After the Storm
Sometimes there is no translation for a word from Italian to English (and vice versa)- those words that make sense and have a concept, but would sound a little silly translated literally. This was one of these, il bilancione.
After the Storm, Il Bilancione6×8″Oil on Linen Panel©Kelly MedfordNow bilancione does mean something, it literally means the big balance (as in scale). This is something that I’ve never seen in the U.S., but here is used often for fishing. The balance or scale is to counterbalance the giant nets that are cast into the sea for fishing- attached to the opposite side of this house.They are odd creatures out there in the sea landscape, but beautiful and silent today after this storm.The local fisherman were hanging out at the cafe when we were done painting and went to have a coffee they stopped to chat. They were a little idle and said that the sea has been too rough to fish for the last month. They seemed happy to see a few new faces and seemed impressed by how much our paintings resembled the thing we were painting!See or purchase today’s painting for $120 here on the websiteSee other paintings from the 120 Day Project herePaint Italy 2013Upcoming Workshops in Rome, Venice and UmbriaClick here for details and join us
leslie
February 1, 2013 at 5:22 pmThis is stunning and I love the history about this area. We toured southern Italy last summer and I so wanted to get to this area but after several hours driving we realized it was just too far from where we were staying (Monopoli). Thanks for sharing!!
leslie
February 1, 2013 at 5:27 pmooops! I should have mentioned that I had heard about different types of fishing structures in the gargano area, that was what I meant about trying to get to. We were in Puglia and explored the coast up and down from Bari to the tip and around Galipoli but never made it up to the “spur.” When we were in Rome, I had hoped to take a train to Ostia but we ran out of time. That trip was so amazing and I am dying to go back!!
Kelly Medford
February 3, 2013 at 9:55 pmHi Leslie and thanks for sharing your wonderful Italian experience! I’ve never been to Puglia, but I do hope to get there to paint one of these days, it’s supposed to be gorgeous.
Ostia is wonderful and full of very paintable treasures, I always feel lucky to have the chance to go when I do.
Let me know when you’ll be back and we’ll paint Ostia!
Thanks so much for following.