ROMAN SUN { A Year In Painting }

JAMES APONOVICH 
A YEAR IN PAINTING

"VITEA E BREVIS
ARS E LONGUS"

As our planet makes its journey around a star we call the Sun, I make my own journey in paintings, each week I present some aspect of our shared life experience through a medium of paint on canvas.

"Old men ought to be explorers"
-T.S. Eliot, The Four Quartets

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ROMAN SUN

(detail)


Everyone should have a city that speaks personally to them. For many it's Paris, while others are enthralled by New York. For me it's Rome. Although the Catholic thing does get to me at times, I still find Rome endlessly exiting and yet comforting.

"You are either a Roman or Florentine, You cannot possibly be both."
- Barbara Rossow

All cities in Italy have an abundance of tour groups, Venice and Florence come to mind and Rome has its own share ( especially in a Jubilee year). But Rome benefits from being larger so it affords many back streets to escape to.

(detail)

But as you escape you just may find yourself in front of the house Raphael lived in or a church where Borromini is buried. It is not uncommon to be walking down an unfamiliar street and find a Roman era ruin or a column still standing yet incorporated into a wall. It's amazing, Rome is very old with many layers.

(detail)



A HOLE IN THE WALL

One day, when I was at the American Academy, Beth and I visited the gardens of the Villa Aurelia on the Gianicolo Hill overlooking the city. We came across a square opening in the wall that separates the garden from the street. Someone had placed a terra-cotta vase in it. Out came the sketchbooks.




TAKE YOUR TIME

It seems that I am always rushed to finish a painting, deadlines, shows, etc.
Not this time.

James Aponovich
Sunflowers Over Rome
Oil on canvas, 32" x 28"







Copyright 2017 James Aponovich

{ 3 }

A POSTCARD FROM ROME

The other day, just before the rain I took this photo from the rooftop of the Hotel Raphael where we met friends for a cocktail. The tallest spire is Sant' Ivo in Sapienza, one of Borromini's masterpieces. Unfortunately, we have never had a chance to visit due ti the fact it is only open on Sunday mornings for mass, and it seems that we are never in Rome on a Sunday morning.

Prossima volta!

A FEW DAYS IN ROME

Borromini's Sant 'Agata

 Our friend Paul  is a wine importer, so, he and Betty have been taking us along on their visits to vineyards.

We are getting an education in Italian wine along with that comes the tasting of quite a bit of wine. 

Not too hard to swallow!!

So, now it was our turn to lead the tour, so we went off to Rome. Our agenda included art, architecture and food. We left the selecting of wine to Paul.

Bernini's Four Rivers Fountain

with Borromini's church behind.

The Pantheon

We always make a visit to the Pantheon and to Santa Maria Sopra Minerva which is in the piazza just behind the Pantheon. There was a mass going on in the church so we were not able to see the Filippino Lippi fresco in the Carafa Chapel, disappointed, but there is always next time.

 The ceiling in Santa Maria Sopra Minerva

Artichokes

Art and artichokes go well together. For lunch James and I decided that Gigghetto would be a perfect place to blend some history with our fried artichokes ...alla guidia

After a great deal of walking  and a visit to San Carlo,  by Borromini and Sant Andrea, by Bernini , the last stop on the Bernini-Borromini tour, we began to think about dinner. We were staying at the Hotel Ponte Sisto which has a lovely palm filled courtyard, so it was a perfect place to enjoy a bottle of Frascati before calling a taxi to take us to dinner.

Our destination was Monti, to have dinner at Taverna dei fori Imperiali.
We love this family run place. Alessio, chef & owner  took charge and suggested our meal.
Artichokes stuffed with bacala and pecorino to start. Our primi was a remarkably good bowl of chestnut flour pasta with mushroom and sausage. For secondi, saltimbocca.
Sorry, but I forgot to take any photos, I just wanted to eat!

The next and last morning, after coffee, we went to be dazzled by the Baroque.

Sant' Ignazio

This is the Baroque as theatre. It is drama, with illusion, stage setting and all the participants in movement....a dance.

ciao Rome.....see you again soon.

WHY ITALY? ( Part II) MAY MEMORIES 2015

In New Hampshire the landscape has turned a frosty white and gray. The wintry mix that fell, and continues, is like concrete mixed with slush on the ground. The snow that clings on tree limbs 

creates a lace like and lovely view from our windows.

At last, we have a new range top in our kitchen so we can really cook once again! A duck ragu is simmering on the flame...............that takes me back to Italy 2015 and a pasta we had several times while we were there. I am not one to pass up a bowl of pasta!

