"It's All in the Details...the Italian Details"

As promised, it's time to share some....

ITALIAN LEFTOVERS!

The details, the underbelly, the juicy details of my 10 days, boots on ground, trip to Italy.

Traveling with Watercolors:

Well, evidently, the watercolor cartolinas got a lot of you worked up about watercolors, travel journals, which pens to use and some of you even wanted to know if I would be teaching a watercolor workshop:)

The truth is, I  love  watercolors-- one reason being how portable they are (you can fit the entire gear needed for watercolor postcards in your purse or pocket!).  Although I don't have any plans to teach a watercolor workshop, the watercolor postcards  will be part of the  experience for painting with me in France or Italy (yes, there will be a Paint Italy with Dreama trip:)).  

There are two great brands (Pigma and Staedtler) for markers--either one offers a super fine point for drawing.  My favorite sizes are .01 and .03 which give more of the light, airy feeling that I love.  The main thing to remember when selecting the pen--get the ones that are waterproof!  This allows for drawing and splashing on the color, without fear of your lines "bleeding" and messing up your beautiful colors:)

As for my approach---I skip the pencil and go straight in with the pen--getting the drawing down. Then it's just a matter of dropping in juicy color.  After it dries, I may go back in and add an additional line or two.  I try to keep it light hearted and free--

the whole idea being to just capture a moment in a moment!

The beauty of the postcards??--They are just an additional way to truly immerse and savor the beauty that surrounds you.  They are perfect for traveling with artists and non artists alike--no one has to wait hours for you to finish a painting.  You can have one done in about length of time it takes to get your oil painting gear set up:))

And the best part??   

You can either have them as part of your personal journals OR share them with special people in your life:)))

Going With the Flow:

As for getting the most out of a painting trip, or any trip for that matter, it's best to make your plans---and then promptly forget them:))  

In other words--as in life, so goes a trip abroad--things rarely go as planned.  

Life has many joys, many unpredictable things---staying open means you get ALL of it:))  What if it rains??  What if you can't find your paint brush??

"Doorway to Tuscany" created with my palette knife:)

(do you know my brushes never did surface?? I have no idea what happened to them--hopefully some Italian is painting away with his new W and N Monarch #14 brush;)  

What if you twist an ankle and can't do the walking tour you had planned?  Staying open to what might be there-- that is even more wonderful than the plan you had-- can be 

the difference in a so-so time and a beautiful time.  

France or Italy:

Which did I like best of the two places I visited in the past 4 months--France or Italy?

Surely you wouldn't ask me to choose between my children!  Ah, I can see that you would:))

Well, it depends on what you are looking for. 

I loved them both equally well and for very different reasons.  

It must be said that obviously, every person is going to have a one of a kind experience based on 

• Your own personality  
• What regions, towns you visit in each country 
• What your expectations are 
•  The time of year  (For instance, France in June means all the roses are blooming heavy--September in Italy means all the grapes and vineyards are burgeoning with their fruit.)

There is so much range of beauty within each country that it would be difficult to choose one over the other as to region, let alone single out France or Italy as my favorite.

If you are planning your own special trip to one of these delicious countries, I think giving great thought to your own personality as to what you find meaningful will best help you plot a course to connecting with those things.  I wanted more rural, more off the beaten path.  I wanted to feel more "local" and less of a tourist.  With this in mind, I veered away from big hotels and looked more for the mom and pop variety of places to stay.  I love painting/seeing/smelling things blooming---that helped me to not go to plan on early months of the year---like April, when things are just starting to grow.

Hope you really didn't think I could choose just one:).  Remember, I'm the four gelato girl...

And What IS the Deal with Gelato?:

Believe it or not, gelato has LESS fat in it than ice cream--which accounts for the rich, intense flavor---the fat doesn't coat the mouth as much and allows for the full flavors (chocolate, pistachio, etc, etc) to come through. It is also mixed at a slower speed than ice cream so it has less air---more full flavor to tickle your taste buds:))

  

It is a national past time in Italy--there are gelato stands everywhere, with many of them making their own gelato and specialty flavors:)) 

It has been said that it is....well...better than ....ahem....sex.  

Here's the recipe to make your own gelato and draw your own conclusions;)) Click Here:) 

Walk Like an Italian:

We had an unexpected "man down" incident which ended with a trip to the  Italian ER near Florence (my hubby  hurt his foot).   It was an interesting experience in that we paid cash for the visit and signed only one paper--yep ONE PAPER for the entire process.  It cost 50 euros or about 75 bucks for the entire hospital visit--we paid on the way out.  (He is, by the way, totally mended--can't keep a good guy down!)

