latest group of sketches

likely to be finishing up this series soon.

Robert Beaser Portrait

A fellow from 1978.

More Frascati and the Casa Rustica

Ponte Sant'Angelo

Quick water color at the Bernini bridge.

Saint Giovanni in Laterno

Aquaduct park second day

Shepherds, sheep, poppies, pines, and Roman ruins for a second day. Sheep and shepherds didn't make the cut but for the rest this is what we got.

Perfect morning at parco di aquaducti

I was working on a tight, block by block rendering of the aquaduct in the park that is at the farther end of Rome when I got up to stretch and smoke a cigar, from the edges of the meadow a couple of shepherds with their dog walked a flock of sheep into the scene. I quickly threw together a composition and roughed it in an an hour. not the best painting but far and away the best scene. this is the Rome of my dreams. a beautiful continuation of the world of Augustus.

Karl Kirchweg

Poet and Arts Professor at the Academy

Cleaning up

tried to tighten up some older sketches and toss those that didn't make the grade.

Also have a couple of nudes from a figure session I attended. Trying to get everything together for the open studios in a couple of weeks

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Napoli Capri and Rome

Took a couple day trip to Napoli and Capri. Napoli is awful. I kept trying to find something to like in it but, it wasn't there. the Archeological museum had amazing things, but treated with an off hand and somewhat despairing quality. It would have been better to have left them underground. Perhaps the fact that they haven't picked up the trash in, I don't know, years? may have contributed to the experience but there was nothing to recommend the city. sorry.

here is the best I could find, the Palazzo Capodimonte in very pleasant weather. at least no trash.

Capri was much better. small winding paths with astonishing views of the blue-blue sea. it had the same character as other islands for the wealthy, attractive, closed and too precious. I liked it though, particularly after Napoli.

Back in Rome, which felt sweet. Beautiful organized, full of tourists of course but worthy. Did a sketch of a tempietto in the Gardini Borghese and this wonderful little pony cart with kids on other ponies in tow came around a few times. tried to catch them all. Sunday in the Park with Ponies.

Piazza Navona

spending much more time on each drawing. this one was about 5 hours over the course of 2 mornings. I got dispossessed the first day when the Peruvian band claimed my bench for their daily performance. Are there any more people in Peru or has the entire country emptied out to play on street corners... not that there is anything wrong with that.

Fellow Portraits

A tradition at the American Academy is portraits of the Fellows. I have finished a few, which I now have to frame to stay on the wall. a few others in the works but not done yet.

Long time no post

busy times. finished my shop talk and have been focusing on visiting sites and painting.
pictures attached.