Category Archives: Travel Sketches

À la Carte

I’m not sure how we did it, but when we planned this year’s trip to Maine last winter we somehow landed on what might have been the best week of the summer; we only had to pay one day of rain tax. Considering what a soggy season it has been across New England, that’s really saying something.

Clark Island

Before we leave, I usually have 1 or 2 specific shows in mind I want to see, but it never fails that unexpected creative treats pop up along the way. Here’s a bit of a tasting menu of what caught my eye.

Diane Beem

Portland Coastline ©Diane Been, Oil on paper                                                                                                                    I couldn’t stop looking at this print of a painting by Diane Beem during lunch at Mae’s Cafe in Bath. Deemed “Modern Fauvism” by the artist, the colors aren’t what one might usually associate with the Portland waterfront, and I think that’s a large part of what drew me in.

 

David B Harmon

©David B Harmon                                                                                                                                                                 Always a sucker for animals in art, I loved David B Harmon’s woodblock relief prints, some of which were huge. His exhibit “Cohabitation” at Rock City Café in Rockland calls attention to the fact that we share community with creatures of all types. And knowing a couple of special somebodies who are currently trying to negotiate a coexistence with a raccoon, this piece suddenly had special meaning.

Archipelago is a Rockland art & craft gallery filled with the work of Maine artists. Its mission is to support creative island and working waterfront communities. Currently, they are highlighting the work of Kelly Desrosiers: acrylic collage that looked (to me) like fabric.

Kelly Desrosiers

Bird Island by Kelly Desrosiers, Acrylic Collage

 

The Farnsworth Museum is a gem that always has something terrific on view.

Edward Hopper, Haunted House

Edward Hopper, Haunted House 1926, Watercolor, gouache, pastel and graphite on paper

One of their current exhibits, “Edward Hopper and Andrew Wyeth: Rockland, ME”, blew me away. Beautifully curated, it finds strong parallels between works of two very different artists, made decades apart. The stars of the show are their subjects: Rockland, as a place, and the physical apparatuses of its historic industries. The overlap of the artists’ interpretations were both surprising and delightful.

Wyeth, Snow House

Andrew Wyeth, Untitled (Snow House), 1983, Watercolor on paper

I always return to the fact that details are my kryptonite.

Wyeth Detail

There is a world unto itself in the variation of color in each pane of glass Wyeth painted in this window.

Hopper Detail

This summer I’ve been experimenting in my sketchbook with layering assorted media, including gouache and soft pastels. So it was a treat to see how Hopper incorporated a variety of materials in this lyrically beautiful passage of grass in the foreground of  “Haunted House”.

A couple of other gems at the Farnsworth I couldn’t resist sharing:

Clemente

Francesco Clemente, Robert Creeley, 2002, Oil on linen, Gift of the Alex Katz Foundation                                          Any and every portrait is intriguing to me these days.

 

Lois Dodd

Lois Dodd, The Painted Room, 1982, Oil on linen                                                                           The ambiguity of Dodd’s depiction of this room’s painted mural, framing the window, framing the real outdoors, sets the stage for all sorts of imaginings.

 

I was lucky that one of my Maine buddies alerted me in advance to the (Brunswick) Curtis Memorial Library’s exhibition of Robert McCloskey’s original illustrations of some of his most iconic and best loved books.
Forgive the reflections.

Blueberries for Sal

Most kids from Maine know all about Blueberries for Sal. For those of us who grew up in the state and summered in an old-fashioned, down-to-earth Maine cottage on the coast (not the fancy McMansion-type dwellings built by people from away), everything about this book is comfortingly familiar (except the bears).

Burt Dow

When I look at art, it’s invariably with an eye toward what I can learn from someone else’s expertise. This detail from one of the illustrations in McCloskey’s Burt Dow, Deep-Water Man is a masterclass on being concise without sacrificing detail.

 

Blake Hendrickson

One of a number of wooden reliefs by Blake Hendrickson, also at the library. They reminded me of my friend Dianne Shullenberger’s “Circular Earth Series”.

