“Creativity takes courage.” — Henri Matisse
Where would we be without Art?
The world of ART is a fascinating place, filled with all kinds of unusual beauty, stories of artists that inspire, and creative endeavors that are simply astounding. If we listen closely Art will talk to us… and if we open our eyes and really look we will discover through ART new truths about ourselves.
It is true! The EARTH without “ART” would be just “EH.”
Latest from the Art of Loving Italy Blog
The Secret Life of Sofonisba—the most famous woman you’ve never heard of
“The Secret Life of Sofonisba—the most famous woman you’ve never heard of” is now published! I am happy to announce my fourth novel set in Italy has been published and is now available on Amazon in Print and Epub. Despite these uncertain times of Covid, writing a historical novel about Sofonisba Anguissola set in the…
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The art of Genya Gritchin
Surfing the internet I came across the art of Genya Gritchin, a Russian born painter who resides in Italy. This particular painting caught my eye. I was immediately entranced. The painting harkens back to Renaissance artists and classical principles of art. The picture tells a story, and I was drawn in reading the story it…
The Marvelous Miss Anguissola!
Sofonisba Anguissola – try to repeat that name three times fast! The name Sofonisba Anguissola doesn’t necessarily roll off the tongue easily. To help you pronounce her name I’ve broken it down: Sofo-nees-bah Ahn-gwee-sola. Not only is Sofonisba Anguissola an unusual name, but it is also a name that, for many years, has gone unnoticed…
Women hold up half the sky
As I peruse the internet, I often come across various images that are appealing to me or speak to me on some level. It is a habit to save these images into a folder to ponder and investigate a bit further, especially if the artist is unfamiliar to me. I’ve recently been intrigued by a…
La mia sala – Great way to improve Italian listening comprehension & enjoy art!
Are you looking for more ways to improve your Italian language listening comprehension skills? Would you like to learn more about art in Italy? Would you like to visit the Uffizi Gallery in Florence but are prohibited from doing so because of the whole Covid-Quarantine-thing? Well, you are in luck my friend! Recently I discovered…
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The Japanese art of Kintsugi explained
In my new book “Eternally Artemisia” one of the themes of the book is art therapy. My main character is a therapist who leads retreats in Tuscany. One of the techniques she teaches her group of women who have suffered abuse is the art of Kintsugi. What is this? Let me explain. In Japan, when…
Mondrian: Learning to see the world & appreciating our beginnings
When we think of Mondrian, most of us only recall his later works—the abstract canvases referred to as “Neo-Plasticism” that feature only horizontal and vertical lines and the primary colors: red, blue, and yellow with bars of white and gray. Traditionally all art that attempts to represent three-dimensional reality is referred to as “Plastic Art.”…
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Guest Post: Sabrina – Why I study art history.
The other day I received an email from Sabrina who is studying Art History at the University of Vienna in Austria. She is writing her thesis on la Pieve in Arezzo and asked if she might use a couple of photos I took of the church. In return I asked her to send me a…
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Fra Filippo Lippi e Lucrezia Buti: an infamous love
There are lots of infamous lovers recorded in history, but one of the most intriguing is that of Filippo Lippi and Lucrezia Buti—he a monk and she a nun! There are lots of scandalous love stories but the infamous relationship of Fra Filippo Lippi and Lucrezia Buti is even more steamy than those of Brad…
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The author
Meet Melissa
Melissa Muldoon is an artist, illustrator, graphic designer, and the principal behind Matta Press. She is the author of “Dreaming Sophia” and “Waking Isabella,” and Eternally Artemisia She has also co-translated her second novel, “Waking Isabella,” into Italian — “Il risveglio di Isabella.”
Through books, blogs, videos, podcasts, social media, and programs to learn Italian in Italy, Melissa promotes the study of Italian language and culture.
