Oh, My Aching Arch!

"Certaldo Arch"
 By James Swanson/ Traveler Jim M.

8"x 10" Oil on Canvas

Welcome to Day Nine, of this 14 day Travel paint Special Edition of the Artist and the Traveler. This special project needs an special guest, meet our guide Traveler Jim M.!  

Travelers Jim M and wife Cathy

 In 2007 Jim and his wife Cathy took a 14 day trip to Northern Italy following the trail of PBS travel show host Rick Steves Italian journey to see the real Italy.

View from the top in Certaldo 

(all photo are from Jim's web site about the trip.)

This Trip of Jim and Cathy's just gets better and better. From Venice, to Padua, To Ravenna, to Assisi. to Montone, to Orvieto, Agriturismo, to Loro Ciuffena, and now on to Certaldo, what more can we see?`

Cathy checks out the view of the Tuscan hills.

How about a human heart and seeing the writing on the wall.

Still visible after all these years,
the "writing" done by the prisoners using 
candle smoke and a "human ladder".

Human heart sculpture

From Traveler Jim M's Journal.Certaldo is an extremely well preserved hill town.  We went through the Governor’s Palace (or Magistrates Palace), including a modern art display of huge human heart sculptures.  In the church, there were many interesting “damaged” frescoes.  In one area you could still see where the prisoners wrote on the ceiling of the cell with the candle smoke by forming a “human ladder”.  There are great views from the palace.  We could start to see the Alppilwan Alps (which we will see later in Cararra and on our way to Cinque Terre).

View of lower Certaldo through the arch.This is the photo of Traveler Jim M's that I will be working with.

Traveler Painting "Certaldo Arch"This painting was so fitting to do, considering I had a root canal during it, Thanks Dr Brian, but I could have used a few more pain pills.

I thought this painting would be a little challenging with the bricks and all. But you can't go to Italy without seeing some ruins. As I've stated before, I'm painting this 14 day special Edition, as if I were there (in plein air style). So I only have a few hours to get this painted, before the light would have changed too much to paint any more. So here we go, pain and all the steps of "Certaldo Arch"-

Painting has been sketched in and some of the dark colors have been put in.

It;s getting there, sorry about the glare on the painting.

I was photographing it with my camera phone.

Do

Details from the painting.

"Certaldo Arch"

 By James Swanson/ Traveler Jim M.

8"x 10" Oil on Canvas

OK, I powered on through the pain on this one. I work really fast because I thought the pain medicine would wear off. I still turned nice I think. Thanks as always goes out to Travelers Jim M and his wife Cathy. Thanks for the trip, Ciao for now. Come back tomorrow and see how this artist attacks a statue.

This is day Nine, of this 14 day painting journey of northern Italy, here are the links to see the rest Venice, to Padua, To Ravenna, to Assisi. to Montone, to Orvieto, to  Agriturismo, to Loro Ciuffena.

Or go to The Artist and the Traveler.org to see them, and many more place and stories. New Travelers and stories are always welcome too! Until next time, Ciao!