PIENZA ( Tuscany)

I don't remember exactly where I had this dish of pasta, but since the pasta looks to be pici it was likely in Tuscany somewhere. My guess is Pienza at Latte di Luna.

Pienza, as it turns out is a favorite town of ours with it's Rossolini designed Renaissance piazza along with the Piccolomini Palazzo and garden with its commanding view over the Val d' Orcia of Tuscany.

This year our friend Stew, took us to a place that we had never visited, just outside of the town center. Biagiotta is a workshop and  retail shop, that we might call artisan blacksmiths.

It was fun to go back into the workshop and watch pieces being created in this family run business.
The answer to the question is yes, we did buy two sconces and one hanging light for our house here in New Hampshire. A reminder of our Tuscan adventure and in the evening a beautiful addition to the lighting in our home.


UMBRIAN COUNTRYSIDE

We made it a point to spend a large amount of time out drawing on site. We were both attracted to the 'ruins' that dot the landscape around Lake Trasimeno and the small villages that surround Panicale.

James Aponovich
pencil on paper, 2015

 James Aponovich
pencil on paper, 2015

I left my sketchbook in Panicale. I must return so that I can add to it!


PANICALE

a Birthday/ Garden Party

SALUTE!

Music in every piazza , park and church!

Panicale's Campanile at the top of the town. A landmark that in profile defines Panicale.
A sight that always stops my heart.

Photo op....... James and Stew on our way to  Sant Antimo and Montalcino. Just love Italian road signs. And these two look like they are ready for some mischief, no!

 Stew's photo......Montalcino through the wine glass. No, not Brunello on this day.

The landscape that surrounds the church of Sant Antimo. Things are greening up and days are warming up in mid May. The church was "closed for a feast day" but a service was going on so we all stepped in and there was a mitre capped bishop speaking. We somehow found out he was the Bishop of Siena??? Quite an animated speaker and to top of the ceremonial quality there were Carabinieri in their finest uniforms flanking him!



BAGNI VIGNONE

And, while I have Tuscany on my mind, we made a couple of visits here to Bagni Vignone, a town we had not visited before. There are thermal baths here that have been an attraction for centuries.

A perfect place for a coffee and with warmer weather we are dining outside more often.

James Aponovich
Pencil on paper, 2015
Bagno Vignone



FRIENDS

The people of Panicale are kind and we grown  quite fond of them and their piccolo paese .
We have made friends here, Italians, Americans, Brits, Canadians, etc., some live here others return as we do.

Sharing Prosecco before dinner is an often repeated ritual.

Hanging around the piazza just socializing.

Friends, Katia, ( with bambino and Massimo..a great family! Bar Gallo and the piazza are family gathering places as well as a meeting place for friends, or a quiet corner to yourself (sometimes!)

Cin- cin Janelle! and Johnny!

A COOKING CLASS IN CORTONA

For James' May birthday I gave him a cooking class at Il Falconiere in Cortona ( Tuscany).
The instructor was Chef Richard Titi , master chef here at the Michelin Star restaurant  and resort.

A lesson in making pici pasta. Perfetto!

The end result...pici with fresh tomatoes and fave.

And, can't forget the glass of wine that came with the lesson.......and the lunch that followed!

We didn't know that we would be served  a lunch of all 4 courses we prepared in the lesson, paired with wine from Il Falconiere's vineyard, but we were pampered and enjoyed every sip snd bite.

Here is "our" Fiat 500L parked under an arbor of wisteria with a vineyard beyond.



BACK IN PANICALE....

The terrace at Masolino's is open at last!
Yay...time for an outdoor dinner there, hope Bruna made duck ragu!

At Masolino's Andrea refers to this as 'James wine!"

Flowers appear throughout town.
It was so colorful and welcoming.
This is where we do much of our shopping, at "Linda's!"




HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAMES!

Katia and Massimo planned a surprise birthday party for James!
So sweet and fun.

 

We spent much time in this kitchen cooking meals here in the "Pink Palace!"
Cooking and shopping for food is one of the things we love about Italy.
Food is so seasonal that seeking out local ingredients is not difficult...in spring it is wild asparagus, artichokes, fave beans......it is all fabulous.
Ciao! Panicale
ci vediamo in primavera.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 ROME

 We spent a couple of days in Rome before leaving Italy. Lately we have been staying in the Monti neighborhood which is close to the Colosseum and Forum.

Many good restaurants, small shops and tiny streets to explore in this ancient neighborhood.

Arrivederci Roma......and Italy.....for 2015


BUON ANNO a  TUTTI!

HAPPY 2016 !





 Montalcino and Garden party photos: Stew Vreeland