Getting Around:

We used google maps on our phone to navigate through the countryside and in town.  It didn't' want to work as well in the congested city areas of Florence, but otherwise--kept us always on track:))  And thank goodness....you remember that conglomeration of signs that I posted on my first Italian post?? 

 Those kinds of crossroads happened an awful lot.  We just followed the blue dot on google maps and pretty much ignored the signs.  

55 year old eyes and tiny print road signs are not made for each other;))

Because I wanted to see a lot of the rural side of Tuscany, we chose to center our stay in Panzano, one of the hilltop villages there.  We stayed in a spacious apartment and were beginning to feel "local' by the end of our visit:)  There are so many towns within an easy drive--we took in Radda, Certaldo, Sienna, Florence, and Cortona (where Under the Tuscan Sun was filmed)--to name a few. 

Some of you had questions about traveling with paints, what kind of watercolors I used, etc.  I spoke of that on my trip to France in June/2012.  Here are some links to those posts containing the details on:

The Watercolor Kit I Used in France and Italy:  Click Here

Traveling with Wet Paintings:  Click Here

Packing Oil Paints for Travel:  Click Here

Now--go get your gelato and watch "Under the Tuscan Sun".  Tell anyone who asks that you are under doctor's orders--prescription to cure Italian Withdrawals:)))

P.S.  The first of two Jacksonville, FL workshops starts in the morning.  You know I will be painting, loving life....and looking for a gelato stand:)))

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"Did We Have a Good Time or What??...Cartolinas #9, #10 and a Surprise from Italy:)""

Cartolina #10

Piazza Gaetane

Cartolina #9

Waiting for David

My how time flies when you're having a good time:))

My, how crazy some cats are (not mentioning names here) with the things they try to bring back into the country.

Somebody got held up in customs for concealing high grade Italian catnip.

As a result, he also had all of his salmon pate confiscated.

He  somehow managed to still arrive home with one can.

I'm am not asking where he hid it. 

 Figure that comes under the TMI category.

The Last Supper

He finally cheered up when I informed him that there were still 3 winners to draw for--evidently it reminded him that he had some bribes to collect on.....you "cats" know who you are;))

So I am not going to say that the trip to Italy has come to an end.  We are just going home for a visit---like the Terminator.....We'll be baaack:)))

We have to! 

Eddie was in such a snit over the catnip that  he had his friends in the old country do a little painting 

on David!!

Remember the big paint brush?

We're gonna need two of them on our next trip.

I have to say, aside from the gelato, tiramisu, the beautiful sunsets and old villages of the Tuscan hillsides--

one of the happiest parts of the trip has been painting postcards to share with you:)))

I have so enjoyed the conversations they have elicited!

Threats, bribes, questions, advice, admonitions and more have added lots of fun to the collective adventure:)!

Hugs and thanks to you my friend for traveling to Italy with me.

So Eddie, in between eating his Italian salmon pate and grumbling about the missing catnip, has managed to claw 

not one, not two, but three winning names from the heap:)))!!

Winner of Cartolina #9 is

Lisa Riedl

Winner of Cartolina #10 is

Kathy Cousart

And the mystery gift??

Well, I decided to post two for the winner to choose from.

One, the chef's hat handmade by momma in Panzano at one of my favorite restaurants there---for you to pretend like your "cheffing" it up in Tuscany at your own place 

OR 

One Italian leather petite purse--suitable for an over the shoulder evening out with keys, credit card and a lip gloss.  It's soft as butter and hello.....it's Caribbean blue;))

And the winner for the little treasure from Italy??

"What a lovely time you are having! 

Each day has treated us with delightful creative daydreams! 

Thanks for sharing!!!!"  ~Beulah

Congrats Kathy, Lisa, and Beulah!!

All you gals get me your addresses so I can get your cartolina's, etc out in the mail to you:)!

Big hugs and sincere thanks for being part of the this time in Italy.

Keep your bags packed----you never know what's on the horizon.

It's the only break I can get from Eddie, so I am already planning our next great escape;)))

Last but not least, a little lemoncello to toast our trip to Italy...

One for me, one for you, and one for customs agent who bailed Eddie's butt out;))

Arrivederci!!

P.S.  I have had a considerable amount of email while traveling----if I missed anything important, please just email me again:)) 

P.S.S.  I will be doing a follow up post on the Tuscany, Italy trip.  You can leave your comments on this blog to let me know the stuff you'd like to hear more about.  If it involves how Eddie smuggled in the one can of pate, I can tell you now--you really don't wanna know....

