Though Easter is here it seems spring is not! The weather for the past few weeks has been in the 40s-50s (maybe one or two days in the low 60s) and almost everyday it has rained.
On the bright side, everything is a beautiful shade of green and local wold flowers are going crazy.
Tom & I have booked the holiday weekend in Sorrento & Positano! It is one of our favorite areas in our adopted country of Italy! A nice walk around Sorrento, a drive down the Amalfi Coast, lunch with Marco at La Cambusa and just a quiet weekend away...
Now to onto the move...
Our upcoming relocation is moving along...slowly...but moving along.
Tom and I visited the Swiss Embassy in Rome to start our documentation - his went through smoothly - mine on the other hand had a few hiccups (which I will resolve quickly). Our guess is that lady at the desk was not used to processing the documentation for a couple such as us. No biggy, just a few more T's to cross and I's to dot.
According to the company relocation assistance - this issue should not be an issue at all. I will return with my information after the holiday.
Since we have spent two wonderful years here in Rome and in our lovely apartment, I decided to have a small keepsake made to help us remember our time here... Take a look...
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| The Original Street Sign from our corner... |
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| A smaller version in marble for us to take with us into the future! |
On the home-front, Tom is busy at work. He has been doing a lot of traveling for meetings. Unfortunately, we both know, this will only increase as he starts to transition into his new job. He already knows that he will be traveling to Dubai for some meetings in April and May (another reason the weekend away will be great). He has been home on the weekends so we have been wandering around the city, weather permitting. Last weekend we went down to the center and had a wonderful relaxing lunch at 'da Fortunato' - a great restaurant by the Pantheon!
I have been continuing to work on my ceramics.
- The '2 Season Bowl' is baked and awaits painting.
- The maleform sculpture was also baked and I finished painting it a few days ago...
- Even with my limited time, I have started on new project. The Maestro has talked me into replicating a Rodin sculpture - No, not the Thinker - a Sculpture of Adam. It has been an interesting piece to work on. It is kind of fun starting with a 'blob' of clay and seeing how it takes form. It is also amazing how heavy a small piece can get when it is solid clay. But, I learned how to perform plastic surgery on the piece to clean clay out of the center of the sculpture. I can't wait to finish this sculpture, have it baked and bronze it - like the original.
Here is the progression of Adam, my first standing sculpture...
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| Picture of the original... |
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| The Original! |
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| Stage 1 - the Blob... |
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| Stage 2 - Front w/arms... |
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| Stage 2 - Back... |
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| Plastic Surgery... |
It was very interesting to do this. After spending so much time building him up and creating a proper shape it was weird to dig out holes and start removing clay from the inside. I was very difficult to do this. The statue that I am making is about 18" tall and my fingers were too big for the process. Once enough clay was removed I had to refill the holes with patches and try to get Adam back to his progressive form. Finally, when completed with my surgery, he was much lighter and easier to deal with...
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| Stage 3 - legs & details... |
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| Stage 3 - Back! |
Now I am getting into the details - I started working on his hands and his feet - amazingly detailed work trying to create toes and fingers so small. Patience, patience, patience...
Looking forward to getting him finished and baked soon - this will be my final Italian Sculpture!
Ok, Enough bad Italian artwork...
A few odd photos of local color...
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| A cool rowboat at the lake... |
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| Teatro Marcello area... |
Lastly, I went on a moped ride with a friend of mine...here is a short clip of our ride:
Nothing else special going on here - I will try and keep everybody as informed as possible with what is going on but for now I have to just wish everybody a very Happy Good Friday and a Very Happy Easter.
We love and miss all our family and friends...
Abbracci a tutti!
Ciao for now...
Ron & Tom
