2 paintings went for a walk in Pisticci

Have not been able to concentrate very well while the sale of the country house has been progressing like some kind of demented roller coaster, but now that the compromesso di vendita has been signed it feels like I can relax as now things are in order. (This may not be the case as there is the little matter of partner buying another house and moving everything out still to come, but I am having a lull!)
So life here has been a little hectic (enormous understatement) . I am now living almost full time in my studio and have increased my flowers outside so that it almost looks like a garden. I am so pleased with the flowers I have to go out on a regular basis and admire them. I never really grew anything before so am amazed at how good they look at the moment. And I have also moved in all my stuff from the country house- I feel like a happy little snail in its shell when I am here.
I have been painting up till this week and have a drawing all ready to paint on my easel - but today more plants arrived so haven't quite got round to  picking up my brushes.
In the spirit of procrastination - and also cause I missed my painting which I had put in the cafe of wladimiro I thought I would swap it with my latest one of Pisticci. The one in the cafe was a view from the end of my street.
I set off up town with large painting in one hand and camera in the other and on the way it occurred to me that it might be quite fun to make like I was taking a painting for a walk. (There is always the free advertising I get while walking about)
So these are the photos. (The people of Pisticci may be thinking I was more than normally eccentric today but they were all too polite to say so. In one photo where the painting is leaning up against a water fountain you can't see the builders who were looking on in amazement.)

view of pisticci from Dirupo

Dirupo from higher up

the painting in front of the scene I painted

the painting was just out of sight - such a pretty view

on the way to the piazza san rocco

where I always stop to admire dirupo (and catch my breath)

the special view over to the mountains

in the piazza umberto primo. nearly there.

hanging on the wall in the cafe.

that is the cafe in the background

stopped off for another coffee - really should have had a cake too.

bought 2 more plants at the flower shop.

took the back road

the builders were watching me take this photo. I love this little piazzetta

there are so many interesting places

can see the chiesa madre in the background

nearly home again in Dirupo

painting  in front of the view I painted

just for fun I put it in a very ornate frame.

Just got home before it rained .

foggy, rainy day (colourful things)

It is possible to have a rainy , foggy day here in Pisticci, but who wants to hear about it.. Its like the colour is washed out - everything is grey and even the flowers seem to have lost some colour.
So I am inside enjoying my new home in my studio.(temp has nearly reached 20c inside)
Its nice to be surrounded by all my "stuff", most of which I have acquired  in Italy.
A lot of it has a story attached - such as the two large orangey velvet covered armchairs which were bought at an antiques market in Grottaglie and travelled home on the roof of the car. Or  the old school desk which was going to be thrown out, or the furniture from WOTJAMESMADE . Completely unique and made by a genius!!
Then there is the wine and gold cover I bought in Turkey the first time I went on holiday by myself and the chair I brought from scotland and left out in the sun till the paint all fell off.
There is an antique easel I bought at an antiques market - which doesnt work  very well and canvases fall off regularly.
There are two little padded chairs which were in the studio when I bought it.
There are also some nice old pieces of Italian furniture - maybe not antiques but old nonetheless. And my gorgeous red and orange bedcover hanging on the wall which I bought when I went to get a wardrobe. The same people gave me my kitchen chairs.
The dresser was bought at a street market in Montalbano and brought home on the roof of the car. It's painted now in a distressed fashion- or just not very well!
It's quite colourful inside even on a foggy dismal day.
And last , but not least - my computer chair which I bought new, was used as a racing chariot by some friends, and which I have just covered using and old pair of trousers and a stapler.
Decided to add my favourite poppy photo to add to the colourful theme and finally a very bright meal I made recently.
Aha I think I see the sun.................

Back again - now what?

