Meet Kelly Medford

Meet Kelly Medford (www.kellymedford.com) my friend, Italian hostess, teacher, critic, co-adventure-lover....oh, did I say:  ARTIST.  Before you get to know her through my eyes, go to this site and watch this professionally made,  very short video about her:  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8LrX-9C8wWU. 

 

Sounds like a dedicated artist, eh? Here's Kelly (above) painting on the rooftop of our apartment in Procida.  Yep, she's just the kind that looks out the window during wine time, sees the soft yellow light of sunset, grabs her paints and runs to catch the glow.  I followed but gingerly carried my wine and camera up to catch her catching it!  Kelly came to Florence, Italy to study art about 10 years ago.  She soon realized she could learn more painting daily on the streets than copying the classical busts that were protocol at the academy.  The rest is history....

After several years she moved to Rome to live and work.  In addition to her daily plein air discipline she conducts "Sketch Rome" tours, teaches and collaborates on myriad other art projects.

We didn't paint 24/7 however, because breakfast coffee was a must no matter where we found ourselves....above is our favorite coffee setting overlooking the fisherman's harbour from a hotel we stayed at in Procida.  Of course we discussed the light.....but look at those rooftops and colors and lines and arial perspective......oh my!

Kelly loves her work and is happiest when painting but she is a fine teacher as well.  I have great appreciation that she recognizes we all have our own style and approach, "I'm not trying to teach you to paint exactly like I do," she begins, "I am here to help you apply some basic formulas to your own work." Nothing "basic" however about the depth of knowledge she shares.  Everything from mixing all the colors you"ll ever need from 3 tubes of paint to the principals of perspective. 

Kelly engaged us in a number of exercises which I greatly enjoyed.  Many of us lack the discipline to do the daily work that really advances us, so this rang my chimes. Here she is moderating a critique of our work....mine on the hot seat here!  I'm not thin skinned but I will always be grateful that she commented on how most of my work, even the timed exercises, seemed to offer a story in them....something I have tried to do since the day I picked up a brush.  Of course her noting this, unprompted, makes her brilliant in my mind!!

We later crawled around Rome sketching in the various parks and looking for new angles to paint.

Kelly has made me want to work on my watercolor sketching more, it is a different ballgame than oil but has such portability that I will enjoy honing my skills.  If I need inspiration I only need look at the photo above done in a park before we indulged in a birthday lunch and bottle of wine.  Further nudges will come from the jewel below.  A tiny little sketch I loved and then found in my card as a precious gift from a sweet friend, a valued teacher and a fine plein air painter.  Lots of grand memories!

P.S.  I would be remiss to let you think this piece is as blue as it appears....blame my camera and my lack of technology on an iPad.  You can see more of her work and sign up to get notices of new work at her website, www.kellymedford.com.  I know Kelly would love to hear from you.  If you are in love with Italy keep in mind that she does commissions and visits the U.S. in the winter.  

Ciao Italy and ciao Kelly!

Just another day in paradiso!

It's like a buffet: the sights, the sounds, and the smells...my senses are over-fed and yet constantly hungering just the same.  I'm not used to trying to get it all down on paper while still digesting and sorting it all out.  Processing will come later, at a more leisurely pace, time to sit and ponder all I am tasting for the first time.  Then, and only then will I be able to make artistic music with the notes I am trying desperately to capture quickly here.  Meanwhile, odds and ends from the road:

Cappuccino and water colors, perched on a wall over the beach...just me and the sea gulls...

The beach where scenes from "El Postino" was filmed.

My oil paints did not arrive (in my checked and thus lost luggage) so I was using my tiny travel water colors....

Can't wait to paint that sky....

Simplifying....trying to anyway, back side of the church....

Colorful waterfront at the fisherman's marina.....

Enough for one day...time for a vino!

Ciao, ciao,

Cindy

Naked Artist? Painting when the luggage goes astray.......

All packed and ready to go!  Here I am at the orlando airport ready to begin my painting trip to Italy.  Minimal clothes and painting supplies are in my backpack...take a good look and let me know if you see it anywhere....it has not yet joined me in either Naples or the island of Procida.  Depending on who I speak to it is either still in Atlanta, visiting Paris or somewhere on the island.  Who knows....burning daylight so Kelly and I decide to get with the painting!

After several days in Naples (where I picked up a few necessities) we took the ferry to the island of Procida.  Thank goodness I had thrown my travel watercolor set into my purse before leaving Florida.  It was not what I came to do but I decided If I had to draw on paper towels, darn it, I would not leave without some art making under my belt.

Procida has gorgeous scenery all over the island.  Since it it small and built on a very steep hill, we could find great views all over.  This is from an evening scouting trip before dinner down at the port.

Here's Kelly from our apartment roof top painting a scene of Mount Vesuvius.  Didn't take me long to climb up and join her for an early morning warm up session.

Really, who is worried about lost luggage with a view like this?

A few warm up sketches and I was ready for a little lunch and a new venue.  We caught a bus (it seems there are two: one up and one down) and headed down to the waterfront where the ferries come in and the fishermen still head out for work.  One story regarding the brightly colored houses on the island is that it made it easy to the fishermen to spot their own home when coming back from sea.  

And I think you could easily pick out most any home you were looking for from the shoreline.

I learned something very important here, sounds obvious but...the boats do not stay still!  Most boats I have rendered have been from photos and it makes it fairly easy to line up landmarks and get a decent drawing.  I had forgotten that the water spins these beautiful subjects around and thus every time I looked up my hull had moved or the lines had tightened....something to make it exceptionally difficult!

I was not far from a gelato stand so when kelly announced she had scouted a new view I was all too eager to get a sweet and move along!

Here's my last scene of the day.  Not having earned my stripes as a "real plein air painter," I like to think of these sketches as studies for larger work to be done in the studio.  Just drawing it several times is a wonderful way to work out the composition as well as get familiar with the shapes.

By the time we found a little outdoor cafe for wine time the sun was dropping so this is a dark photo.  There is a lot wrong with this piece....but there is also a lot right.  Both lists will be enormously helpful when it comes time to review my photos and my sketches and turn this into a larger oil painting. 

Can't wait to get out tomorrow, there is always the excitement of trying something new and making new discoveries artistically, as well as uncovering some new, breathtaking scene.  Kelly has been amazingly patient in having to translate menus etc but has also provided some memorable art discussions and laughs: all part of the sport of plein air work.  Gotta get some shut eye-- we plan to get on the road early tomorrow, and who knows maybe, just maybe, my luggage will arrive and I will have my oil paints back in hand.  Ciao, ciao!

Cindy