“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 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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Bruce Katz – taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary
I am incredibly pleased to introduce you to the work of Bruce Katz. Bruce is a friend of mine who lives in San Francisco, and I have been a big fan of his artistic vision and painting styles ever since I first laid eyes on his work. Bruce writes: I am a Bay Area artist…
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Spotlight on French painter Thomas Saliot
The other day surfing the internet, I came across the work of Thomas Saliot and found it extremely intriguing. Born in Paris in 1968, Saliot is a prolific artist who characterizes his style as “mildly modernized Pop art.” Saliot works on large canvases, using oil paint. The images which he draws freehand he finds on…
The amazing world of Massimo Balestrini
It is a pleasure to introduce you to a very good friend of mine—Massimo Balestrini and share with you his art! Massimo Balestrini was born in Milan at the end of the ’60s and after his art studies in high school he graduated in Computer Science from the State University of Milan and shortly there…
Raphael’s “The School of Athens” – Fun facts and rivalries
If you have been to the Vatican museums and wandered through the halls taking in the vast assortment of art and sculpture, then surely you have also happened upon the “Raphael” rooms located on the second floor of the Vatican Palace. In 1509 through 1511, Raphael Sanzio from Urbino, a rock-star of painters at the…
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Teresa Oaxaca — Contemporary American Artist who Paints with a Renaissance Twist
I am entranced by the American painter Teresa Oaxaca—not only by her paintings but also by the artist herself. At the age of 12, she discovered Leonardo da Vinci and by age 15 she decided to make art her career. Oaxaca, originally from Sacramento, California, studied in Florence, Italy, and now lives in the Washington…
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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.