 

And finally, the cherry on top of the vacation cake was discovering this local exhibit of portraits by Abby Carter. Beautiful work honoring community.

Abby Carter

 

One last Maine note: There’s always time around the edges to do a bit of sketching. I’ve been very happy to learn that soft pastels can be wetted and painted like watercolors.

Inner Cove

Inner Maple Juice Cove ©2023 Elizabeth Fram, Pastel and colored pencil in a Talens Art Creations sketchbook

And now, back in Vermont, I’ve finished the portrait you have only seen snippets of so far.

The Gardener

The Gardener ©2023 Elizabeth Fram, Watercolor and stitching on paper, 9 x 11 inches

Gardener Detail

The Gardener, Detail                                                                                                           Since it’s a bear to photograph the glow of gold paint, this detail better captures what the photo above didn’t.

 

A Respite and A Request

I’m taking a bit of a respite this week to recharge and reinvigorate. But first, an update.
The portrait that I shared briefly at the end of my last post is now in its last phase. The paint work is finished and the embroidery is well underway.

First pass

First pass

I’m loving the variety of processes involved in these works – first, because there’s a certain challenge to pulling everything together, and secondly, because it’s so satisfying to see the piece materialize as each stage builds upon the one before.

Detail

In many respects this whole process is parallel to my my previous stitched-then-dyed-then-stitched work, it’s just that the scales are tipped more toward drawing/painting with much less stitching. The up side is that since these latest pieces move along so much more quickly, I can learn from, and then move on to the next piece to respond to, my mistakes – and my successes – without the huge lag time inherent in the textile works.

Gold House

Happy accidents lead to fortuitous discoveries. Working on a dry run practice sheet for this section, I stumbled upon the fact that carelessly letting the paint extended outside the masked lines resulted in a flavor of batik. Hmmm, that opens the door to lots of possibilities. This is exactly the kind of discovery referred to above, which I can act on and explore more quickly because this piece is almost done.

And now my request:
I need of models for this series honoring the strength, wisdom and resilience of women of a certain age. If you (or someone you know) fit the bill, live in the central Vermont area and wouldn’t mind giving me 15-20 minutes of your time to take a quick series of head and shoulder photos of you to use as inspiration, please contact me.
ehwfram@gmail.com

Stitching

If you’re shy about having your picture taken, it may help to know that my painted results never turn out to be exact representations of my models – so it won’t be a portrait of you. Rather, your image would be a jumping off point. I’ve come to think of this process as something akin to literary historical fiction … based on fact, but with plenty of artistic license.
I would really like to continue with this series so thanks for considering, and I hope you’ll be in touch.

Oh – and be sure to come back next time for the full reveal of the finished piece!

A special thank you to India Tresselt for alerting me to Loreen Edwards Forkner @gardenercook after my post on painting the colors of my garden. I have color on the brain now and it’s seeping into my sketchbook. You might enjoy Forkner’s book Color In and Out of the Garden, based on intentional observation of color in tandem with nature’s palette.

Blue

I’m not sure I could ever quite do justice to the dramatic blue of the sky and circus tent stripes in Montreal a couple of weeks ago, but Winsor Newton’s Cobalt Blue Deep gave me a fighting chance.

L’Arte di Firenze

This is a post of images, so get yourself a drink of choice and settle in.

When we last visited Italy a dozen years ago, our days revolved around its magnificent sights, its food, wine, and the camaraderie of our traveling companions. This time around included all of the same, yet with the distinct benefit of also being able to devote a large chunk of time on our own, immersed in the artistic treasure trove that is Florence.

Despite factors being such that we visited during peak tourist season, crowds never really seemed to be an issue — the only time we had to wait in line was to get into the Uffizi, and even then for only about 20 minutes. I mostly credit that ease to having the Firenze card which allows easy and swift access to most museums and sites. Keep it in mind if you’re planning a trip in the future.

