March 2017
Fallas is an annual festival famous for it’s wonderful statues, called “fallas,” magnificent mascletas (daytime thunderworks) and fireworks (at night), marching bands by the hundreds and the women who march with them in traditional silk dresses, as well as sound and light shows.
Here is my slide show of photos from Fallas 2017, set to Himno de Fallero, Hymm of the Fallero (member of the local organizations that make Fallas happen).
No Solo Mia — Not Just Mia.
Mia is our friends’ Chihuahua , on our model’s lap, pen ink, A3, 8.25 x 11.7″
This is the original and is for sale.
#nevertrump #drumpf #notmypresident
The first video is a small Fallas. The second is a huge one in front of city hall.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E31mHvcuLQI
Fantastic! A major aspect of Fallas, Valencia, Spain’s annual festival. More to come!
March 2017
This slide show is from photos I took at the Science Museum exhibit in Valencia. There are thousands of these small sculptures (usually about a meter in height but sometimes higher). There are two that skewer Trump. Next year I expect many more, as most of these were begun well before the election. These amazing sculptures employ hundreds and hundreds of artists here. The large sculptures range up to 25 meters/80′ in height. They all display great imagination and ability! Enjoy!
Here are two videos of the amazing opening act of Fallas 2017. Fallas is Valencia’s annual festival, an Unesco heritage event. There are hundreds of sculptures 25 meters in height and thousands of smaller ones. There is a mascleta – fireworks without much light- every day at 2pm, and fireworks at night that are not just literally over the top. This one featured a first- 50 meter/ 165′ vertical firework trees. Amazing! The first of those below is mine and is just two minutes, the second is professionally done and is about 10 minutes.
Enjoy!
I always carry a small notebook with me. If I am sitting around and see something or someone interesting, I give it a go. Here are some recent ones.
These miniatures are just $50 each. Prints too.
Here are my two paintings reflecting my thoughts on this man, the “So-called” president of the United States.
This last piece is in response to those who complained that opponents were not giving him a chance.
January 28, 2017
While in Philadelphia for my wife’s swearing in as an Italian citizen we visited the Philadelphia History Museum. They show a good video about the city’s founding. See link at bottom, first in a series.
Penn was not born a Quaker. In fact the earliest image we have of him is this painting, done during his service fighting a rebellion in Ireland. He is dressed in armor. He became a Quaker during his college years, a period of intense religious conflict.
His father was a close associate of King Charles II. When his father died, Charles still owed substantial sums to Penn’s father, which he settled by granting huge areas of land which Penn wanted to call Sylvania, the latin for ‘forest.’ The King insisted on adding “Penn” and thus came into being the name of the present day state. The grant included the area today known as Delaware.
The new proprietor, then probably the world’s largest individual landowner, first landed in America in 1682, afterwards traveling up the Delaware river to found Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. To attract Quakers he wrote a prospectus that brought in some 250 well to do Quakers. He eventually distributed it in Europe, attracting Hugenots, Mennonites, Amish, Lutherans, and Jews. He limited his own power as leader, a notable innovation, as was open discourse, akin to a Quaker meeting. Prisons were workshops designed to teach rather than punish. Swearing, lying, and drunkenness were forbidden as well as “idle amusements” such as stage plays, gambling, revels, masques, cock fighting and bear baiting.
He began advocating for a union of the colonies and his Frame for a Government contained many of the principles later to inspire the US Constitution. However, his attempts to establish a true City of Brotherly Love failed within two years. He had returned to England, never to return, and soon city leaders had reneged on the agreement Penn had forged with the Lagniappe.
