Day 5-Perugia & Deruta +parade, 9-13-14

We left early after breakfast (I'm feeling a lot better) for Perugia.  This ancient hill town has the most excellent views you will ever see, and we visited the National Museum, strolled the ancient streets, visited their church, and rode up to this town in an automated mini tram (like a ski lift almost).  I don't know how anyone would get up there in olden days. Afterwards we visited Deruta, famous the world over for their ceramics. We'll have dinner shortly, then go to an annual festival parade where they will be wearing medieval garb.
The parade was great, crowds and crowds of people milling around walking up and down the parade route until it started. It was an annual celebration festival of the towns history.  All the participants wear thoroughly researched clothing of spectacular design and construction probably worn by their families (and royalty) dating to the Middle Ages--drummers, horn players, outfits were more beautiful than I could have imagined and everyone played their part with hair, beards, horses, dogs, bulls, hawks and owls.
Spoiler Alert:  Everyone will tell you that I took a ton of photos at the parade, so many that I'll put up a separate post about the parade pictures.  I did try to keep them to a minimum, but there are probably a little over 40.  Check out that separate page. I'll call it, Day 5 - Foligno Parade.  (The numbers of the days are counted for my trip, you may have arrived later.)

Deruta park with ceramic benches

Deruta Plaza

This is a big (4 ft.) table top.

Day 4-first painting day, 9-12-14

We got up very early, did our hour walk, had a great breakfast and went to paint. Our first painting day, I brought the lightest kit ever, and so far it's working just fine.  I started out with a little 6x6 study and less than an hour later it started to spit rain with a high chance of heavy rain, so I packed up and went up to town, got $ at ITM,  meds at pharmacy, had soup and then started to feel really bad with a cold and sore throat so we skipped the museum.
The meds did nothing for my throat, and after probably taking too much, they finally kicked in but I spent the rest of the day in bed and Carol brought me my supper. I hope I'm good enough for the bus tour tomorrow.

Morning view

Scene right outside my front doorway and scene I painted the first day.

Day 3-rest of group arrives, 9-11-14

We walked back to airport (15 minutes) arrival area and met the rest of the group.  Eight new people this year and 21 friends from past trips. Our bus trip to the agritourisimo was over 2 hours. Hotel is Cambiano de Piccolo in Montefalco.  Margaret Egli and Arwed  are the trip organizers and say that this could be the best place yet in all our travels. So far the food was great. Carol and I walked to the hill town after lunch--it is gorgeous-just like those pictures you see in the magazines of ancient towns and not overrun with tourists. The family running this agritourisimo is on their 25th generation.

Need I tell you what this is! 

Our usual entry to the central pilazza

The gate closest to our camiano

Day 2-Arrival in Rome, 9-10-14

We landed on time.  There were really 1000 people in the line to check passports, it took us over an hour to get through that line, then we got our luggage and walked up and down trying to find the Hilton for three hours! Everyone told us the wrong directions including the help desk and most only spoke Italian. So when we finally arrived at the desk at the Hilton (by practically climbing over a wall) (we spied it from the bus and yelled to get out right there) our other friend who landed 3 hours after us was there AND the hotel was actually right across the street from where we landed. We understood much later on that the mix-up was because there were two Hiltons at that airport and some people were sending us to the other one.  Not the best of beginnings.

Al Fresco dining area at Camiano Piccolo

Living, Kitchen of our unit #9 named Little Fireplace in Italian

Carol coming out of our unit (next to the laundry).

We stayed over-night at the airport and met the group next morning and traveled by our bus to our agritourisimo (pictured above).

Day 1-fly to Italy, 9-9-14

Carol Pike Webb and I flew out of Boston on time heading to Rome on Tuesday, Sept. 9th.

Last meal in Boston before heading to Rome.

Over 1000 people waiting for passport check at Rome Airport

#15 Megan Stevens

Megan was our youngest at 9 yrs old and our last for August!  What a gorgeous girl, she does not take a bad picture as witnessed below.  Years of karate have given her the capability to sit still (almost).  I didn't know what it would be like to paint a youngster, but I love it.  The skin colors are so beautiful.  I'm learning so much with the project.

Megan Stevens, model

#14 Kay Hogan

One more to go after today for this phase of the project!

