by Maureen | Apr 27, 2023 | Blog, Featured Articles, Fine Art, Italy, Journal, Photos
Merging my multiple loves for expression, I have pulled from my 15 years of travel and 60,000 photos in Italy, and combined them with graphic overlays for one-of-a-kind monoprints.
Milan, Florence, Venice… Monuments and cobblestones… Manuscripts and textiles… These are a few of the lush details that I’ve combined in the 27 pieces on display.
The artwork will be available for sale throughout the show, and will also be listed in an online showcase.
View the art HERE.
May 4 – June 30, 2023
Opening Reception:
Friday, May 5 at 6:00 PM
Hosted by:
Burien Arts Association
On view at:
Highline Heritage Museum
819 SW 152nd St.,
Burien WA 98166
Museum Hours:
Thurs. – Sun. 1:00 – 5:00 PM
Free admission to the exhibition.
by Maureen | Jan 4, 2022 | Blog, Featured Articles, Incredible Locations, Italy, Lago Maggiore, Meals
What an invitation, to spend the day with Antonio, Donatella and Loredano at Lago Maggiore, in “the Lakes Region”, northwest of Milan!
Once beyond the autostrada, and partway along the lakeshore, we stopped in Arona at the Statua di San Carlo Borromeo – the Statue of Saint Charles Borromeo – a towering figure by sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, who designed the Statue of Liberty. Although there is access up inside of the statue, it was closed during our visit. One of the local cats, however, was quite content for our attention and was a sweet highpoint.
After finishing our hour-and-a-half-long drive, winding along the western shore of the lake, we arrived at Stresa (STRAY-zuh). From Stresa, one looks north into Switzerland at the head of the lake. We sipped prosecco in the main piazza before catching the wood-lined transport boat to the small island of Isola Pescatore.
Wandering rabbit-warren, pebbled paths so satisfies my desire for exploration! We walked until we found the entrance to a restaurant serving the local specialty of deep fried fish: Aquadelle, “red trout” and “white trout”. I dipped each bite, head-tail-and-all, into the aioli provided and ate the fish along with the grilled veggies I also requested. Always order the local specialty!
It was a beautiful, partly sunny, not-cold winter day, and we enjoyed a shoreline stroll after lunch as we awaited the boat to take us to the next island, Isola Bella. We had our wanderings here as well, though the island was mostly shuttered for the season.
We caught the boat back to Stresa as the sky was darkening, and returned to town with the holiday lights ablaze. A wonderful day away from the city with dear friends.
(Click on the map below for a better view.)
La Statua di San Carlo – Statue of St. Charles
La Statua di San Carlo – Statue of St. Charles
La Statua di San Carlo – Statue of St. Charles
La Statua di San Carlo – Statue of St. Charles
Maureen with Tango’s Cousin
Piazzale del Monte San Carlo
Antonio checking email in the main piazza of Stresa
Donatella and Antonio wearing their new masks
Loredano on the piazza in Stresa
Signage in the main piazza of Stresa
Along the shore of Lago Maggiore
Tickets to the islands on Lago Maggiore
On Isola Pescatore (Note the Santa Claus)
On Isola Pescatore: “Alms for the needs of the church”
On Isola Pescatore: same church
On Isola Pescatore: same church
On Isola Pescatore: Deep fried “red trout”, “white trout” and aquadelle fish from the lake. (Always choose what’s local.)
On Isola Pescatore: Panna cotta with raspberry sauce and shortbread
Lago Maggiore, with Switzerland at the north end
Lago Maggiore, with Switzerland at the north end
Pebbled piazza on Isola Bella
Painted details on Isola Bella
On Isola Bella, looking north to Isola Pescatore
Chain and pebbled pavement on Isola Bella
Stresa Ticket office for Lago Maggiore boat trips
by Maureen | Sep 15, 2015 | Blog, Canals, Featured Articles, Incredible Locations, Italy, Milano
Stormy, wild wind and rain last night here in Milano. End of summer, early fall. But I arrived four days ago to a day that was fresh and bright and comfortable. The kind of day that makes one relax into the perfection of the moment. I had returned to my home-away-from-home.
This is the eighth year that I’ve made this “pilgrimage”, here to fill myself up with inspiration through a life so very much unlike that which I lead the rest of the year. Everything is different: my pace, my friends, my menu choices. Milano’s very urban surroundings yield proximity to everything, both an historic and contemporary built environment, the contrast of chaos and beauty. As a visual person, artist and designer, my eyes just can’t get enough of this place, this Italy. Details at every turn spark me. My time here in Italy, making Milano my home, adds to my perspective, shapes me and gives me something to take back to my Burien. I am so well-fed here, in all ways.
