Check out Andy James Portrait demonstration at the Mall Galleries. One of the great tutors with Arte Umbria

Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition 2011 The Society's annual exhibition not only features new works by Society members but also selected works by non-members. In June 1891 the society held its first exhibition. It included works by the members and also works from such well-known portrait painters as Sir John Everett Millais, G.F. Watts and James McNeill Whistler.

Exhibition Dates

Private View: 4th May 2011 Open to the Public: 5th May 2011 10-5  including weekends and public holidays Open to 7pm Tuesdays & Thursdays Entry is £2.50, concessions £1.50 Closes: 20th May 2011 Thursday 5th May 11am President's Tour Alastair Adams will take you round the exhibition and talk about the portraits on the wall. Free Wednesday 11th May 12 noon Demonstration Andy James will demonstrate portrait painting Free Saturday 14th May 2-4pm Demonstration Simon Davis will demonstrate portrait painting Free Monday 16th May: "Face Facts"  A discussion with Alastair Adams, David Starkey, Victoria Wright, Antony Williams and June Mendoza Recognised portrait artists and distinguished sitters discuss portraiture from the inside. Find out more>> Tickets £7.50 (Concessions £5)  Please ring 020 7930 6844 or email info@mallgalleries.com for tickets

Newsletter from our fabulous first April course is out now !

April Painting Course

We think, WE HOPE, the first course went brilliantly. Great crowd who produced some brilliant painting thanks to our sublime tutors Andy James and Mark Kelland. Watch this space for the Newsletter coming out next week with photos of the art, painting and fun we all had.

Gucci Turns 90 in Style

 

Gucci's classic Jackie bag

Gucci is celebrating the fashion house’s 90th birthday by recreating some of the brands most iconic bags. The 1921 collection, named after Gucci’s founding year, will feature reworked version of old classics.

Due out in June, the 1921 line will include new takes on styles like Jackie (named for Jackie O and her love for the Italian brand), Horsebit, and the Bamboo.

In addition to enviable purses, Gucci’s 1921 promises fashion-lovers a relaunch of the brand’s signature moccasins and loafers. Timeless Gucci accessories including sunglasses and scarves will also be released in honor of nine decades of impeccable design.

Cherry blossom which seems to have come out over night !

All beginning to look very pretty for our first course of the year which starts next week. Can't wait to see everyone.

Freesias or Tomatoes? Italian Wedding Flower Ideas

Italy being the second largest flower producing country in Europe, it does not come as a surprise that couples choosing to get married in Italy, do not only think about the fantastic locations, the sunny weather, the cuisine, the great wines this country has to offer on that special day, but also about the amazing flower selection available.

Below wedding planner, Sara Mazzei, provides Italy Magazine’s readers with great tips to choose the perfect flowers for your special wedding day in Italy.

This is, obviously, of great interest to future brides and grooms, but also to all of you who love flowers and would like to discover what is available in Italy or get some ideas for your next Italian themed party.

“Fiori d’arancio” (orange blossom flowers) is a typical Italian expression referring to that special day when you and your better half “tie the knot”.

Even in Italy, the choice of the right flowers for the ceremony and the party, in spite of the wonderful variety available, needs to be carefully studied depending on the region, the season and the style of the wedding.

However, the sun, the heat of the summer months and the extraordinary climate differences between various regions call for a careful and sensible choice of flowers. Let us try to see which flowers are the most suitable in the various seasons and different areas in Italy.

Many flowers, such as roses, peonies and orchids, are all well known. We are talking about extraordinary flowers that can render a bride’s bouquet as wonderful as a centre piece. Often, however, we forget that we can achieve an elegant effect even with flowers that are out of the ordinary: clematis, narcissus and freesias, for example, can create a natural effect that can be adapted extremely well to a spring wedding in the romantic Tuscan countryside.

If, however, you are looking for a floral arrangement that is more defined, linear and with a modern touch, you could organise some table centre pieces with some amaryllis. Imagine glass vases with bunches of white amaryllis (or red ones for those of you who are not afraid to dare a little). The result is just wonderful!

