Assisi

Assisi (A-see-see)
is one city I have been desperate to get back to.

Not for it's charm....

or for it's architecture.

Not for it's amazing....

panoramas.

Not for the food...

although we had an amazing turkey cutlet stuffed with fresh vegetables and cheese.

Not for it's famous church St. Francesco di Assisi.

Not for it's quaint hillsides...

or it's delectable treats and gelato.

BUT FOR IT'S
ART!

I so enjoy seeing the craftsmen working away as you browse their wares. I have a sickness that involves Italian ceramics and one other unique artistry that I fell in love with about 6 years ago and that is the work of Massimo Cruciani.

He only has two show rooms and although you can see his work on his web sight, www.cruciani.com you can only purchase his work there if you want to contact them for a special order. One studio is way out of the way in the hillside town of Gubbio. The other is in Assisi as well as his studio. 6 years ago we bought this painting because we adore the Umbrian and Tuscan countrysides. Also, water colors are one of my favorite mediums of art. But Massimo takes it to a different level by painting on glass, with acrylics that take on the misty watercolor look, in reverse. I love his work because when I am missing Italy I just sit back and look at his painting and it immediately takes me back there. Sadly my painting was a bit damaged in the move. It is only noticeable upon close inspection but I fear it won't survive a voyage home when we do decide to leave.

So on this day a desire to return was fulfilled. I spent a good amount of time in his showroom wracking my brain for a way to allow for one of the following paintings to fit into our budget. Meanwhile Marjory was quickly falling in love with his work too and bought a lovely scene of Umbria that fit nicely in her carry on home so that when she is home her memories of this trip will carry on every time she looks at it.

But alas what you don't see is the enormity of size and price of these paintings and we fear terribly that they would not arrive in Kingdom in the condition they were sent. We also fear that when our time here is done the packers would not or could not safely prepare them for a journey back to the USA.

Now these iPhone shots are pretty pathetic and do not do his talent the least bit of justice.

But for now I just dream of the day I can own another of his paintings....one large enough that I feel as though I could just step right into it. In this case bigger is better!