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INSPIRATIONS |
I find it hard to choose my favourite “SIMBARIs” - - - !
He saw and painted the colourful world around
him . . .
His views of ‘his world’, coloured ‘my world’
- - -
He saw MAGIC everywhere . . . . !
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The
Inspiration That you give, Will never ever pass; It weaves my Dreams In Mystic Webs, Spinning shimmering, Silvery threads. Wonderment, Like Fireworks Explode Colours In my Heart . . . Light bursting from Within . . . Such is the Magic You create; There is no Time to cry - - - Imagination flows As Music fills the Air; Ideas and Thoughts abound, Cascading From the Sky! I am alight! My Mind’s afire . . . Such Wizardry is yours - - -! © Elfrida 2010 |
 
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As I look through the many books and catalogues that have been printed,
over Nicola’s career, about him and his work, I am so often reminded of
the “Simple Life” {Dolce Vita} that we lived together in the early days
. . .
the Studio, in Tratevere (Rome), which was our home at first . . .
and
then, the ‘Villa’ and Studio, in Grottaferata (in the Alban Hills just
outside Rome) - - - His DREAM - - -
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When Nicola bought the
‘villa’, he said to me, “You are English, so you must ‘do’ the garden” !!! I had little experience in, or ‘love of’, Gardening, - - this was a major challenge!! All these years later I see ‘our garden’ - - - even though we no longer live there - - - and the superb flowers which flourished each season, that I would pick and arrange, for the house. . . Nicola loved the multi-coloured dahlias, the luscious roses, and the stately gladiolas . . . I loved bougainvilleas and hibiscus, (reminding me of Trinidad and my teens)! Our favourites were the superb Geraniums . . . everywhere! |
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For a quick ‘holiday’, we
drove South to Naples and Capri . . . and Ischia. To get to Ischia we would take a small ferry-boat from Pozzuoli, a small fishing village just north of Naples . . Nicola loved this town . . . full of Southern Italian “colour”. . . noise and confusion! So many of his works were inspired by this magnetic atmosphere! |
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Once we left Pozzuoli on the
little ferry-boat we headed for Ischia . . . Bigger than Capri and famous for its Spa, it has a magnificent view of the Bay of Naples . . . and yet another ‘favourite’ of Nicola’s “Camera Eye”!! He would disappear for hours and return with “work for a year”!! . . . |
But, for Nicola, his “favourite” holiday was a short break in
Capri !!
Capri was a permanent Inspiration to his love of the ‘unexpected’ and
“joie de vivre” of Neapolitan Life! - - -
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- - - and as we travelled to
other parts of the world, I would recognise the “Capri factor”
in his new subjects . . . in the West Indies, in Mexico, Brazil - - - “Capri”
Retablo in Silkscreen ©SIMBARI |
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Each morning we would walk down the steep hill to “Marina Piccola”, rent a small boat, row around the rocky coast, to find a quiet place to swim, and sunbathe . . . then we would row back to join friends at “Zi’ Teresa” for a late lunch !! |
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So many memories!! I can almost FEEL The Sun and the Fun! Nicola gives us Southern Italy the MAGIC of enjoyment . . . of Life! |
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Driving down to Naples, along the coast road, we would stop at Terracina a small fishing town south of Rome . . . we would lunch at a wonderful fish ‘trattoria’ . . .
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Boats ! Sea ! Ports ! Rome - - - Naples - - - Venice - - - The South of France |
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The sails of Chioggia Inspired Nicola ! We would take the ‘vaporetto’ from Venice’s Piazza San Marco . . Nicola would disappear into the port, returning several hours later, with his “new sketches” . . . |
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Wherever we travelled, Nicola would be accompanied by his
trusty sketch-book and camera . . . Spain and Portugal . . . Nice or St
Tropez . . . Bermuda . . . Florida ! . . .
each
port or beach would be inspirational . . .
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Portugal - - - Liisbon and The Tagus - - - and Fado singing - - - driving north, along the Atlantic Coast to Nazare, where fishermen brave the Atlantic in the small fishing boats, that lay on the sandy shores . . . - - -breath-taking! |
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the beaches south of Rome - - here we would drive, in our beaten up old FIAT . . . to enjoy the sun and sea on a warm June day! I was always glad of shade and a cool drink, whilst Nicola would look for his INSPIRATIONS !! - - a cluster of boats, a beautiful girl ! a bright umbrella - - - deck chairs children playing . . . |
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Everywhere was “a
SIMBARI” waiting to be painted!
Florida - - -
Bermuda - - -
Mexico - - -
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Is this wallIn Acacpulco - - - or
Sicily - - - or
maybeJamaica - - -? I feel the warmth . . . The Sun! “Bougainvillea”
acrylic on canvas ©SIMBARI |
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I am home . . . once more - - - arranging flowers from the garden! What a Gift . . . ! To be able to create and inspire the pleasure of . . . “a Moment” in Time - - -! “Il Vaso”
acrylic on canvas ©SIMBARI |
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 I would write A Song of Love . . To tell you Of my Heart - - A Magic Garden Is our Love . . . Flow’rs blooming Ev’rywhere - - Precious perfumes Fill the Air . . . Be still - - - My Passionate Heart ©Elfrida 2010 |
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I
do not know how others “see” and “feel” a SIMBARI
I only know what his magic means to me - - -!!
I
am INSPIRED - - I hear music - - I hear words !
© Elfrida 2010
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