“Race Horses . . Fast Cars . . Beautiful Women”

“Four things greater than all things are . . .
Women and Horses
and Power and War . . .”

from: “The Ballad of the King’s Jest
by Rudyard Kipling

“Women”

“Le Crazy Horse” Collection
“Eva di Bratislava”
Acrylic on Canvas © SIMBARI

Nicola has always loved the excitement and power of speed . . .
[ Horses . . . Cars . . . and Bicycles . . . ]
and Beautiful Women . . .
what Italian man doesn’t ? ! . . .

So, it was not surprising that Nicola accepted a ‘challenge’ by the owner of the famous Paris night-club “Le Crazy Horse” . . . after a conversation Alain Bernardin, and his beautiful wife ‘Lova Moor’, he set to work . . .!

What a “vernissage” - - - le ‘tous Paris’ was there - - -
AND
‘les girls’ . . they were gorgeous
Nicola was in his element!

“Horses”

“Into the Straight”
Acrylic on Canvas © SIMBARI

Horse racing of every sort intrigued Nicola’s imagination and he often painted Trotting racing which took place near our house, in Rome . . . but his most exciting horses (for me) are those of the Circus which he so often depicted with daring acrobats on their backs . . .!

“Power”

“TAG in the Box”
Formula One Series
Acrylic on Canvas © SIMBARI

Following the excitement and success of his ‘Crazy Horse’ Collection - - M. Mansour Ojjeh [the owner of the TAG team, at that time] asked Nicola to paint a small and unique collection of Formula One Car racing . . . This idea excited the “racer” in him, and his secret desire to drive one of those magnificent ‘machines’ . . . he set off immediately for Monza . . . and Monte Carlo . . .

There is something about watching a Formula One Start . . .
the noise of the engines . . .
the race for the front . . .
the Winning! . . .

then, there is the daring of The Rallye Car Racing . . . 

Commissioned by Dr. Wolfgang Habbel, (the Chairman of AUDI AG) to paint The Rallye of ’85 . . .

Nicola excelled himself . .





AUDI - - No: 11
Rallye ‘85
Acrylic on Canvas
© SIMBARI

Superb . . . thrilling!          Where are they now ?

Yet, Nicola never ‘forgot’ the Inspiration of “Woman” . . . .

Alluring - - Beautiful - - Magnificent . . .

“Roberta” –
a favourite of mine . .

‘she’ is ageless . . .
‘she’ is timeless . . .

and owned by a great Mexican collector . . .

I miss her !






“Roberta”
Acrylic on Canvas
© SIMBARI

These are the hands
that create such diverse,
exciting,
colourful work . . .
and answer
any artistic challenge
with such remarkable
imagination . . .

Bicycle Racing . . . a favourite Italian sport - -

shown by his illustrations,
in his award winning
Children’s book - --
made with humour,
love and knowledge
of life in ‘his’ Italy, of
the 50s & 60s,
and
his beloved Calabria . . .






“Arriva dei Ciclisti”
Gouache on paper - - detail
From “Gennarino” © SIMBARI
Published by J.B. Lippincott and
Oxford University Press

During Nicola’s Formula One Racing ‘experience’, our lives became centered on the excitement of The Circuit . . . we watched on T.V. . . . we learned the names of the leading drivers - - - and I became ‘hooked’ on car racing . . . I still am !


Perhaps . . .
just perhaps - - -
I dream
of driving
a Ferrari
around
the Track . . .
and winning!!




“Renault”
Formula One Series
Acrylic on Canvas
© SIMBARI

Somehow, I can understand how a truly beautiful woman might be compared with a horse of incredible speed and elegance, or ‘today’, a racing car . . . .

or the thrill of the
Theatre . . .
There is Mystery . . .
Who is she? . . .
I have difficulty in
choosing from my
favourite “Women”
paintings . . . they
are sometimes
dreamy . . . or
flaunting . . .



Danseuse en Repos”
Acrylic on Canvas
© SIMBARI

. . . or, . simply charming . . .
they have an air of grace . . .

So many remind me of our
travels and our holidays!
A ‘diary’ of our life!!

Of what is she
Dreaming ?

(il Sogno is ‘the Dream’’)





“Il Sogno”
Retablo in Silkscreen
© SIMBARI

Whilst preparing his material for the AUDI collection of Rallye Cars, Nicola travelled to Africa. . . he was fascinated by what he saw (Audi No: 11) . . . . and so different from the scenery he encountered in northern Europe . . . (AUDI No:6) . . . . in all twelve works he shows us the daring and the skill of the drivers and the marvel of the surrounding countryside.

“AUDI - - No.6 “ Rallye Cars Series © SIMBARI

Once again, Nicola underlines the spirit of the drivers . . .it is almost possible to hear the roar of the engines . . . feel the excitement of the spectators, in his Formula One Series

Driving with
Nicola
across Europe,
I felt as if he was
in training for
one race
or another!








“Zolder”
Formula One Series
© SIMBARI

Race horses . . . they are such magnificent animals . . . so elegant!
. . . but Nicola also painted the horses of the Circus and the wild horses on the prairie or in the Camargue . . .






“Winning Post”
Gouache on Paper
© SIMBARI

. . .or the
American
Southwest . . .












“Mustang”
Southwest Collection
© SIMBARI

Living in Nicola’s Diary was always exciting . . . very eventful , and often hectic ! I never knew WHAT would come next - - - or WHO we would meet!

Nicola built his own Studio . . . in the Alban Hills . . .just outside Rome. He designed it, and the pool . . . I worked on the “garden” . . . Nicola said: “You should ‘know’ how to do the garden, because you are English” !


The views of Rome, and the surrounding countryside,
were spectacular . . .

In the summer, every Saturday and Sunday, friends from all over the world would “drop by” for informal meals and a swim . . . Anita Ekberg, John Gavin, David Caradine . . . to name only a few . . . .


Often the conversation
was about
Horses - -
Cars - -
Beautiful Women - -

Everyone
was an Expert!!!




“Rainbow Interior”
Acrylic on Canvas
© SIMBARI


(discussing “Nino” gouache for his retablo in silkscreen)
Nicola in his studio . . .
how he
enjoyed his hours, there . . .
a world where he was
the Creator
and King - - -
listening to the radio,
singing to his favourite arias
or
Neapolitan songs - - -
transferring
his joy,

his happiness,
his freedom - - -

into his works.


The Inspiration that you give
Will never ever pass;
It weaves our Dreams
In Mystic Webs,
Spinning silvery shimmering threads.

Wonderment, like Fireworks,
Exploding colours in the Heart - -
Light bursting from the Soul - -
Such is the Magic you Create;
There is no Time to Cry.

Imagination Flows,
As Music fills the Air
Ideas abound,
Cascading from the Sky!
I am alight!
My Mind’s afire . . .
What Wizardry is yours . . .!

©Elfrida 1999

“Circeo”
Retablo in Silkscreen
©SIMBARI



a humble verse to Nicola Simbari. . . A great master artist . .

PASSION . . .
DRAMA . . .
COLOUR . . .
LIGHT . . .
INSPIRATION . . .

SIMBARI   MAGIC !









AUDI. No..3
Rallye ‘85
Acrylic on Canvas
© SIMBARI

© Elfrida 2010


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