Spring Fever: Callaway Gardens

Callaway Azaleas
Watercolor  Plein Air Study
by Pat Fiorello

Spring is my favorite season of the year. With the changing of the clocks this weekend, warmer temperatures and colorful flowers starting to pop out in gardens, Spring is definitely upon us.  It feels  to me like an uplifting time of hope, energy  and optimism after a grey, cold winter( even here in Atlanta the winter, while not as challenging as the North,  can be dreary).

Another annual spring "rite of passage" is the Azalea Festival at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain Georgia, about 90 miles from Atlanta.

For the past 7 or 8 years, I've been taking students there each Spring to paint on location in the gardens. We will be going again for a weekend workshop April 21-22.  If you'd like to join in the fun and spend a beautiful weekend outdoors painting the joy of spring,  call Callaway Gardens Education department at 706-663-5153 or email education@callawaygardens.com.  Feel free to contact me at patfiorello@aol.com if any questions.

Wherever you are, I hope you take notice and appreciate the return of Spring. Have a beautiful day!

Art & Spirituality

Up in the Sky
8 x 10
Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello


Yesterday, I was interviewed by Vanessa Lowry for her ongoing radio series "Art as Worship".  Vanessa is an author and is exploring the relationship between art & spirituality by interviewing a wide range of artists ( visual artists, writers, musicians etc..) with whatever their definition of spirituality is.

For me, I didn't approach the topic of spirituality from a traditional religious approach, but from the vantage point of the Human Spirit. I see 3 areas where art overlaps spirituality for me: appreciating, creating and connecting. Appreciating means noticing, valuing and being grateful for the beauty of the world around me and helping others to see that thru my paintings. Creating is the pure connection with the spirit, the energy and aliveness that is present when we are creating something whether we are creating a piece of art, music, a casserole or a spreadsheet. Whatever form creating shows up in your life I'm sure that's when you feel alive. The experience to start with nothing or just raw ingredients and soem inspiration and then creating something is true magic. Connecting is sharing the universal/eternal nature of art with others, as well as sharing with other artists and teaching others to grow  while on their own artistic journey.

To hear the full show, tune in on Thursday April 4 at 9
AM  on Empower Radio.  You can click "Listen Live" at that time or listen at your convenience from the archives after the show airs.

Here I am with Vanessa( right) after yesterday's taping.

Do you paint to please others?

"I don't know the key to success, but the     key to failure is trying to please everybody." 

                                     - Bill Cosby

Beyond the Vineyard
8 x 16
Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello
$450

Here's a recent painting that includes some of my favorite things-memories of my time in Tuscany where the trumpet vines seem to dance and their bright orange color is a joy. I love the clusters of villages with the orange roofs. The cypress trees also are classic Tuscany (although I learned  on my last trip that they were not indigenous to the area, but were brought in to protect the vineyards from wind - can't guarantee the accuracy of that- but it sounded good to me).


Artists can learn a lot about HOW to paint from instructors and other artists, and will ultimately gravitate to a process that suits them,  but I believe the choice of WHAT to paint is very personal. The artist's selection tells you something about what they are passionate about or connect with on some level. I once had an instructor who advised me to stop painting "pretty scenes". I was initially taken aback by his comments and quite upset, but once I stepped back from the situation I decided to let go of his advice. I need to paint what I love and what get's me excited and inspired to paint. Maybe I'm a hopeless romantic, but I just want to look at, paint and share things that are beautiful and feel happy.


I also had another instructor who was teaching us with her own reference  photo's of farm scenes. Finally I told her I was not going to paint any more barns. Although I could paint a beautiful barn ( I even have one of my barn paintings published in the book Splash 11, Best of Watercolor by North Light Books), I have no personal connection with them. I grew up in Brooklyn NY,  so don't have any fond personal childhood memories about barns. I can paint them, but it's not as exciting to me as other subjects.


Many of you know before painting full time, I had a prior career in marketing. Many artists have come to me over the years and I have provided coaching on marketing, goal setting and their art careers.
Probably one of the questions I'm asked most often is, "What should I paint?" as artists are questioning if there's something that the "market" wants and if they should be led by that. 


My reply is always the same "Paint what you love. If you love it, there are undoubtedly other people who love that too. The job of marketing then is to match your work up with that audience. The art market is varied and you don't need everyone to love your work, just a big enough audience for you to make a living (which is a very, very small % of the 7 billion people on the planet). Do what you love. Be true to yourself and it will show in your work.  If you are inauthentic and disinterested, that will eventually show up to and the joy will disappear from your painting.


I love the Bill Cosby quote I started out with at the top of today's blog post. It applies to many areas of life, but is certainly fitting for the choices we make as artists.


I'll end with another quote which helps me stay focused.
 When asked about trends in art over time, Robert Genn  of the "Painter's Keys " replied "Quality never goes out of style". Thank you Robert for getting to the bottom line.


 So do what YOU love and do it with all the passion and excellence you can!

View to the Vineyards

View to the Vineyards
18 x 24
Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello

This is a painting of one of the locations we  typically go to paint during my  painting workshops in Tuscany. It is a garden overlooking the vineyards at the Dievole Winery in the Chianti Region. The workshop is coming up on October 13 and there is still room available. If you are interested in joining us for an unforgettable workshop experience click here or contact me at patfiorello@aol.com

A French Escape

If you are ready for a fun and creative vacation, consider joining in on my upcoming art trip to France. We combine painting with exploring the beautiful Champagne and Bourgogne regions for a week of immersion in art and beauty. 

 Click here for flyer with all the details.

I went to my first workshop, also in France, after painting for only a few months. That was 17 years ago . It changed my life.  I really didn't know what I was doing when I signed up. The opportunity to go to France and just paint and see new things and places sounded good, so I jumped in with my 3 months or experience and little watercolor kit.  I learned so much and loved the opportunity to be totally immersed in art & beauty, meeting people who were passionate about painting and being away from the routine and distractions of everyday life to just focus on painting.  I was hooked.  I've been traveling and painting ever since and am now grateful that I have the opportunity to share these types of enriching experiences with others. These trips are a great opportunity to learn as an artist, but also to grow in many other ways.

Please contact me at patfiorello@aol.com  if you are interested or have any questions. There are only 3 spots remaining.

Feel free to share with anyone else who might be interested. The trip is open to artists of all mediums and experience levels, even total beginners who might be ready to learn something new.

Geranium Garden

Geranium Garden
12 x 12
Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello
$500

I loved this sunlit garden full of geraniums and the pattern of light and shadow they formed.


 I use a method where I start with transparent paint,  then add opaques later on to keep the colors bright and clean.
 Believe it or not this is how the painting started out as an abstract pattern of shapes. 

Then I pulled the lights out from the dark. 


 I will be teaching this approach in my upcoming workshop Painting Flowers Alla Prima in Oil  in Sandy Springs, GA later this month. If you want to learn more about the workshop, please email me at patfiorello@aol.com.


This was the original photo reference which inspired the painting.