If you choose to get married on the Amalfi coast, we suggest being a bit daring by putting together lemons, an Amalfi tradition, with some flowers that are more natural and a little wild. It could be a perfect decoration for dinner on the terrace overlooking the sea…a hint of freshness that adapts perfectly to summer evenings.

Speaking of flowers, could we ever forget about sunflowers? The symbol of Italy, of its sun and its countryside. A bouquet with sunflowers can be enriched with small yellow flowers that help fill out the bouquet such as solidago (golden rods) or small daisies. For the ceremony and for the reception the ideal combination is to present sunflowers in terracotta vases or in wicker baskets, achieving a rustic-chic effect.

If you chose to get married in Italy you must know that it is not only flowers that one can choose as the protagonist of the arrangements and centre pieces, but consider for a moment using aromatic herbs such as rosemary, sage and thyme. Imagine terracotta vases with a vintage feel filled with rosemary, sage and thyme, to remind you of the splendid terraces of Italian villages where these herbs are indispensable ingredients in our cuisine. If you wish to add a hint of colour to this idea, you could decorate the napkins with a coloured ribbon of organza and a sprig of lavender that, along with its fantastic blue flowers, will add a warm fragrance to the table.

In Italy, weddings are usually organised with beautiful buffets for the aperitif/starters segment of the evening and these buffets also deserve to be decorated…What is better than an arrangement that is “authentically Italian” with tomatoes, basil and chilies? Imagine big bowls filled with red tomatoes and chilies and small vases of basil. It is a very simple arrangement but one which the guests will appreciate and notice because it is something new yet something that really highlights the “Italian style” of your reception.

Another idea is to use olive leaves in the bouquets. The pale green leaves offer a subtle touch to the décor. It is enough to picture these leaves next to a pale pink of “aqua girl” roses or white peonies if you wish to play around with the contrast between the elegance of these flowers and the rustic nature of olive leaves.

And the groom? In our opinion the most elegant boutonniere is gardenia! It is a real must have! For everything else, there is nothing left to do but enjoy Italy, its flowers and its gardens filled with
lemon plants and amazing natural fragrances.

Beautiful Day !

It's been glorious here today. Temperature rising to 25 and still 23 outside now at 6.30 pm. Gardening, having fun filling all the pots with flowers, planting, adding finishing touches to garden before our first course of the year which is FULL!

Getting excited now.

Vatican Insists: David Must Wear Fig Leaf

 

The Vatican has started a firestorm in the art world by issuing a statement condemning the symbolic “depravity and nudity celebrated by the morally corrupt”. The Catholic Church has launched a new campaign to clothe Michelangelo’s statue of David.

The message continued that: “We must stop shielding ourselves behind a culture of art and forsaking religion.”

The resurgence of morality comes in the weeks preceding the beatification of Pope John Paul II, when huge crowds of Catholic pilgrims are expected in Vatican City to observe the spiritual event.

The long history of Church censorship began in Michelangelo’s own time when Pope Julius II (1503-1513) commissioned the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Scandalized by the unclothed figures, Pope Julius II attempted to force Michelangelo to repaint the religious figures and cover their nakedness.

Pope Innocent X (1644-1655) started the original fig-leaf campaign, chiseling the exposed phalluses off Roman statues and fitting each sculpture with a more ‘modest’ leaf. The systematically defacing of art for religion continued through Pope Pius IX (1846-1878).

Pope Benedict XVI stopped short of calling for any part of Michelangelo’s David to be removed, but insisted that the statue must be fitted with a removable fig leaf to cloth the nude masterpiece. The Pope has called upon the Italian government to protect the innocence of visitors to Florence’s Accademia Gallery by covering David’s nakedness.

The Vatican statement ended with a message of hope from the Pope who encouraged observers and non-observers alike to have a “Happy April Fools Day!”