Curious Minds...

  Seems I keep being asked, while here in Umbria, about our gallery back home in California... here is our website, which gives an idea as to some of the larger, abstracted landscapes I do, when I return home to my studio..
www.johnnyapodaca.com

Enjoy!

The Process/Painting Near Casalini

  The "Process" of painting en plein air is, of course, a transplanted French style of painting, i.e Impressionism, from the late 19th century. It was then transplanted into the California painting tradition  in the early 20th century. 

  To me, this is the poetic experience of an artist with the privilege of meeting face to face the challenge of interpreting and expressing an archetypal landscape with the aim of creating an ideal and idealized composite landscape: a world in which nature is transformed into elegant splendor, if that is possible.

This is the question and the challenge for me.

  This "Process" is what I am demonstrating in this blog post, and all these posts, as I am painting en plein air, while here in Umbria. As the Italians say... "tradizionale", a grand and great tradition which I am lucky enough to say I am a part of.

  Now. 

  At this time, I have to interject...  I am also in the act of destroying this tradition, deconstructing this tradition, recreating this tradition. That is what I will do when I return to my home and my studio in California. My job is to distill, and hopefully transcend these painting experiences into something... new... at least that was my training, and that is what I will endeavor to do. 

  

The setting up.

You gotta have fun, too.

Process, process, process... Love it, or leave it.

Working with the gessoed paper.

Ready.

Work in progress.

Beginning painting.

Finished.

  Below are some examples of painting plein air in Umbria. Enjoy.  Ciao!

A Higher Inspiration/Siena

  Janelle and I have always loved Siena, and wanted to try and get back there, so we took a mini trip  into Tuscany for a couple of days. The drive through the countryside, the scenic route, felt like being home again. It's one of the most beautiful roads in the world. 

  Once in Siena, we made it to the free parking area, snaking up to the historic center..it was good to be back. After checking in, we headed to the Duomo. I always wanted to climb up to the top of the unfinished section, and finally we did.

  We spent a good amount of time inside the Duomo, too. The weather was a little wet, and there was so much to see. 

  

Some higher inspiration

Inside the amazing Duomo in Siena

Frescoes by Pinturicchio, and a Roman copy of the Three Graces, from the Greek original.
Also in the Duomo..

  Just on the edge of the historic center of Siena, is the San Dominico church. It's powerful and strong, a bedrock of a building. I guess it's supposed to be a symbol of it's faith. It's always impressed me with it's stature. It's not a beautiful building, but it's beauty is in it's powerful presence.

San Dominico church-Beauty and strength.
I took this from the terrace of the place we stayed at.

Artist at the Wishing Well. 

  The second day, the weather was nice enough to set up in "Il Campo", one of the most beautiful piazzas in all of Italy. We enjoy sitting here in the evenings, watching the swallows darting around, as the light changes to dusk. It was the first time I set up to paint here.

Janelle took some shots-that's me,  sitting at the base of a pillar.

Just another small, gentle painting.

  I was trying to get a feel of the expansive space, on just a small panel painting. It's capturing a moment, the time of day(late morning), and the shadows-it's just a sketch, but I was trying to make it heart felt.
  There is so much history, centuries of history, in that place. Just trying to remain humble, enjoying and paying homage to the moment. And the place.

Is it possible to hear history?

The piazza becomes a studio. Tranquility for just a few moments.

"Il Campo"  12 April, 2012

  The short video below gives a small sense of the sounds, activity and energy of the daily dance of this piazza.

All going on while I sit, absorb and distill some 40 years of painting into a moment. It's just me, my style.

Out In The Field/All The Stuff

 The weather changed a little in the last couple of days. Rain, and even thunder and lightening. I did get out to paint right before the clouds moved in. We drove over to an area I'd painted around last year-one of our favorite little spots. 

  I made a gentle, easy going, small painting.... because it doesn't matter if the painting is small or large, it's all the process of painting. It's a love/hate relationship, but it needs to be done. It's the process, and I guess, mostly, I love it. The setting up, and all the stuff.

Set up along the side of a one lane road, out in the fields. 

Just true Umbrian poetry...in 3D.

  Below are a couple of short videos from this site, near Villastrada. I hope you can get some idea of the  incredible landscape, and even the sense of light here. This day, it was starting to cloud over, but still really good.

  After this spot, we drove over to Sanfatucchio, another favorite area. While we were driving down a "white road", Janelle and I were both were amazed to see a really big hawk flying right along the car with us...seemed the hawk was telling me this was the place to stop and paint, so I did.

  It was quiet and free, and the view had an ancient one lane bridge, that somehow seemed symbolic. Was it from the present to the future? Life in Umbria? One can only hope. 

The road to the future?

 

  Again, a couple of short videos, Janelle takes these while I'm painting. These are both at the Sanfatucchio painting site. The the blog and videos...it gives her a way to be involved in what I'm doing, as well as a way to do her own creative thing. I'm trying to get used to it.

 

  A final word here.... it's all about the pleasure in the "doing" of the painting, and it's always the search for the sublime.

