Buon Ferragosto!
Yes the big summer Italian holiday is upon us once again. Ferragosto falls on 15 August and is one of the big Italian public holidays. As well as the Catholic feast of the Assumption of Mary, Ferragosto marks the big vacation period for Italians (at the very least a long weekend starting today, Friday) and always means massive traffic jams on major roads. It is also a time of major festas and palios such as the famous horserace at Siena which will take place on 16 August.
We are looking forward to the long weekend and meals with friends but have no plans to go to any festas as we have been very busy and just a few days sitting looking at our beautiful view would suit me very well rather than mingling with crowds. I also have a back log of images to work through and doing that whilst it is quiet is rather pleasant.
Artsy Shark Featured Artist
The big news of the week is that I was a featured artist on Artsy Shark and a great article was written about my work and my approach to developing my photopaintings.
The article includes some of my favourite pieces like the one shown here ‘June Rose’ and explains how sometimes I know before I click the shutter exactly how the finished image will look – and then am driven crazy trying to achieve that look.
It is great to have my work recognised in this way.
New Collection – Images of Tuscany
Although I live in Umbria in Italy I am actually only about a ten minute drive from the border with Tuscany so I have started a new collection with images of Tuscany, starting with Cetona, a hill town I visited on Thursday this week and so had the opportunity for a quick photo shoot.
It was lunchtime as I walked around the streets taking photos and there were very few people about as can be seen from ‘Main Square View Cetona’, most people either being at home eating lunch or sitting in the restaurants under the umbrellas that can be seen in this view.
Cetona is a hill town and that means that apart from the main square, which is flat and pedestrianised, the rest of the town is an uphill climb to view the wonderful old houses and magnificant view. However, if you live there it can mean a long walk carrying heavy bags of shopping.
Luckily for the lady in this image ‘Leaving the Main Square Cetona’ she is carrying her shopping downhill! Just look at the wonderful countryside beyond Cortona and the Tuscan hills in the background.
I have many more images I am working on and hope to upload over the next week. In the meantime I am planning a nice relaxing weekend and, whether you celebrate it or not, I wish you all Buon Ferragosto!
Before you go
My name is Dorothy Berry-Lound an artist and writer. You can find out more about my art and writing at https://dorothyberryloundart.com.
You can follow me on Facebook.
Thank you for reading!
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