I am very excited to be returning to Ravello next week!  It has been 3 long years since my husband, Bob, and I were last there. 2014 saw a long recovery for Bob who did serious damage to himself when he fell down a flight of office stairs and 2015 was a surprise Christmas gift from Bob to spend nearly 3 weeks in Paris & Loire Valley that spring.  I had been to Paris & the Loire Valley many years ago but Bob had not...so I'm thinking this gift was more of a present to himself!  Anyway...we had a great time...but it wasn't Ravello!

So I am currently scrambling to sort oil paints & brushes, panels, sketch books, etc. for the trip.  My portable easel awaits me in Ravello, at least that is one headache I don't have...lugging it across the Atlantic!  Our cat sitter will be at the house caring for our one indoor cat, Tutto, and the 2 outdoor guys:  Oreo & Simon Says.  She will also have the major headache of keeping all the annuals watered on our patio.  I'm really looking forward to painting the flower gardens of Ravello as well as the ancient structures...so full of subtle colors and marvelous textures!

Normally we tend to go to Ravello in May/June...this year it will be later because we want to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary while there.  My maid of honor & her husband will fly in from Carlisle, UK to spend that anniversary week with us...I'm so pleased that they can come!  We will celebrate with a wonderful dinner at the Villa Amore (how appropriate is THAT??) which not only has a delicious menu but also a great staff...and one of the most breathtaking views over the Mediterranean Sea in all of Ravello!  We will also take our Ravellian friends there for a celebratory dinner but will save our actual anniversary date for the Villa Maria, whose cuisine, ambiance (a marvelous lime tree trellis), and view (overlooking the Valley of the Dragon and the  small hamlets on the other side) is truly memorable!

I have just posted 2 new paintings on my website:  The 1st:  "Caffe Calce" is the wonderful little cafe on the main piazza, a pilgrimage of mine every morning as I walk down from our casa for that most imperative espresso every morning...and return with a fresh croissant for Bob.  

The 2nd painting is "Scala Walk"...from the little hamlet of Scala, across the valley from Ravello.  It is mostly landscape but gives the viewer an idea of how Ravello rides along the ridge of the mountain top.  

Scala is even older than Ravello and has some interesting ruins and buildings, including the cathedral.  Farther along, closer to Pontone, you run accross the impressive ruins of San Eustacio, a towering edifice that was largely destroyed by the Pisans only 30 or so years after it was completed in the 1100's.  The ruins are romantic and can be seen from great distances...I need to focus on doing a painting there this year!

If any of you happen to be in Ravello from June 15th - July 12th...would love to see you!  You can connect with me via my website...

I'm not very good at keeping up this blog...in fact, I'm terrible, however, I will try to make several entries while we are there...so stayed tuned!

Ciao!

Chris

Like many of you, I have been caught up in the holiday festivities and preparations, but I am taking a break today.  Au Domaine, Alexandria's premier wineshop, located in North Old Town, is hosting an Italian wine tasting, featuring two of his favorite Campania wines.  In keeping witht the Italian/Campania theme, Rick, the owner, has graciously asked me to display some of my recent paintings of Ravello, including Rosso e Bianco,  a painting of my favorite wineshop in Ravello. 

If you live in Northern Virginia, I hope you will stop by. It would be great to see you.I will be there from 1-4 this afternoon.  Au Domaine is located at 802 N. Fairfax. 

Happy Holidays!

Chris

Ciao!  I have just returned from 3 ½ glorious weeks in Ravello with my husband, Bob.  Ravello’s ambience, light, architecture and dazzling vistas have renewed my inspiration to paint this beautiful and intriguing town, situated high in the mountains overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.  Our first week was very social as we had friends from the States and the UK visiting us. We delighted in showing them our favorite sites in Ravello and then giving them some real physical workouts by hiking down to Minori to visit the old Roman villa or walking down to Amalfi to visit the  stupendous Romanesque cathedral and then take a boat trip to beautiful Positano.

Once friends departed I eagerly shouldered my portable easel and walked up to the Villa Episcopio to paint one of my favorite old subjects in all of Ravello. The villa has had a long and storied history.  In the13th century it was the bishop’s palace, but in later centuries it played host to various luminaries, including Andre Gide and E.M. Forster.  Italy’s king, Victor Emanuele III also abdicated in favor of his son here in the 1940s, and in the 1960’s Jackie Kennedy and her sister, Lee Radizwell stayed here.  A number of years ago the owner ran into financial difficulties and could not complete the scheduled rennovations, so the villa has been empty and falling into serious disrepair for the past few decades. A few years ago, the city stepped in to save it, but governments in Italy are strapped for cash, and restorations are on hold. I have always been drawn to the building, however.  There is something quite magical about it.  I love the ancient columns supporting the portal, the Romanesque windows, the coolness of the stone facade, and the cascading red & pink roses that have taken over the front of the building.   All this speaks to my romantic heart…and the texture is a dream to paint!

I worked on two paintings this year at the Villa Episcopio, a small one of the doorway and a larger paiting offering a side view of the villa and its wonderful array of roses.  I would generally start in the morning and work until I lost the shade, sometime between noon and one o’clock.

While painting on site, I enjoyed talking to curious passersby, both the tourists and the locals.  When I first start a painting, I have to admit…it does not look like much to people passing by.  In fact, there are times when I despair of it ever looking as I visualize it in my mind. But after a couple of days, it begins to take shape.  Many times, the people walking by are talking to others or into their cell phones.  Some, however, will slow down to see what I am painting.  They are often curious as to what has captured my artistic imagination.  Many stop, whip out their cameras and begin taking pictures, sometimes of me. 

