IF: Winter (Inverno)

A tempo debito
l'inverno
finirà.

IF: Mail (Posta)

Dear Santa,
I would really like to have my town back.
Thank you.

Caro Babbo Natale,
mi piacerebbe molto riavere la mia città.
Grazie.

IF: Savour (Assaporare)

Copying a masterpiece allows me to savour it to the fullest.

I savour each line and each stroke, while I try to look at the paper with someone else's eyes.
Looking at this old copy of Egon Schiele's "Freundschaft" ("Friendship") makes me think of old and new friends: of Summa, Lauretta and Ninetta, from my old life, of Giorgia and Roberta, whom I met here in Pescara where my second life started; of Cristina, Tiziana and Suzanna, kindred spirits whose words reach me across the web; of Letizia and Giuseppe, so much more than just a sister and a brother. I think of friendship and savour being surrounded by people I can count on.

Copiare un capolavoro mi permette di assaporarlo fino in fondo.
Assaporo ogni linea e ogni pennellata, mentre tento di guardare la carta con gli occhi di qualcun altro.
Guardare questa vecchia copia di "Freundschaft" ("Amicizia") di Egon Schiele mi fa pensare alle mie amiche, vecchie e nuove: Summa, Lauretta e Ninetta, della mia vecchia vita, Giorgia e Roberta, che ho conosciuto qui a Pescara, dove ha avuto inizio la mia seconda vita; Cristina, Tiziana e Suzanna, anime affini le cui parole mi raggiungono attraverso la Rete; Letizia e Giuseppe, che sono molto di più che semplicemente una sorella e un fratello. Penso all'amicizia e assaporo l'essere circondata da persone su cui posso contare.

Si può fare - It can be done

It can be done, it can be done You can take it, you can leave it
It can be done, it can be done You can run and fly.
You can sing and you can shout You can sell and buy
You can steal and present You can cry and dance.
It can be done, it can be done You can take or leave
You can want and fight Stop and give up.
It can be done, it can be done You can take or leave
You can grow and change And continue to sail.
It can be done, it can be done You can take or leave
It can be done, it can be done Leave and return.
You can betray and conquer You can say and then deny
You can play and work Hate and then love.
It can be done, it can be done You can take or leave
It can be done, it can be done You can eat and fast.
You can sleep and suffer You can laugh and dream
You can fall and make mistakes And then start again.
It can be done, it can be done You can take or leave
It can be done, it can be done You can ask and find.
You can teach and tell You can pretend and lie
You can destroy and burn And then try again.
It can be done.

"Living well is the best revenge" (G. Herbert) (Vivere bene è la migliore vendetta)

A war is going on here.
Not much time for creativity.
But I opened a Zazzle shop.

Qui è in corso una guerra.
Non c'è molto tempo per la creatività.
Ma ho aperto un negozio Zazzle.



create & buy custom products at Zazzle

IF: Spent (Speso)

No need to be sad for an old pencil.

Una vita ben spesa. Ovvero: non c'è bisogno di essere tristi per una vecchia matita.

IF: Racing (Corsa)

IF: Spooky (Sinistro)

Playing with suminagashi, again.
These three spooky creatures emerged, from the floating ink whirls and from my mind.

Which one scares you the most (if any)?

Ancora esperimenti con il suminagashi.
Queste tre sinistre creature sono emerse dai vortici dell'inchiostro fluttuante, e dalla mia mente.
Quale vi sembra la più spaventosa (posto che le troviate tali)?

Happy birthday, dad (Buon compleanno, papi)

We miss you.

Ci manchi.

IF: Transportation (Trasporto)

Imagination and a paper boat will transport you wherever you want.




L'immaginazione e una barchetta di carta vi porteranno dovunque vorrete.

IF: Beneath

Experimenting with suminagashi ("ink-floating"), an ancient Japanese technique of decorating paper. Ink is dropped carefully to float on a still water surface and then blown across to form delicate swirls, after which the ink is picked up by laying a sheet of rice paper atop the ink covered water.
The result is unpredictable and makes me think of geological strata beneath the earth surface.

IF: Acrobat

Another quick, last minute submission, in the wee hours.

I've got a lot to learn about watercolors and wet-in-wet technique but hey, this is what this blog is for (among many other things): practicing.

IF: Proverb (Proverbio)

Quella che per il bruco è la fine del mondo, per il resto del mondo è una farfalla.

Meditation for the weekend

IF: Immovable

"Immota manet" ("It remains immovable") is my hometown's motto.
L'Aquila has survived many earthquakes. I hope it will survive this one too.
But it will never be the same. It did not remain unmoved.

IF: Atmosphere

Painted 12 years ago during a sailboat holiday, this little watercolour takes me back to an atmosphere of peacefulness and of feeling at one with nature.

One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time - André Gide

IF: Star Gazing

Inspired by a photograph of my beautiful daughter, taken by my talented brother.

When your mind's made up

There are decisions that are particularly hard to make.
But after so much thinking, sleepless nights, aimless days, tears and hope and anger and fear, there comes a time when all that's left is a clear mind.
(Well, actually some tears and anger and fear remain. But no more doubts).

IF: Double

TAI CHI CHUAN DOUBLE SWORD FORM



Above is an excerpt from the notes I used to take when I studied tai chi, to remember movements and sequences.
I have practiced tai chi chuan for ten years. It is a beautiful and deep martial art that requires a lifelong study and never becomes boring.
I loved it and it helped me in many ways. Of course, it also helped me manage stress during difficult times.
But the earthquake + my father's illness + the problems with my husband were a bit too much. Far from the dojo, from my master and my fellow practitioners I could/would not find the time, place, concentration, energy and will to continue practicing.
But I am confident that as I go further, step by step, towards regaining control of my life, tai chi will return to me.

IF: Diary

A person's face is the diary of their life.