P.S.S.S.  My workshop in California starts this coming Wednesday....never a dull moment 'round here:))  Eddie is wanting to go--says they are requesting his paw prints on the Hollywood Walk of Fame...

I know.  I didn't know what to say either.

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"Cartolina #6 --Still Havin' Fun!!"

Cartolina #6

"Certaldo"

Perhaps you are wondering what happened to me yesterday--

why I missed a day of posting here in Italy.  

Could it have been my internet connection??  Maybe just one to many gelatos were ingested??  

Or maybe I just hit overload on all the natural beauty surrounding me and had to sleep it off.  

Well it could have been any of those things except it wasn't.  

My day got a little derailed when I saw this hanging on a hillside in Italy...attempting to camouflage itself behind a spindly little tree.

Yep, you know who has made his way to Italy.  When Eddie stopped texting me to complain about the "quality" of his food, I realized  something was afoot.

How do I know it was him for sure?  I saw him first and called his name---to which he provided that instant head swivel of recognition-- before assuming the mask of "Oh, I'm Italian--I don't speak any English and my name is not Ed..."

Anyway, I was just to shaken to do the post yesterday, but have slept on it and realize there's nothing I can do.  Bad Boy Eddie is in Italy....God help the Italians....

In other news, I found us a car today.  If you can drive a standard, I think it has "Artists At Work" stamped all over it:))))

I had promised to not eat any gelato today but then I remembered YOLO!!!

YOLO--- You Only Live Once;)))

Besides, I knew when you started coughing and said you needed to go inside there to get a bottle of water that something was up. 

 Don't even try and lie to me-- I saw that single drop of tell-tale pistachio on your pants;)))

Also--found us a great spot for lunch tomorrow!!

With  a little bit of walking/climbing  involved;))  

And a nice view from the top...

I think you'll find it worth your time;))

The winner for Cartolina #6 is....

Tatjana Kaiser!!!  

Congrats Tatjana!!  Send your address along and I'll get your cartolina in the mail:)!!

The mail boxes are so pretty here that it seems like a crime to not be using snail mail:))  Get your name in the hat for Cartolina #7--leave a comment on this blog post (click here) or email me (click here):))

And no worries--when you get my auto vacation reply email, that means you're name is in for the drawing:))!

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"Cartolina #2"

"Siena Ristorante"

Cartolina #2

I know you will sleep very well tonight:)) 

 One trip to the winery for lunch, 

one 30 mile hairpin curved drive to Siena,

 a walk in the rain 

and lasagna with homemade noodles for dinner.  

What would we do without pistachio gelato and cappuccino to keep us going:))??

We'd be a  couple of melancholy babies, I'm guessin'!!

It helps to be a multi-tasker--eating gelato, drinking coffee and doing a watercolor postcard at the same time--- which is just what a girl's gotta do when she sees the rain movin' in!!

But who cares??

Siena, Italy is beautiful---- even in the rain:)))

Don't you love the splashes of color the umbrellas make:))!

And of course the rain gives the perfect excuse to duck into the art supply store;))

Thought we'd better grab some fresh fruit to take back to the house with us....just in case we get hungry in the middle of the night;))--they say it's good for the palette.  Or is that palate ??

  Speaking of color---is there anything prettier than a well shaped terra-cotta pot filled with flowers?

Well maybe.

 If an entire porch was built around said pot, I guess that would qualify it for being even prettier;)))

So tomorrow we head to....Pisa?  Maybe??  Or how about we visit some of the small towns that are hanging out on all these Tuscan hills?

So many places of beauty to take in----whatever shall we choose???

Maybe you should just sleep on it, take two gelatos and call me in the morning;))

And now for today's winner of the Cartolina #2....

The winner is:

Vicki Brevell!!!!!!  Bellissimo Vicki!!!

Congrats Vicki--be sure and email me your snail mail address so I can get your postcard in the mail while  here in Italy:)))

I cannot even begin to tell you how much JOY it brings me to be able to give these away.

Wish I could do more while I am here.  Probably should just extend my stay in order to do more postcards---I mean, no sacrifice is too great when it comes to giving away a petite original watercolor AND living in Italy;)))

Your comments and emails are SO MUCH FUN!!  --you make me laugh out loud:)))!

Thanks so much for making this a hundredfold more fun!!

Get your name in the hat for the drawing of the next one:))  Just leave one of your witty, fun loving, sharing, insightful comments on my blog (click here) or email me (click here) on today's post and you will have your name in the hat for tomorrow's drawing:)))

P.S.  My intention is to post and draw every day for a winner.  If for any reason  a post would fail to appear---not to worry.  I'll be back online ASAP:))--Italian Internet has been good to me so far;))

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