Sicily, the Beautiful

 So strange to come home to snow

I came from Blue Waters, Sun and Sand, the Island  of Sicily.

Sicily is about Ceramics, a very original type of ceramics.

Sicily is about great food.

Sicily is about Sunshine, the  Ocean and boats.

She stood watch by my villa door

Every building in Syracuse looks like it belongs on top of a wedding cake. 

And Sicily is about History.  

Giina

Caltagirone, Sicily

Staircase connects upper and lower hill town of Caltagirone.
142 Stteps were built in the 1600s and hand painted ceramic tiles were affixed in the 18th century.

I painted 200 tiles for a  new horse arena in Florida.

Wishing you a great week,

Gina 

My hand painted ceramics

 I paint

More specifically, I hand paint ceramics.

The kind of ceramics which have been painted in Europe for more than 600 years. 

I paint because I have always admired Italian ceramics.

I paint whatever makes me happy.

Lots of tiles for kitchens and fireplaces.  
Tiles I will never see again.

I get to keep the rejects.
They are valuable, but only to me.  
I can learn from them. 

These little jewels I paint just for myself.

I paint a lot of practical ceramics just as long as they are also pretty. 

Some large murals take many weeks to finish.

Flowers and hand painted ceramics are a natural pairing.

An urn elevates and makes everything special. 

New but painted to look old.

A little gold makes it extra special.

A "Tondino"  is a very practical and large dish.  

Bowls are always the first to go.  
So why don't I paint more of them?  

You will see this happy bird all over Italy.

So many tiles I have stopped counting.

Still a favorite.

Frost has come, more time to paint.

Gina

I'm painting today

Something very simple

A few little Ladybugs brighten the scene.

Bees sans bugs

Just for fun a few blue dots.

Next time you see a little bug to the side of a plate you can 

almost be sure that a little drop of errant paint has found it's place where it shouldn't be.  

Wishing you a happy week, 

Gina 

Making the rounds

on a sunny day.

Lola and Clyde spend more and more time with us and away from the pond.

I have re-discovered Zinnia "Country Fair".

Sandhill Cranes have joined our menagerie.

Guests have left.

Mother duck is teaching all eight ducklings how to dive for food.

Even a few little flowers make a statement.

Pasha divides his time between inside and outside.

Lucy still pulls her own carrots.  

Need to make a note to plant Zinnias again next year.  

Lacinato Kale is the most nutritious of the Kale family.  No wonder it's the preferred kale in Italian kitchens. 

My Lake Maggiore asters, seeds collected more than forty years ago, need to ripen so that I can plant them again next year. 

Letting hollyhock seeds ripen to share with friends. 

Leaving a few grapes on the vines to make them extra sweet.

It's harvest time...don't know what to tackle first.

The Labor Day Sale and Artist Studio Tour was a rousing success.

I sold some of my favorite pieces. 

What are you up to these days?  

Gina 

http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

It's a special day.

Celebrating 30 years of 

Pioneer Heritage Day Tours.

In 1970 our little town of Spring City, Utah was placed on the National Historic City Register. 

Only one other town in the entire country, Colonial Williamsburg, has been so designated. 

We are celebrating, as we have for the past 30 years, 

Fifty historic homes have been lovingly restored. 
Many of them will be open to the public on saturday, the 28th of May.  

Pioneer Heritage Day Tours will culminate with an exciting 
Art Auction and Art Sale. 

And I have been painting.

I'm looking forward to seeing old and new friends.

Champagne is on ice. 

My studio is open.  

Please stop by.

Gina

http://betweennapsontheporch.net

Room at the top.

Everything is out in the open and ready to use.  

I may need a chair to reach the assorted goodies but there they are, handy and convenient. 

Just the other day the cucumbers and beets were growing in my kitchen garden. 

One from Italy, the next (in the back) from Spain and a jug I painted.  All ready to hold another bunch of country flowers. 

 One from Mexico, one from Portugal and one more from Italy.

Almost all of them from Portugal, Italy and Spain.  

There is a foreigner amongst them.  A spode plate from England.  The one that I like to use for hors-doeuvres

Have you spotted it? 

Albarelli (Apothecary jars) from Italy, 
They hold flower seeds I gather at the end of the Summer.  

No kitchen is without pasta and flour.  

What do you do with the space above your kitchen cabinets?

Have a great week dear friends.

Gina