Friday, March 19, 2010

Nora in Naples


Nora Kasten and Susan Roux

Hello, I'm back from Florida! I hope you all had a good week. I'm relaxed, refreshed and ready to paint! Thank you all for the warm wishes for a great vacation. It certainly was.

Nora Kasten was so kind as to invite my family and I to her home. How wonderful it was to visit with a fellow blogger! Posted is a photo of us in her studio. Her work in progress is up on her easel behind us. I'm certain I'm not alone in admiring her lovely, romantic oil paintings. I can't tell you how excited I was to have the opportunity to view them in person. I must tell you, Nora is as lovely as the work that pours out of her.

Her home is a dream gallery! I never expected to arrive at such a splendid place filled with dozens and dozens of her amazing paintings. Room after room she took me to see them all. It was a slow tour as I absolutely had to stop to admire each and every one of them! They are magnificent on the internet, but as you well know, a photo of a painting never does the actual work justice. In life, these jewels sent shivers up my spine. Her use of saturated color coupled with her dreamy brushstroke is energizing and captivating. I couldn't take my eyes off of them!

She treated us to a lovely lunch where I sipped red wine and our "get acquainted" conversation never left art. I've written to you before of my travels and how I meet with artists. I urge you to try it for yourself. It will become the highlight of your holiday! Art connects us. Its a bond that can instantly make you feel like family. You all experience it here through blogs, but it doesn't stop when you meet in person. It escalates!

If you'd like to read about some of my various experiences meeting artists, click these different entries. Don't give up, where I met and painted with artists Mat Grogan and Dave Hayes, John Morris and Owen Rohu.

You may think that you'd be lost for conversation meeting with a stranger, but believe me, in every instance time just flies and conversations flow easily and freely. As Nora and I talked endlessly, she played a DVD of Richard Schmid with the volume off. In one direction I viewed him creating a masterpiece and in every other direction my eye was fed and stimulated by all her exhibited art. Her kind, welcoming and bubbly nature made us feel instantly at home.

The four hours we spent together whizzed by. I didn't want to leave. Nora, I hope I didn't overstay my welcome. You and your husband were a delight. Thank you for making us feel so welcomed.

I must tell you, Nora has painted countless self portraits. They are all wonderful and full of light. One of my favorite paintings hung as a focal point, in a place of grandeur. It is a painting she did of her husband some years back. I absolutely loved what she captured with paint. Men sitting in their suits don't usually hold much appeal for me. But his kindness and her affection for him shown with great visibility through the paint she applied. Nora, I don't know if you've ever posted this masterpiece of yours, but I hope you find it appropriate to share at some point. Its a wonderful work that can be appreciated even if you're not the wife...

Thank you Nora. I hope our journey forward blossoms further than blogging. I truly enjoyed our conversation and hope to continue it.


6 comments:

  1. Susan, Sembra di vivere queste bellissime esperienze dal vero! Piacere E 'un Seguire il tuo blog.
    Marina

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  2. Welcome back Susan. It sounds like you had a wonderful time meeting Nora Kasten!

    I understand what you mean about the conversation flowing freely and easily. While I've never met another artist while traveling I've experienced the same thing jaw boning with fishermen I've just met.

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  3. Susan,

    You are a wonderful writer and I can't thank you enough for your kind words about me. Of course you didn't stay too long . . . I wish we could have talked till the next day.

    I feel bad that I didn't go into detail about the convenience and efficiency of the small space studio. I have taken many photos now and plan to write an article soon about all the perks and benefits of my small space.

    You are forever endeared to my heart!

    Nora

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  4. Je suis certaine que ce fut une rencontre inoubliable, des discussions interminables autour de l'art... Magnifique. Je suis persuadée que Nora est une personne extraordinaire. Je suis allée sur son blog, il y a tellement de force dans ses toiles mêlée à une étrange douceur romantique...
    Kisses

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  5. Seems you had a lovely holiday and Nora sounds indeed like a very nice person. It is amazing how friends come into our lives and in no time at all we find they are adding to the wonder of it all. Loved the blog today and welcome back

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  6. un ange baroque.. voilà c'est ça.. votre image sympathique..

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