In 1347 everything seemed fine,
they had defeated ( for the first time) their traditional enemy, Florence,
and had commenced building what would be the largest
cathedral in Europe. The nave can still be seen ( upper left).
Then, by 1348 the 'Great Mortality' arrived, we know it as the 'Black Death'.
From a population of 40,000 people only 14,000 survived.
As now, population density was a factor and like now
there was no treatment.

SQUAM STILLWATER: Five Pines {8}

AS EVER HIDDEN

Squam Stillwater: Five Pines   ( in progress)

James Aponovich

Oil on canvas, 24" x 18"

Now the painting is in the home stretch. To most eyes it

appears to be finished but I know that there still remains hours of 

painting ( pine needles ) ahead. I originally had something happening

where the air meets the water. On the surface of the water I painted

a Mayfly which has just landed and underneath you could see a trout

 rising to catch it. I understand that things like that occur. I realized that was

 in complete juxtaposition of the tranquility I was trying to capture.

So out came the hungry fish and if old 'Golden Pond' ( Squam Lake)

is known for anything.....

(detail)

.......it's Loons

copyright2019 James Aponovich

all rights reserved 

SQUAM STILLWATER: Five Pines { 7 }

What would happen if one combined the Japanese like elegance of native

pines with 15th Century Florentine musical ratios by way of the Greek

Philosopher Pythagoras ? Let's find out.

Squam Stillwater: Five Pines ( in-progress)
James Aponovich
oil on canvas, 24" x 18"



The painting has stood in a corner of the studio for the greater
part of a month. I had to attend to a Sunflower painting. Now it's
back on the easel so I repainted the sky ( 8 colors & values) and
the water ( 10 colors and values).

The sky is dry so I begin the
arduous process of painting the pines, plus the distant
mountain and hills. Did I mention I hate the color green?

Detail

SQUAM STILLWATER: FIVE PINES {5}

What would happen if one combines the Japanese like elegance of native pines

with 12th Century Florentine musical ratios by way of the Greek 

Philosopher Pythagoras? Let's find out.......

THE FIRST GO-ROUND: Part II

Squam Stillwater: Five Pines  ( in progress)

James Aponovich

Oil on canvas, 24" x 18"

GROWNG PAINS

I have just completed the 'Blocking In" of the trees and other

reflections. So far, nothing in this painting is finalized, just 

the basics are established. Now the real ( a,k.a. tedious)

work begins with a very, very small brush.....every twig

and pine needle and then everything is repeated in the reflection...

Did I mention I hate repeating myself?

Fortunately I have to wait a few days for the paint to dry.

Company is coming for the weekend anyway.

Copyright 2019 James Aponovich 

All rights reserved 

SQUAM STILLWATER: FIVE PINES {4}

What would happen if one combines the Japanese like elegance of native

pines with 15th Century Florentine musical ratios by way of the Greek

Philosopher Pythagoras?  Let's find out.....

Squam Stillwater: Five Pines  ( in progress)

James Aponovich

oil on canvas,  24" x 18"

THE FIRST GO-AROUND

The first coat of the sky (and water) is dry. Now it's time to

'generalize' the trees with color. There will be more detail to come

but now I want to establish how the light is....not easy.

Mt. Chocorua is just catching the last rays of the setting sun

and glows with ember like warmth. The tips of the trees are

also barely in sun while their bases are in cool shadow.

Now I have to repeat this in the reflections.

Copyright 2019 James Aponovich

All rights reserved

SQUAM STILLWATER: FIVE PINES {2}

What would happen if one combines the Japanese like elegance of native

pines with 15th Century Florentine musical ratios by way of

the Greek philosopher, Pythagoras?

Let's find out.

THE WASH

Squam Stillwater: Five Pines ( in progress)

James Aponovich

oil on canvas, 24" x 18"

The oil wash does a couple of things. First, it covers the pencil with

a thin semi-transparent coat of oil paint. It also darkens the trees so

that I can see them through the subsequent coats of paint.

By the way, after the first twenty minutes or so, 

the 'fun' is over. It's all work( albeit enjoyable) now.

Copyright 2019 James Aponovich

All rights reserved

ARE WE THERE YET? ( week10)

STILL LIFE WITH THREE GROUPS OF FLOWERS

James Aponovich

R.I.P.

( week 10 )

ARE WE THERE YET?

"It ain't over 'til it's over."

-Y. Berra

Still Life with Three Groups of Flowers

James Aponovich

oil on canvas, 40"x 52"

......It's over.

But wait........something new next week!

SWEATIN' THE DETAILS (week 9)

R.I.P
(almost)

STILL LIFE with THREE GROUPS of FLOWERS
James Aponovich

week 9

SWEATIN' THE DETAILS

"As ever hidden, look at its inner essence
as always manifest, look at its outer aspects."
- Lao Tzu

I have been asked (often) who is my favorite painter or what is my favorite painting style.
A complicated question, more often than not I would say something about
Chinese Classical painting...they liked looking under the hood.

Egg
James Aponovich
Pencil on paper, 4cm x 6 cm.

But, seeing as I represent the Western Classical tradition, the one
unmistakable, numero uno thing is.....


FORM

Portrait of Massimo ( in-progress)
James Aponovich
Pencil on paper ( detail)

The Italians called it Chiaroscuro ( light / dark), we know
it as difficult to do. It is the representation of the Three Dimensional
'thing' on a Two Dimensional surface such as canvas or paper.
It used to make 'em or break 'em,
now, nobody cares......
whatever.

I won't lecture on the rules ( a lot), but either you know it...
..or you don't



TEXTURE
or
PUTTIN' ON THE GLITZ

Although form is rock solid, pattern can accentuate it to please the eye.
People like to look at it.

"The hidden and the manifest give birth to each other."
- Lao Tzu






Next week - Are We There Yet?

PAINTING IN PERSPECTIVE ( week 8)

P. I. P.

PAINTING IN PERSPECTIVE

STILL LIFE WITH THREE GROUPS OF FLOWERS

James Aponovich

LOST IN SPACE, AGAIN

week 8

So far I have been dealing with the arrangement of things ( composition) on

a flat 2 Dimensional basis. 3 horizontals and 4 verticals. There is another, 

perhaps more important element I must confront....Space, or what

is called Aerial Perspective.

Self Portrait ( in -progress)

James Aponovich

oil on canvas

"Isn't he already dead?"

You see, I paint in a very traditional manner, based on the principles

of the Italian 15th Century...So there's not a large support group

for me... Lone Wolf Club.

Montalcino (Tuscany)

Usually a painter ( particularly a landscape painter), must deal

with Depth of Field in three distinct sections:

Foreground 

Middle Ground

Distant Ground

Panicale ( Umbria)

"Listen Buddy, Between you and me, there ain't much Middle

Ground here."

Typically, Middle Ground is the most challenging because 

it's all about transitions. It bridges what is closest to you ( Foreground),

and what's most distant ( Distant Ground). It's the in between

that is such a headache.

Detail with Lake Trasimeno ( Middle Ground)

The still life is up front and in your face, and what there is of Middle Ground

is minimal.....some peek-a-boo glimpses of the lake and Val di Chiana.

So to create a whole new zone...

I have introduced the Imaginary Space of the Viewer...

sound confusing?

The vase is black glass.....Welcome to my world.

There I am with palette looking at the painting. 

Elizabeth is also in the room, arranging flowers....

Kinda wierd

Still Life with Three Groups of Flowers {in- progress}

James Aponovich

oil on canvas

Next week.....Sweatin' the Details