Kay Hogan, an artist herself, had been planning to have her granddaughter painted but ended up sitting herself.  She had such a good time, that she promised to paint with us either today or in October.

Kay Hogan, model

Five of us painted this model, Anne, Cindy, Elaine, Stephanie and myself.

#13 Chis Denault

Chris Denault, model

Yesterday three of us painted Chris.  Anne, Stephanie and me.  I started painting the first pose and segwayed somehow to the second pose or maybe a combination of the two.  Even though we had the blinds drawn the sun had some effect on the lighting as the time passed.  I'm glad I have these photos because I had some troubles with applying the paint and couldn't get to a finished stage.  I realized in the middle of the night that it was probably because I didn't prime or apply a ground to my Gessobord.

Kay Hogan came in to visit with her granddaughter who will be todays model.  Kay is an artist and will paint with us today.

Anne, who is a steady participant in the project, and I were discussing how interesting all these models are as we get to know them a little bit and hear their stories.

#12 Sarah Gaudet

Sarah Gaudet, Model

Sarah and Jim's painting in progress

Jim, Elaine and the model, Sarah, taking a break.

Sarah and her mom, Jackie.

Sunday morning Jim Tinguely, Elaine, Cindy and I painted Sarah Gaudet.  She was another excellent model and we enjoyed painting her.  I'm feeling a tiny bit better about using my colors.  In November and December I'll be going over most of these portraits and adding finishing touches.  The show at the Merrimac Library starts the end of January.

#11 Julia Fisher

Julia Fisher, Model

Julia posed for her People Painting People - The Merrimacians project portrait today at the Church on the common in Bradford.  This group sponsored by The Haverhill Art Association meets on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month to paint portraits on one side of the hall and still life on the other.  Today there were probably 15 people who painted Julia, and all are eligible to enter their portraits in the show at the Merrimac Library the end of January 2015.  She will be remembered by everyone because she visited everyone at their easel during the breaks.

The project is going along very well, and some additional artists are coming on board.  I think that October will be well attended because summer has been a busy time for a lot of people who could not take time out to paint.

#10, Peter Davis, aka Dali

Peter Davis, Model

Peter was so much fun to paint, he even volunteered to come back and pose again with his guitar.  Luckily there were 5 of us painting him and everyone loved his face and hair and coloring.  Elaine, Cindy, Anne, Liz and I all had a great time talking with him as well.

#9, Grace Handy Portrait

Grace Handy, Model

My unfinished version of Grace

Three of the artists for the People Painting People-The Merrimacians project painted Grace in her yard.  It was a perfect day and she did an awesome job of posing for us.  Liz Peck and Rob Wilke were the other two artists.

Number 8, Karen Rubino Model for People Painting People - The Merrimacians

We had another great model and got filmed for local TV last night.  Karen even brought snacks--wanted to keep us on our game, I guess.  Carol Trainer of Merrimac TV came and filmed for three hours and says that the edits might be done today cutting it down to 1/2 hour.

We had four painters last night, Fran Butsavich, Elaine Asplind Russell, Elizabeth Peck and myself.  Everyone did a totally fantastic job except me.  Check this out.

Can you imagine, you get the TV to watch you paint, and you don't do your best???  Oh well, there is no such thing anymore as bad advertising.  So they say.

Carol Trainer, Merrimac TV

Elaine with THAT CLOCK.  Now we know that all it needs if a "C" battery!

Two more portraits, #6 & 7, and another one tonight

This project is progressing and the momentum still feels good.  I figured that it would get harder to "keep up" with it as time went by but I'm finding that I'm feeling better with each one.  I can feel the progress, not that you can see much progress, but I know it's happening.  Every time I do one, I learn something new and the constancy of it makes it easier to remember what I've learned.  Here are photos of the last two sitters, and tonight I have a sitter and a local TV crew coming in.

5th portrait in the project

Last night, Monday, August 11th, Deborah Ketchen was our model.  She was another excellent poser.  We loved the colors in her skin, I had trouble and I think I'll work on it Thursday morning again.  She has volunteered to come again, how nice, so we can either take another stab or work on our painting a little more.  6 hours with a sitter would make a big difference.  Two other artists came to participate, Liz and Elaine.

Photo of the model, Deborah Ketchen

Elaine

Liz

I almost forgot to take photos so these were at the end.
The next model is Friday afternoon at 1:30.