Have just returned from cold , snowy Scotland where I had a lovely time looking after Samantha and Lochlan, despite having a bad cold. Hurray for central heating, a large screen tv, lots of "housey " tv programmes and paracetamols.
I was quite fortunate to have an easy trip back as there was a lot of snow and both planes had to be de-iced before take off. I did the journey in two days and stayed overnight at the Willows Guest House near Stansted  airport. (It is a lovely place to stay and they pick you up and take you back to the airport. The area round about is like something out of Midsomer Murders with all types of gorgeous cute houses and the guest house has a thatched roof -which is why I picked it years ago and have stayed there several times. This time with snow on the roof and in the garden it looked magical.)
I flew into Bari airport and for the first time had booked a seat on a bus to take me as far as Matera. However - as so often happens - it changed.  I was just walking past a tourist info booth in the airport and thought I would see if they had any bus timetables, resulting in me getting on another bus (the most beautiful metallic pink colour) which took me all the way to Metaponto - for 7 euros.
Since I got back, apart from a marathon, house clean ,I have been just easing into life here.
This morning to get me in the mood I went uptown and had coffee and a strawberry tart for breakfast. Then went to the flower shop where I bought all the flowers I could afford (4) and got a possible commission from the lady selling the flowers.
It was a lovely sunny morning and planting and re arranging  flowers and pots was  a great job. (tee shirt weather) I think I have room for a lot more flowerpots and am having vague plans involving climbing plants and more interesting things. Mostly I grow geraniums because they put up with me.
It is definitely spring here and my studio has heated up inside from a chilly 12c to a frankly not much better 15c , but it is going in the right direction.  Outside its between 15 -20c.
This week will be mainly getting myself organised I think and then hopefully I will spring into action . (Very bad pun)

The last photo is of a small Painting I did in Scotland while, sniffing and coughing  to cheer myself up. It worked!

carnevale and staying in studio

As usual I would have missed Carnevale this year if it hadnt been postponed due to bad weather and there were lots of notices on facebook giving the revised date. There had been no notices announcing the original date. Then I would have missed it because it rained a bit on the revised date and although I went into town, hung about and had a lovely cup of tea and plate of biscuits in the grand cafe malena .(recommended) there was no sign of a parade though I saw some children dressed up. So returning to my studio I put the heater on and had just got settled when I heard some very loud music.

Grabbing my camera, purse and an umbrella I headed back into town and found a big party going on in the corsa. There were several floats towed by tractors and lots of people in costume dancing and milling about. the noise was incredible. 

I hung about taking photos where I could  enjoying the atmosphere and wishing I was part of it. Saw lots of people I knew and have photos to use as reference for my next painting and a possible commission  for a portrait. It seems to be at the moment that just being about is my best marketing strategy.

I am enjoying staying in the studio - even though it is cold- as I find my Italian improves as I have the opportunity to talk to more people, I would have  missed the Carnevale, if I had been in the country and I love walking into town in the mornings - and sometimes the evenings for a coffee or tea and a chat. 

I like being among people. I think my hibernation in the country is coming to an end.

Is it spring? (or 2 cappuccinos?)

Oh what a beautiful morning!
It's the first time I have been properly back in Pisticci for what feels like months.
I thought I would go for a walk in the sunshine, do a few errands and get some breakfast.
It was gorgeous. I went for a coffee and discovered I have sold another painting from Cafe Vladimiro. Hurray!
Then I sat in the piazza and tried out my kindle. did not appear to be wifi. there. So investigated the Night and Day cafe- who do have wifi, but as I dont know how to make capital letters with my kindle yet I could not connect. But that might be fun in the future sitting in a nice cafe , ordering books online.
After that I just had to buy two little pansy plants. Passing ACT CIRCUS I felt a bit sorry that I have not been to any concerts there or even dropped in for months. The sad truth being I can't stay awake so late in the winter. (roll on summer)
Completely forgot -in all the excitement of being back- to buy any food so am a little "high" on 2 cappuccinos, blue skies and general loveliness.

But I think my photos speak better than I do. ( the painting is a scottish scene from last week when I was there.)