Painting On Isola Maggiore

  It was a really warm Saturday, and I had been wanting to check out the islands in Lago Trasimeno. We knew the boats would be running on a Saturday, so we headed to Castiglione del Lago to hop a boat to Isola Maggiore. I read that this was the island that St. Francis once meditated for 40 days and nights, as a resemblance of Christ. For me, it gave it a touch of magic, as well as history.  I wasn't prepared for the serene beauty of the place.

  We had a fine lunch, lakeside, and then walked a ways to set up for painting.

  I'm still feeling like I'm just getting started.... like I'm still warming up. I have to sneak up on the creative process.

  The spot I chose was all about the light on the street, and the contrast of the stone and the organic trees and shadows.

Finding a shady spot was important. It was a hot day

  Families walked by as I was painting, on the way to the castle above me. It was fun to show the children, who were so curious... and didn't speak English. No English spoken, except by me. But they got it.

It felt good to be painting plein air again.

One artist translating a scene.

"Is it done",  I ask myself. That's always the important question.

  The finished piece is 6 by 8 inches, oil on board. Trying to be fresh, and in the moment. I hope it works. I consider it done. It's a good piece.

First painting done on Isola Maggiore.

  Looking down the street after finishing the first painting, it's inspiring and I feel so lucky to be here, doing this. The history of this place is an artists dream.

Looking down the street I'd just painted.

  I decide to paint a second piece, because we have plenty of time before the last boat returns to the mainland. I don't need to go far, I just turn around and paint the scene behind me. It's an old stone footpath leading up the hill towards the church way above us.

 I notice a garden gate, it's unusual in shape and color. It caught my eye. I set painting one aside, and get set back up for another go.

  

  

Getting ready to start another piece. It's amazing how much stuff I need to haul around.
But that's my job.

  As I start, Janelle comes back from her wanderings and decides to make a video or two... but a quick shot first to capture the first brush strokes of the path painting.

The beauty of the sketch.

                                     

    All and all, a good day painting. On an island, in the middle of a lake in the middle of Umbria, smack in the middle of Italy. 

All over surface interest, and color. The contrast is the metal gate, on the right.. it's contrast with organic surroundings.
It reminds me of an ancient Italian Crest... or the shape of a helmet....

Getting Started

  It always takes several days to wind down and settle in, after a long flight...then the search for supplies. It took a few days to find paint and medium, but we did. Bought some great brushes at a local paint store, and then shot over to Cortona where there is an actual art supply store.

I love the blue brushes, but they will be for the studio back home. 4.50 euro a bunch! Also, medium, oils and
latex gloves...

Can't wait to try these on large canvases back home...

From Cortona art supply store....

What's great about being here in Umbria, is there is inspiration everywhere. While Janelle works around the garden, I can just walk a little way in any direction. My first try is of a little house on the outskirts of town.

Janelle is taking photos while I paint.....

Find Johnny in this one...a little off center under an olive tree...
The burnt area is where the recently cut olive trimmings are stacked and burned in the early morning.

Johnny painting while standing..

The views are wonderful all around, and I'm happy to be painting here again. Still getting my bearings, though. It's been a year since I last painted "plein air", and I'm still drunk with all the visual stimulus. Everywhere you look, it's beautiful. 

Painting "Casa Rosa"

It was warm and bright, and this first one took some time. Happy to be in the shade of this olive tree.
I even sat down for awhile and painted....

 This first little painting is on board, but my plan is to paint oil on gessoed paper. This is a nice little first piece, and I have to get serious about painting more.
  For me, this is a work-vacation, but I'd hardly call it work. It's all inspiration for all this years paintings to come....

Still a work in progress, may do a little touch up. Will show the finished painting soon.

Paint Kit For Travel

  I have been working on my travel kit to paint in Italy. I want to paint more this year, and I've decided to do works on 300# paper, in different sizes. For travel, it's an easier way to get paintings home, and I like to do oils on paper. I'll bring my gauche set up, too. 

  I plan to buy my paints and medium after we get there, instead of packing them and going through the hassle of security not knowing what to do with the tubes of paint,etc. Less stress for me, plus it's fun going into the art supply stores in the area. I found one in Arezzo, and I know there will be at least one in Perugia. Last year we stumbled on a great little place in Orvieto.

  This morning, I had Janelle shoot a short video of the whole travel kit. As you can see, everything gets packed into one check- in bag, and that works pretty good for us. 

  

  I took some pictures of things, to give you a better look at the travel set up. Some things I found locally, and some stuff I found in my art catalogues. It's piecemeal, but I like what I've come up with, and it all fits in the big suitcase. (thanks you guys...you know who you are...)

My gauche box, home made from an old cigar box.
Nice and light.

These containers will hold medium, turpentine, etc. I'll carry any paints in here, too.
It's a heavy weight cardboard box I turned into a light carrier, complete with handle.

  Last year I worked in oils, and only did 8"X 8" paintings, oil on board. I really wanted to do something different this time, and I'm glad to have different sizes to work in. I have three of these carrying boxes, in different sizes, so I'll be able to transport everything easily.

One of three different sized boxes to carry paper before and after it's painted. 

Easy to pack up.

My drying solution. Also easy to pack.

I've used this palette/camera tripod rig for all our trips. It all folds up
nice and small, and passes through security easily.

I'm ready to go.

   So, when do we leave? Are we there yet?..........