Eating Well
“Un caffè normale” – This is what you get if you order coffee. It’s the beginning of each day and the end of every meal.
Un caffè in an 1850’s cup.
Carlotta Cafè
The Carlotta Cafè has been a favorite of mine for the last 8 years.
They are dear people that I rush to see when I arrive.
Son, Erik, has learned the family recipes at the Carlotta Cafè, (named after his sister), and carves a whole, roasted pig for a large dinner party. Ninni, Erik’s father, stands in the background.
Insalata Tiepida di Piovra e Patate – Warm Salad of Octopus and Potatoes. My favorite! Fresh, marinated anchovies in the background.
Al Coniglio Bianco – The White Rabbit
A favorite, wonderful place along the Grand Canal – Naviglio Grande – owned by friend, Giampiero, and serving great food and wine: Al Coniglio Bianco.
Al Coniglio Bianco offers seating outside, along the canal, as well as within its intimate, cozy interior.
Foodstuffs gathered at Al Coniglio Bianco.
A large skillet of mussels, clams and scampi on paccheri pasta with a simple, fresh tomato sauce. (Frankie’s, in Burien, should take a lesson…)
After plucking shellfish and crustaceans in their lovely sauce, the napkin was rather soiled.
Al Pont de Ferr – “At the Iron Bridge”
A wonderful, and unusual, selection of breads on the table at Pont de Ferr.
Appetizers of a slider, stuff olive and patè morsel.
Risotto with pesto and green beans.
Tortelli with zabaglione and fresh peas.
Part of a mid-day snack: “Nervetti”, a pressed loaf of beef tendons, nerves and cartilage, prepared with onions. (I think it’d be good on pizza.)
Time with Friends
Painter friends along the canal: Luigi Marchesi, Loredano Rizzotti and Renato Giananti.
Renato, Loredano, Maureen
Dear Lara Bezzecchi lives along the canal.
by Maureen | Jun 9, 2014 | Blog, Featured Articles, Incredible Locations, Italy, Milano
Hand-sewn, vintage linen is not enough to help stay cool close to midnight on what was a 95-degree day with high humidity, now the windows closed up tight to keep the mosquitoes out, and a pair of fans pointing straight at me. Choose: be kept awake by the “I’m gonna get you” high whine of the mosquito aloft on fresh air, or the “I’m so hot I’m sweating in the middle of the night” whine amidst the white noise of fans. Nearing midnight, and facing eight hours of pondering the question, I really wrestle with the choice. Cool air sounds so good right now, but I spent all last night battling the little buggers that sampled me from head-to-toe. I could open the windows at any time. But, once open, if even one mosquito’s gotten in, it’s all over for the night’s sleep.
Five days ago the weather decisively did the switcheroo. Following coolly/warmly pleasant, we had a downpour that would have drenched you in 30 seconds. The next day, we awoke to dry pavement, humid air and a change… Summer came like that! Poof. Bingo. No going back… or not until fall sometime.
I may very well open the windows, turn the fans on high to – theoretically – blow the mosquitoes away from my body, and take cover under a cotton sheet and hope for the best. No air conditioning in this student apartment!
Buona notte.
Update: 4:00 a.m.
I wasn’t actually sleeping. The mosquitoes had won. So I got up. I’ll take a siesta later today.
by Maureen | Jun 13, 2012 | Church, Featured Articles, France, Incredible Locations, Journal, Monaco, Monte-Carlo Monaco, Nice, People, Photos
Warmest congratulations to Glenda and Massimo! Congratulazioni! The two were wed on Saturday, June 9, 2012 on the hill of Cimiez, in the city of Nice, France, along the jewel-toned Côte d’Azur of the French Riviera.
It was a fairytale wedding with a nuptial mass at the Monastery at Cimiez, during which the bride laid a special bouquet at the feet of the Virgin Mary.
A small reception followed in the monastery garden. A few hours later, at the Villa Alvorada, there were appetizers, conversation, dancing and a full (and very ooo-lah-lah delicious) dinner on a high hill at Cap d’Ail, France, overlooking the bay of Monaco (which presented an unexpected fireworks display).
Not only was the bride beautiful and the groom handsome, but also so were their parents. The two bride’s maids wore spring green, matching the bride’s rose bouquet. Rice was thrown. Balloons soared, and champagne was poured in celebration.
Glenda looked every bit the enchanted, contented bride, and Massimo had a new-groom-adoration in his eyes for his dear wife.
