Dori DeCamillis

But Here's the Joy         2016        20" x 16"       Oil on Board I recently posted a new entry on my Without a Net blog. It's about the mind state behind the painting above. I'll save you from more explanation and give you the link: But Here's the Joy

On our way to our next stop (Venice, above) we took an afternoon stop in Vicenza where we had lunch on our own and some free time (below.)   This is my only shot of me eating. Vicenza is home to the very famous architect of the Renaissance, Palladio. You'll recognize his signature in many of the buildings of modern day Washington DC. After lunch I did a walking tour of Vicenza to see about 20 of his buildings there. Exciting for an art historian, but not so much for normal people, perhaps. We arrived in Venice in the late afternoon. We'd heard that the crowds were atrocious, which was true, but I learned here that going out in the early morning and staying up late provided ample time to walk around and miss the tourists.  The Grand Canal from the famous Rialto Bridge. I took very little time to see the main tourist sights. Mostly I walked the streets, as you can see by my photos. Venice itself was far more interesting than its churches and...

Our next stop after Lake Como was the Italian Alps, or Dolomites. Our luxurious tour bus drove us six hours to our new home, with a stop in Bolzano to see the Ice Man. Discovered recently in the Alps, Otzi the Ice Man is a very well-preserved 5,000 year old man. I'd seen a documentary about him with Annabelle, so I couldn't believe my luck in finding him on our itinerary. A modern museum in Bolzano exhibits his remains and his many artifacts which are surprisingly still intact. The place was crowded so I went quickly, but his tools and clothing were fascinating in their age and craftsmanship. A link to the museum site will give you more of a rundown than I can here.  On our drive we saw pretty much nothing but vineyards alongside the freeway with huge mountains behind them. Every few miles you'd see an abandoned castle or monastery on a nearby hilltop, reminding us of the rich history of the region. After seeing so many vineyards I believed the fact that Italy mak...

Varenna, from my hotel room In the next several posts I will share photos of my trip to Italy, September 29 though October 15, 2017. I went by myself, on a Rick Steves Tour. I'd used Rick Steves guidebooks for two other trips to Europe, and am a big fan of everything he offers. So this time I went all in for his Best of Italy trip. There were 27 other travelers, all of whom were friendly, easy-going, and the biggest bunch of non-complainers I've ever seen. Not that there was much to complain about. We were told that the trip would be strenuous, and they weren't wrong. In spite of our age (I think I was the youngest of the bunch at 55) we did many miles a day, almost completely on uneven cobblestone, and I never heard a complaint out of anyone. I am lucky to have had such a fun and enthusiastic group to travel with. Our first stop was Lake Como, about an hour north of Milan in Northern Italy. It borders Switzerland, and the Italian and Swiss Alps are visible in s...

Opening tonight at Red Dot Gallery, 5-8 pm: Cloud 9 , Paintings by Marcia Amason. Please help us celebrate the work of our dedicated longtime oil painting student. Her deftly painted works of life beneath the sky capture thoughtful moods and invoke reverie, while her compositions offer viewers imaginative visual connections. Exhibit runs through October 28. To visit during exhibit run (after the opening) check reddotgallery.com  for hours or make an appointment. 

Eileen Cohn Here are some gorgeous paintings finished by Red Dot students this week. I'm so proud for my talented, hardworking, fun, and delightful friends. The two shoe paintings were not an assignment, just a coincidence.  Bev Spahn Dale Turnbough Nancy Lewis Jack Branch (age 84)

Here are some photos from my recent trip to Steamboat, my hometown. I had fun with family, did some stellar hiking, went to the rodeo, and ate a lot. Scott fished and fished and fished. 

Red Dot Gallery presents the paintings of Daniel White. Opening August 11, 2017 with a reception for the artist from 5-8, the show will run through September 9. Daniel received his BFA from Montevallo University, and his MFA from  RIT-School for American Crafts. In addition to working on both painting and ceramics, he worked professionally in art museums for 10 years. He is currently a full-time painter, and a part-time educator.