I have been back in the sweet motherland of the low desert for a week now. The Don and Kim Jurney Traveling Fellowship led me on a hefty two month exploration of Italy. I consumed all things Italian and left bloated on paintings, sculpture, architecture, great pizza and wine. Words cannot express the gratitude I have for Don and Kim Jurney and for the NewburyPort Art Association. Throughout times society has always needed people that were willing to use their platform and success as a way to pool resources to send future generations onto the right path. No doubt Don and Kim Jurney have become heroes of a modern day continuation of naturalistic art.
Some thoughts on the trip...
I greatly enjoyed the endless painting opportunities that Italy's cities provide. The people are very friendly and genuinely interested in what you are up to when painting out of doors. I found myself overwhelmed by the amount of information and many examples of legendary art all around. This trip to Europe really did solidify a bunch of things as an artist for me. My love for the vastness and culture of the U.S.A., more specifically the American West. Also how the importance of my connection with a person, place, or thing is paramount. I resolidified my ethos that my journey is not to recreate the past but to document my present. I enjoyed looking back at how the old masters were able to create such greatness with so little and it's been insightful and humbling.
In Rome, painting in Trastevere at Mausoleum Ossario Garibaldino. Huge views of the city on this hill.
Painting in Venezia. Obscenely beautiful and obscenely humid this time of year. The home made light diffuser was a god send.
All in all, painting and drawing on location while traveling has been a beautiful way to cleanse my mind and reinvigorate my connection to home while furthering my empathy for different cultures around the world. I plan on continuing this practice for as long as I can.
I hope to post with greater frequency here as I appreciate being able to go long form and fully express my ideas on painting, materials or random observations. My hopes is that I can continue to expand my connection with the world on the internet without getting inundated by social media and what others are producing. I do not see the benefit of looking at other's work with great intent and periodicity. For me, this only leads to a perpetual state of inspiration and comparison, leaving me with less original ideas and even less work.
Heres to another beautiful day. "Get out of Shavasana today."
-Spencer H. Simmons
Unreal sunset view of Firenze.