I talk to myself.

When I paint sometimes I talk to myself. I don't stand there moving my
lips and making sounds but I definitely have conversations. And when
you teach you learn to really think about what you are going to do and
why you're going to do it. Most people who have a lot of experience
usually don't think about everything they are about to do because
they've done it so many times it's automatic. If you ask them they
might not be able to give you an answer right away. But if you're
going to teach somebody's going to ask you questions. So, I talk to
myself. "Why did you do that, Bill? Now what are you going to do?
What's the thing that's most wrong with this painting?"

Well there I was thinking about the components of a good painting as I
stood in front of my easel. "First and foremost you need a good
composition. Then the drawing needs to be correct. The values must be
accurate. And, after that you can use any colors you want and it will
be a good painting." Sounds easy doesn't it? Maybe it is. Sam Vokey
told me all you need to be a good painter is miles and miles of
canvas. I don't think I should ever stop talking to myself, asking
questions about the paintings I'm working on. Sometimes when I can't
figure out "What's wrong with this painting" I'll ask anybody what
they think. I've even had little kids give me answers to that question
when it just wasn't obvious to me. I guess that means that if talking
to yourself doesn't work talk to somebody else, anybody else.

Well, now that I have this blog I don't have to talk to myself. I've got you!

Dawn at San Donato

This the light...

Thoughts of a traveling artist: Life in Italy

Welcome to my life! I am living in Italy and have been since September 07. I went home to the States for Christmas and returned in January. I’m living in the middle of an 8000 tree olive farm in Paciano (pronounced Pa-Cha-No) in Umbria. It is a two kilometer drive or walk (better for you) from the house to the road. Paciano is half way between Rome in the south and Florence in the north, almost dead center in the middle of Italy. There are 900 people living in Paciano and 7 churches. That’s 128.57 parishenors per church. On Sundays the collection plate is replaced with a very large coffee cup. And for communion you have to bring your own wafers and wine and of course olives if you want them. It is beautiful. Even their history has history here.
Driving here takes a bit of getting used to. Most roads are two lanes, one in either direction and a lot of drivers drive so close to the person in front of them that you can’t see their head lights in your rear view mirror, going 50-60-70 kilometers per hour. Out of no where they pass you heading toward cars coming equally as fast from the other direction and swerve back into their lane just before impact, or it seems. It’s a bit like finding yourself on a ride at Walt Disney World without paying admission.
While I’m picking on these guys I might as well tell you about their parking habits. It’s just like the States, they paint all the lines for spaces on the roads and parking lots but most people don’t seem to know what they’re there for. They park as if they were playing horse shoes, you only have to come close.
Having said all of that I’m sure that Italians would be able to make fun of Americans... hang on, that’s why I hear so much laughter when I walk into a room. I’m going to have to think about that.
I haven’t painted everyday but I have painted a lot. There is a magic to the air here. It appears to be humid and humidity refracts sunlight and that creates various colors. You can paint the same scene over and over again and it will be different each time. Monet’s Haystacks! There is no shortage of subject matter for painting here either. Walled cities and villages are everywhere, rolling hills with rows and rows of olive trees, farmland with tractors, ancient buildings with ancient windows and doorways. There are paintings within paintings if you just look for them (or recognize them when you see them.)
It surprises me that I see so many Italian painters who don’t seem to be trying to capture this luminocity that I have just described. Bright sunny days seem to be the focus of the majority of their paintings. Childe Hassem became famous for his paintings of Boston streets in rain storms and cold winter nights in snow. Wet rainy streets produce so much color and mood. So I will continue to look for and capture this atmosphere.

Painting Days

Painting Workshop in Umbria

June 8th-17th, 2008

The Workshop:
This eight day Plein Air workshop will be led by Bill Cloutman, a Boston North Shore landscape painter, a graduate of Vesper George School of Art with training from notables such as Don Stone and Robert Douglas Hunter. The workshop is aimed at people with at least some experience in oil painting.A detailed materials list will be sent to all.

The Accommodations:
Villa Lemura was originally the summer residence of the noble Perugian Donnini Mancini family. A 17th century farm, it was converted in the 1800s to the beautiful frescoed villa that stands today.

Includes:
• 8 nights deluxe accommodations
• Full-time workshop leader and guide
• 8 breakfasts, 7 dinners
• 8-day painting workshop
• Daily excursions, plus activities for non-painting guests
• Transportation in comfortable air-conditioned minibus

Price: $ 2,150.00 per person, double occupancy

For more information or to sign up, contact:
Olde Ipswich Tours
Tel: 978-356-5163

Email: Jean at Olde Ipswich Tours
Olde Ipswich Tours.com