I wish them countless years of deep love and tenderness, respect and mutual applause. They have begun their lives in the sight of family and friends, and we all wish them well.
(Click on any of the images for a larger view.)
by Maureen | May 11, 2011 | Cheese, Discoveries, Food!, Incredible Locations, Journal, Meals, Messina, Quips, Sicily, South Italy Tour, Taormina
Haven’t you always heard of “the straits of Messina”?
Today I took a train from Taormina, about halfway down the east coast of Sicily, up to the northeastern point of the large island, at Messina. I wondered how this would work, since my train ticket included going up the northwest-facing shoreline of Italy. There was about an hour and a half of finagling, I’ve been told longer than usual, but they split the eight-car train into two parts, and then individually pushed the two halves onto a large ferry. We eventually got back underway across the waters of the Straits of Messina. I was riding ON a train ON a boat! How cool is that!?
While underway, I went up onto the passenger deck to enjoy the view and the breeze.
At the snack bar, I bought “arancini”, a deep fried rice ball filled with Ragu sauce and cheese – a Sicillian typical food – plus some sparkling water with which to wash it down. The sun was shining, the water was calm.
Now I’ll have to Google “The Straits” to see what it says.
by Maureen | Mar 19, 2011 | Discoveries, Featured Articles, Incredible Locations, Introspection, Journal, Quips
While all around the community people were wearing kelly green and mylar shamrocks on Thursday, a few friends of mine here, and a whole nation halfway around the world, added white and red to their color scheme.
March 17 was the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy. Happy Birthday, Italia! Auguri! Good wishes!
– – – –
From Wikipedia’s entry:
Italian unification (Italian: il Risorgimento, or “The Resurgence“) was the political and social movement that agglomerated different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy in the 19th century. Despite a lack of consensus on the exact dates for the beginning and end of this period, many scholars agree that the process began in 1815 with the Congress of Vienna and the end of Napoleonic rule, and ended sometime around 1871 with the Franco-Prussian War. The last città irredente however, did not join the Kingdom of Italy until after World War I.
by Maureen | Aug 4, 2010 | Discoveries, Introspection, Journal, Quips
This post comes with caveats. Yes, these thoughts are generalizations. Yes, there are exceptions. Yes, stereotypes paint a broad swath rather than acknowledge the individuals.
This is a list, in no particular order, of some confounding quirks I encountered in Italy. They were sometimes treasured, sometimes tolerated, (sometimes jaw-dropping and infuriating). These are traits that made me shake my head, chuckle in resignation and question my own rigid, structured thinking.
- Passion vs. intellect.
- Lax, loose regard for rules: ie. traffic, laws, ADA, etc. Unconstrained by regulations.
- Double system: “under the table” and “above board”.
- Mutable sense of timing and deadlines.
- Circular, roundabout thinking.
- Chaos and disorganization.
- Lack of fear.
- Unclear communications.
- Low-finish vs. refined. At times sloppy, at times polished.
- Blend of historic and contemporary, “high design”.
- Anti-rigid. Nothing’s pinned down. Approximate vs. exacting.
Perhaps, now, I will be more “flexibly systematic”. Looser around the edges.
by Maureen | Aug 4, 2010 | Introspection, Journal, Quips
This return is both emotionally and mentally harder than I had expected. I had a LIFE and friends that I left behind. I had my patterns and my joys; I was wide open and received openly. My busy zone in the city held familiarity for me. The unknowns had eased into old-jeans comfort, and the quirks were either treasured or tolerated.
I sought such nestling in, the knowing and being known. Contrary to the anonymity of tourists, I wanted the intimacy of friends. And I received that, more deeply than I could have dreamed when I first imagined making such a move.
So I find myself stirred and mixed. I am nostalgic for a place I left just 3 days ago. I am not finished with Italy and her people. They remain with me.
by Maureen | Aug 2, 2010 | Discoveries, Incredible Locations, Introspection, Journal, Quips, Seattle
Just because I’ve returned to Seattle, will my blog come to a halt? No.
There’s still more to say. I have more mulling over to do. Comparisons to draw. Reflections to note… And having shot 16,314 photos in my close-to-14 months in Italy, I have more images to share.
I’m not sure how often I’ll be posting, but do keep checking back now and then. I’ll be adding posts about Seattle, too. Next week I’m being taken on a personal tour: “100 Amazing and Bizarre Sights in Seattle”. As a native Seattleite, I want to see this city with the same wonderment and freshness I reveled in while exploring Italy.