Painting on location for me is a luxury, one that I love to indulge. The owner of the apartment we rent in Ravello has graciously allowed me to store my easel  and a bottle of turpentine in the shed off our veranda.  That way I do not have to lug them  across the Atlantic every year.  I still bring my oils, brushes,and  primed panels with me, but I cannot bring the mediums and glazes on the plane that I use to finish my paintings.  I apply those later when I return to my studio in Alexandria. 

In addition to the two paintings of the Villa Episcopio, I took dozens of photographs this year. My inspiration has been renewed, and I have plenty of new paintings already sketched out in my mind.  I cannot wait to get started.

Ciao!    Chris

My husband and I have been busy enjoying the many wonders of Ravello for the past three weeks.  So busy, in fact, that this is only my second blog post since our arrival.  I enjoy reporting on my favorite place on Earth, but there are only so many hours in a day.  I have been devoting my mornings to painting on site, working principally on two new paintings of the Villa Episcopio, one of my favorite subjects.  My afternoons have been filled with long lunches, shopping for the daily necessities, and the occasional escursions to nearby attractions in Positano, Amalfi, and other parts of this wondrous region. The evenings, of course, have been filled with delightful dinners at some of our favorite restaurants or dinners with friends at our rented appartment here in Ravello.

I have so many things to write about, but I am afraid that it will all have to wait until later.  After we have returned, I intend to publish a newsletter that will describe some of my recent paintings and the many motivations that lead me to paint in Ravello. Until then, I'm afraid that you will not be hearing very much from me. If you have been to Ravello, I am sure that you understand.

On our first full day back in Ravello I have been happily visiting my favorite stores.  One of my favorites is Ceramiche d'Arte, a ceramics store about one hundred yards from Piazza Vescovado, the town's main square.  Every year I come back here to discover the latest artistic creations of Pasquale Sorrentino, and I am never disappointed. The store, which is run by Pasquale and Madalina, his lovely wife, offers some wonderful works of art: marvelous hand-painted dinnerware. 

Most of the ceramics sold on the Amalfi Coast feature vibrant colors that reflect the sun and splendor of the Amalfi Coast, but this year Pasqaule has created some lovely dinnerware in softer, more muted colors.  The new style is very elegant.

As always, there are so many plates and bowls that I would love to purchase and so little room in my cabinets to accommodate them.  This year I am buying three pasta bowls that we will use during our three-week stay here in Ravello, along with a pair of oil and vinegar dispensers that we will be taking home with us.

I have yet to make my selections...decisions, decisions.

If you haven't had the pleasure of attending one of Mamma Agata's cooking class in Ravello, you don't know what you are missing...until now.  Now, thanks to the BBC's Master Chef UK cooking competition, you can get an insider's view of what it's like to attend her famed cooking class.  In a twenty-minute segment, three amateur cooks have the opportunity to see Mamma Agata prepare three of her classic family recipes.  In the second half of the program, the three competitors are asked to each cook one of Mamma's recipes for Mamma and her family.  For the competitors, the fun and pressure are on.

Of course, for you, it's not the same as actually taking her cooking class: you miss out on all the tantalizing tastes and aromas, and the cooking class is a much more leisurely and entertaining affair. Still, it gives you a good idea of what's in store for you if you take her class.  So if you haven't had the pleasure yet, watch the video and visit her website.

Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVLV0EeiFY0

My husband and I will be returning to Ravello in June, and will be meeting up with friends while we are there.  If you are planning to be in Ravello in June, we would be pleased to meet up with you while you are in town.  Shoot me a message, and we can arrange to meet for gelatto or drinks in the Piazza Vescovado, the main square across from the Duomo (cathedral) and the Villa Rufolo. My husband, who has been researching, writing, and lecturing about Ravello for the past two years, will be happy to bend your ear about the history and sights, while I would be happy to talk about what a great joy it is to be back painting again in Ravello.  We can also recommend sights to see, restaurants to dine at, or events to take in, including the fabulous chamber concerts that are being held at the Villa Rufolo.  The weather should be fabulous.

We hope to see you in Ravello. 

As an artist, I like to spend all my free time painting, not trying to learn social media.  But at the urging of my husband and friends, I have taken another great leap into cyberspace by signing up for Facebook.  Facebook, for me, is a brave new world.  It will take me some time to get adjusted to using it, but I look forward to meeting new friends on social media.  And the timing is perfect, as we are just a few weeks away from returning to Ravello for an extended stay.  Facebook will be yet another way for me, while I'm there, to share my great love of Ravello and the Amalfi Coast. 

Stay tuned....

If you love Ravello, cooking classes, or Neapolitan cuisine, don't miss Mamma Agata's cooking class tomorrow on the CBS Sunday Morning Show. Chiara, Mamma's daughter, and Gennaro, Chiara's husband, make a special appearance at Tony's Table at 8:55 a.m. [EST], where they will prepare Mamma's lemon chicken for a national audience.

For those of you have not yet enjoyed Mamma Agata's cooking class, you don't know what you have missed. Starring Mamma Agata, who has cooked for such notables as Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra, and Jackie Kennedy, she is joined by her husband, Salvatore, her daughter, Chiara, and Chiara's husband, Gennaro.

Chira, who speaks fluent English, provides the running commentary, while Gennaro, who attends to their vineyards, serves the wine and the liquers, also home-grown. Mamma, of course, does the cooking, with a little assist from her family. Visitors when they arrive in the morning are first entertained in the family's garden before being invited into the kitchen to assist in the meal preparations. After a leisurely lunch on the patio, with several courses, guests are served three local liquers, including Ravello's legenday limoncello. What a way to spend a day in Ravello.

If you have never attended Mamma Agata's cooking class, here's your chance for a sneak preview. If you have attended Mamma's class, this is a great time for a refresher course. Either way, be sure to enjoy.