A quiet life in the country

Oh dear, I think when I called this blog, My Life As A Story,  I really meant my life as an exciting story with lots of weird and wonderful things happening. Its been a bit quiet recently.................................................
I suppose flying off my scooter  was quite exciting , in a painful sort of way! Then being reasonably vain and not wishing to inflict my horrid looking face on other people I did sit around for a month - so adventures were a bit limited. Unless you count the time I just had to get some stuff from my studio and rushed from the car to studio in heavy disguise and then back again . Was still limping at that stage so luckily no one saw me as I may have borne a passing resemblence to quasimodo. (limp - creep-limp-creep!)
Admittedly going out on my scooter now feels a little more of a scary adventure than it did before. Am on the look out for dogs round every corner. Have already been chased by 2 more and spoken to the owner. But now know that if a dog jumps out at me I will stop. I  don't believe any longer that they will not attack my scooter. Having tried this - it looks like they lose interest and go away.
It has been very pleasant though- living the quiet life. I have been baking. Due to a temporary financial crisis I have been using up all the things in the cupboards and freezer and quite enjoying myself.
I invented olive and parmesan scones which apparently are just perfect with a glass of wine while in the bath. I found a tin of pineapple - but not the tin opener- so after some work with a hammer and screwdriver I made pineapple crumble. But what I am most proud of are my chocolate squares - made from a large lump of old cooking choc which had gone a bit white round the edges, half a packet of slightly soft biscuits, some marge  and half a bag of raisins. Yum!!
I have also found lots of old soup mix hidden behind things and we having been having soup and olive and parmesan scones for lunch every day.
I cant eat properly - my teeth are still partly numb, but improving- since the accident. So most of my cooking and baking has been with this in mind.
Sunsets have become important so I have to rush outside with my camera to photograph the best ones.
However the thing I have most enjoyed in my temporary quiet life, is my 4pm finish.
At 4pm I stop work, cooking or whatever and go put my pajamas on (think fleecy red ones) go find a glass and fill it with a really nice 15% red wine, shut the curtains, put on the heater, sit on the furry rug on the sofa and organise the night's viewing on TV. And that is my idea of a blissful winter evening in Italy.
We have been out and had  a lovely evening in Casa Elizia in Pisticci with friends in a beautifully restored house in Dirupo. A glass of wine, interesting local and sicilian snacks and good conversation - a night I would like to repeat.

But for all the rest, keeping warm , being entertained and a glass of wine will do nicely.
(The last photo is my temporary studio space in the country.)

christmas at calcarole

It's just after 2.30pm on Boxing day and I have started to write this post outside on the roof terrace of the house in the country , as it's much warmer up here than it is in the house.( and I am saving money by using sunlight instead of gas to keep warm.)
It was foggy this morning when I woke up and after my usual breakfast of  mixed omelette ( still can't chew after the accident.) we set off for Pisticci through the foggy valley.
We had things to do - such as see if we could find someone to fix the gas heater which had refused to  work at all on Christmas morning. Not the best way to start Christmas when I was already feeling a little homesick.
However the friendly gas man not only arranged for a friend of his to come and look at our heater but also gave us a portable one as well.
So while we waited in a cafe to meet the repair man, drinking coffee paid for by the friendly gas man someone asked about getting either one or two portraits done. I have  arranged to return on Friday to get photos. (Back in the country later I had another inquiry about a portrait - so it looks like I need to get back to work.)
On leaving Pisticci I took a photo of the fog which had partly lifted and left what looked like an ocean of mist in front of the mountains.
And now I am sitting outside, having been reading a book about Basilicata by Ann Cornelisen (Torregreca) . Its fascinating and horrific to think that in the late 50s some of the older people I know might have been living in circumstances such as she describes.
It was my gift to myself . I am enjoying learning more about this area and reading it was part of my plan for things to do on the 25th. No heating was not part of the plan.
On Christmas day (as planned) we went to Pisticci and walked up and down the corsa and greeted people and also because it was such a nice day , sat outside and had coffee and a soft cake. (So I could eat it.) Then on returning to the house I lit the pizza oven to cook a not traditional lunch. I have only used the oven twice before so I was a little nervous, but apart from baked potatoes in tin foil which we ate in the evening, the roasted vegetables and chicken and sausages cooked perfectly. We had toasted marshmallows for a sweet - yumm!
By then it was after 3pm and we turned on the portable gas heater we had borrowed and settled down to watch "Miss Potter". It was lovely. By accident I found a Michael Buble Christmas concert on TV and it seemed like a good idea to watch it too.
So there we were eating chocolates - only if broken into small pieces in my case - when the borrowed heater  turned itself off and refused to light again.
What is it with us and heaters?
Anyways I am just so enjoying sitting here in the sunshine. I can hear someone working with a chainsaw somewhere over to the right and there is someone else trying to start a  scooter. And there are dogs barking - then there are always dogs barking. Its peaceful despite that.

The sun is beginning to go down and the shadows are starting to form between the trees and soon it will get cold and I will need to go in , but I want to remember this feeling - sitting reading , writing and dreaming. And keep moments like this in my mind forever.