This past weekend was a health scare for someone very important to me and I began reflecting on some special shared moments together. In the fall of 2008 I was very lucky to be able to travel to Italy for painting and for a vacation with my husband. There were some magnificent landscapes in our favorite area of Tuscany that are so memorable but also city scenes that were so different from our day to day lives in the states. This rich variety of colors, textures, foreign sights and sounds, transported us into a dream world that seemed surreal. The cafe scene that I chose to share here was an incredible splash of color as we rounded a turn in the maze of streets in Venice. My camera did not do it justice but it is a vivid memory for me that I wanted to capture on canvas. Not just because of the autumn colors of the arbor foliage or the light and shadow that usually draws me into a scene, but more so the quiet early morning conversations among the locals who gathered there. Before the bustling crowds hit the piazza a simple cappuccino was sipped slowly and quietly; shared with a friend or loved one. I felt like we had come upon a private moment yet this was a public place which revolved around their daily routine so different from the one we left behind. I realized these were the moments cherished by my husband; the peaceful simplicity that we hope to find in our mornings when we reach retirement "someday". I recognized how precious this trip was for him as a vision for simply 'being' rather than always working, moving, doing. I have been able to find that in my second career as an artist and painter. He finds it in these quiet moments during our time away that he can dream about experiencing again when he leaves his first career behind. I look forward to that time for him too. This painting became a commission piece for friends of ours who frequently mention how much they love it and how it fits into their home and lifestyle. I not only agree but know as fellow travelers they have discovered this same value of quiet moments that enrich our lives and become dreams and nostalgic moments.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
nostalgic moments
This past weekend was a health scare for someone very important to me and I began reflecting on some special shared moments together. In the fall of 2008 I was very lucky to be able to travel to Italy for painting and for a vacation with my husband. There were some magnificent landscapes in our favorite area of Tuscany that are so memorable but also city scenes that were so different from our day to day lives in the states. This rich variety of colors, textures, foreign sights and sounds, transported us into a dream world that seemed surreal. The cafe scene that I chose to share here was an incredible splash of color as we rounded a turn in the maze of streets in Venice. My camera did not do it justice but it is a vivid memory for me that I wanted to capture on canvas. Not just because of the autumn colors of the arbor foliage or the light and shadow that usually draws me into a scene, but more so the quiet early morning conversations among the locals who gathered there. Before the bustling crowds hit the piazza a simple cappuccino was sipped slowly and quietly; shared with a friend or loved one. I felt like we had come upon a private moment yet this was a public place which revolved around their daily routine so different from the one we left behind. I realized these were the moments cherished by my husband; the peaceful simplicity that we hope to find in our mornings when we reach retirement "someday". I recognized how precious this trip was for him as a vision for simply 'being' rather than always working, moving, doing. I have been able to find that in my second career as an artist and painter. He finds it in these quiet moments during our time away that he can dream about experiencing again when he leaves his first career behind. I look forward to that time for him too. This painting became a commission piece for friends of ours who frequently mention how much they love it and how it fits into their home and lifestyle. I not only agree but know as fellow travelers they have discovered this same value of quiet moments that enrich our lives and become dreams and nostalgic moments.
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Pam - enjoyed your story about your trip to Italy and those quiet moments that are so meaningful. Tom and I had one such moment in Normandy at an outside table at a French cafe in the rain. There was an awning, of course, but the streets were quiet and all we could hear were the raindrops and the voices of the cafe staff speaking their lovely language. We felt like we were in a movie. Very romantic and memorable. Thanks for making me relive one more time. Donna Sanson
ReplyDeleteAwwhhh....that is nice to hear. Sometimes travel can transport us to more than a just different country.
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