Wednesday, April 17, 2019

THE PURITY OF THE PRIMITIVES




Self Portrait ( in progress)
James Aponovich
Oil on canvas, 16" x 16"



People often ask, "How in the world did you ever find this place?"
At times the answer can be complicated, but I found Panicale because
I was on a search, having grown a bit tired of the Tuscan
 'Piero Trail', I instead travelled to Umbria. My goal was to find every
fresco by the Umbrian Early Renaissance Painter PietroVannucci Perugino,
'Il Divino Perugino'. His parents once lived here in Panicale but moved
to nearby Citta Della Pieve where he was born in 1446. Later he came here, commissioned
to paint a fresco The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian in the church of San Sebastiano.
Among his workshop was
a young apprentice from Urbino, Raphael Sanzio.
I was seeking the direct vision of these early itinerate painters, an honesty
of simple grace. These painters paved the way for the more muscular
painters of the High Renaissance and Baroque. While they themselves
have been dust for centuries, their paintings are still fresh and vivid.
It's a little weird.



Piero Perugino




(detail)

The other day, with friends visiting, we all went to a favourite town,
'The Balcony of Umbria', Montefalco. We made our way to the Church of
San Francesco, there along with a spectacular St. Francis cycle, by the
Florentine  Benozzo Gozzoli was a sweet cappella painted by
Perugino with a landscape of Lake Trasimeno.




Still Life with Tulips, Lake Trasimeno ( in- progress)
James Aponovich
oil on canvas, 14" x 14"


I came back to Panicale and started a painting of tulips ( in season).
They say the light is different here. I don't know about that, but I do
know that every once in a while I can recognise that old time 'Primitive'
magic that starts to take shape and emerge.......Salute!







copyright 2019 James Aponovich
all rights reserved

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

JAMES APONOVICH.....THE NEW BLOG IS HERE!




Still Life with Three Groups of Flowers
James Aponovich
Oil on canvas, 40" x 52"


Our feet have just planted at home here in Italy. After a whole bunch of hugs
and trying to shake off jet lag, it's time to get to work.
Follow along with the progress ( perhaps) of painting in Panicale.


Coming up........Artichokes all over the place!



THE PURITY OF THE PRIMITIVES

Self Portrait ( in progress) James Aponovich Oil on canvas, 16" x 16" People often ask, "How in the world did ...