Now for a bit of armchair travel…here is a taste of the art of Florence and Ravenna as I saw it, divided into digestible sections. As you can see, those divisions are somewhat arbitrary as they all seem to overlap in one way or another. Such is the beauty of art.

 

Pattern

San Lorenzo

Basilica di San Lorenzo    This cathedral’s relatively stark (certainly in comparison with the Duomo) facade is heightened by its stonework relief in tandem with the sun.

Baptistry floor

Baptistry of San Giovanni   Marble flooring

Carpet of Stone

Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra (Domus of the Stone Carpets)     This important archeological project in Ravenna unearthed a complex of buildings dating back to the Roman Republic through Byzantine times, including a small palace where every floor was covered with marble mosaics. After being restored, the ‘carpets’ of stone were placed back to their original collocation in an underground room that can be entered from the Church of Sant’Eufemia.

Palazzo Vecchio ceiling

Palazzo Vecchio ceiling

Color

Mauseleum Galla Placidia

Mauseleum Galla Placidia, Ravenna       Low light made photographing these stunning glass mosaics incredibly challenging. I think my husband did an admirable job here. All “windows” were filled with alabaster, an example of which you can see on the left side of this picture, with the figure almost pointing to it à la Carol Merrill. A close-up below.

Alabaster

Alabaster window panel within Mauseleum Galla Placidia

Glass shop

On the more contemporary side, the colors inside this closed shop drew me like a magnet.

Street Art

Clet Abraham

I read about Clet Abraham before we left, so had my eyes peeled for his street art from the get-go. We weren’t disappointed. You can follow him on instagram @cletabraham

Clet Abraham

Another Abraham piece – photo courtesy of my husband

Michelangelo portrait

Even Michelangelo made street art … or at least that’s the legend about this carved portrait on the front wall of the Palazzo Vecchio. I read several stories about it: Popular urban legend has it that it was Michelangelo Buonarroti who created the portrait after taking on a bet that he would be able to do it with his back turned towards the wall, without looking at what he was doing. Another story tells how Michelangelo passed the Palazzo Vecchio one day and under the Loggia dei Lanzi he spotted a man in the pillory who owed him money. He asked the guard who was watching the unfortunate for how much longer the punishment would last and the guard answered: “Not long enough”. To make sure that the Florentine people would remember the criminal for a long time, he chiseled the man’s face on the wall of Palazzo Vecchio.

Swim Mask

Once we began noticing them, these images of classical figures with swim masks cropped up all over, and not just in Florence. I was able to find this interview with the anonymous artist.

Humanity

Portrait of an old man

Portrait of an Old Man, last quarter of the 15th century, Fresco on tile. Attribution swings between Filippino Lippi and Domenico Ghirlandaio.            Despite his attire, this man looks so contemporary to me, the warmth of his skin tones and kindly eyes speak across the centuries.

Calder face

Alexander Calder      We came across two exhibits in the Palazzo Medici Riccardi that were a total surprise, and happily so. This wire sculpture of Alexander Calder’s, not unlike the facade of San Lorenzo,  was dependent on shadow for full effect.

Sofonisba Anguissola

Self-Portrait of Sofonisba Anguissola, 1552-3.      In light of Reclamation, the ongoing exhibit at the Helen Day Art Center, which I wrote about here,  it was so lovely to see a female painter among the sea of male artists at the Uffizi. Anguissola’s father supported her passion for painting, as well as that of her four sisters who were also painters.

Pang Maokun

Pang Maokun, “Salotto di Diego Velasquez”, 2017     The other surprise exhibition at the Palazzo Medici Riccardi was a series of paintings by Chinese artist Pang Maokun. His sense of humor, weaving traditional references with a contemporary twist, is delightful.

Ermine

Pang Maokun, “Dama con l’ermellino”, 2017.       If this piece looks vaguely familiar, your memory isn’t fooling you. Here’s a link to da Vinci’s original.

 

Drawing

Maokun Drawing Pairs

Pang Maokun.    It was so interesting to see this series of drawings, copies of master works combined with contemporary portraits, set in pairs, and hung so that if you stood to the right only the contemporary portraits were visible, while standing to the left revealed only the copies.

Rider

Pang Maokun.     Another wonderful drawing of facility and humor.

Calder Poster

Alexander Calder      This sketch outlines Calder’s idea for a poster announcing his sculptural gift “Teodelapio” to the city of Spoleto.

It’s humbling to include these, but a section on drawing wouldn’t be complete without the addition of several of my sketches, made along the way.

YUL

Waiting at the Gate ©2018 Elizabeth Fram, 5 x 8 inches, Pen and colored pencil.   I look forward to that first sketch of every trip, often done while waiting to board the plane.

Tickets

Biglietti ©2018 Elizabeth Fram 5 x 8 inches, Pen and colored pencil.         Sketching takes the sting out of waiting, this time at the Roma Termini train station

Plaza Santo Spirito

Plaza Santo Spirito ©2018 Elizabeth Fram, 10 x 8 inches, Pen and colored pencil. Lunchtime at an osteria before heading to Capella Brancacci to see the famed frescoes by Masolino da Panacale, Masaccio, and Filippino Lippi

Sabine Women

Kidnapping of the Sabine Women by Giambologna, Loggia dei Lanzi   ©2018 Elizabeth Fram, 8 x 5 inches, Pen and colored pencil.        There aren’t words to express the experience of sketching one of the world’s most famous sculptures from an outdoor cafe, in one of the world’s most iconic places (Piazza della Signoria), while sipping a Campari soda.

Textiles

Blue Woven Gargoyle

The Palazzo Medici Riccardi had rooms filled with tapestries. They were huge and so finely woven that it is hard to imagine their production. Most of their colors have faded away. I think of blue as being among the most fugitive of colors, but was very interested to see that it was one of the few that remained in many of these pieces. Do any of you have an explanation? This small corner of a much larger work displays a glimmer of its former brilliance.

Red and Gold

As the following pictures show, the ecclesiastic textiles showcased at the Opera del Duomo Museum were sumptuous and beyond imagining. These are from the 18th century.

Embroidered Flowers

Thinking of the strong lighting and magnifying glasses I need for my own work, I couldn’t help but feel for the eyesight of the artists who made these extraordinary pieces.

Embroidered Iris

 

Gozzoli’s Procession of the Magi

I have saved the best for last. If there is one single work of art that stands out among all the many masterpieces and historical treasures we saw, it would be Benozzo Gozzoli’s Procession of the Magi in the tiny and spectacular Medici Chapel within the Palazzo Medici Riccardi.  I can’t begin to do it justice with words, and am still awestruck by the fact that we had this little jewel box all to ourselves, left to marvel at its vibrant colors and striking details in peace and quiet.

Journey of the Magi

Procession of the Magi, Benozzo Gozzoli, Medici Chapel 1459-61

Bird and ankles

This is one section that I could get close enough to for a detail shot. I have lightened this image hoping to make it clearer for you to see. I was amazed by the glazes and layers of color, and the ability to follow the ancient brushstrokes.

Journey

The glory of these paintings doesn’t begin to translate through my photos. The gold glimmers and the landscape seems to breathe with the life of its flora and fauna. Each person is an individual portrait with personality, cheeks glowing with life. There are no windows. Imagine the wonder of sitting in this room in flickering candlelight.

Please, take the time to read more and to see much better images (the frescos are so high up, there was no way to get a photo that isn’t distorted), through this information page on the Traveling in Tuscany website.

To sum it up, if there is one word to best describe the sights of our week, it would have to be “rich”. And I’ll just leave it at that.

And I can’t let you go without mentioning that I just installed my exhibit “Being Home” at The Kendal Gallery of Kendal at Hanover, 80 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH. The show is open daily and will be up through the month of August. I hope you might consider stopping in should you be near there.

Cut-off detail

Cut-Off, detail ©2017 Elizabeth Fram, 14 x 11 inches, Stitched-resist dye and embroidery on silk.