Your local artists
Post categories: Teacher blog
| 11:18 UK time, Monday, 18 July 2011
Hello again Paloma. Thanks for your second blog entry and to all the others who wrote in to tell us about the historic buildings where they live. There are too many interesting places to visit in the world and not enough time!
The responses to your latest blog confirm your suspicions - most people think Picasso came from Barcelona. I can tell you're proud to put the record straight.
The video you posted is fascinating. I remember seeing a Holy Week procession in a village called Arcos de la Frontera in the south of Spain. The streets were so narrow and crowded with revellers that I couldn't cross the road to my hotel until 3am!
LANGUAGE
Again it's hard to find mistakes in your writing, Paloma, but here are a few things I noticed.
In your blog you say:
Picasso was born in the first floor of a building...
When we talk about the floors of buildings we use the preposition on rather than in. So, it should say Picasso was born on the first floor of a building.
There's something here I didn't understand. You wrote:
There's a very interesting Picasso Museum, a native home museum, a Picasso walking tour...I'm not sure what 'a native home museum' is. Can you explain?
One more thing. You wrote:
He does a lot for his town like a charity for helping financially students.
In English, adverbs should come after the object of the sentence. In other words, it should say:
He does a lot for his town like a charity for helping students financially.
HOMEWORK
People are proud of the artists who come from the same place as them. I discovered recently that the French Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro lived in the same part of London as me. In fact a couple of his paintings are of places I walk past regularly, though they have changed quite a lot in the 150 years since he was active.
I find it really strange that something as ordinary as a road in my part of London should be captured in something as exotic as a French Impressionist painting. I'd like to hear from you about artists local to you. How have they captured the spirit of the place? I'd love to hear.
USEFUL VOCABULARY
• Confirm your suspicions - to make certain that something you though was true actually is true.
• to put the record straight - to say something in order to make the true facts known.
• procession - a line of people walking in the same direction.
• revellers - people celebrating in a noisy way.
Comment number 1.
At 18th Jul 2011, ipjmac wrote:Living in the Flemish coast of France, I am deeply impressed by a Belgian singer-songwriter, Jacques Brel, when he describes our“Plat Pays”. As all artists, painters, writers, poets... do, he matches my own emotion, whatever it was, even if it is a form of my imagination. Has he captured the spirit of the French northern shore, windy and cold? I think so, but I believe that others will see them in a different way that also matches with Brel's poetry.
You said,Neil,you found strange that an“ordinary road” in Londoninterested Pissaro. Fond of London, I followed your link, really, the picture made me wonder, pretty ordinary road indeed. It’s surely worth seeing an aspect ofthe 19th century and compare it with London today!On the other hand, I love the overcrowded“Feria of Nimes” and I hate the hordes of tourists at“Mont St Michel”. Both could interest any painter and their work would perhaps change my mind!
Complain about this comment (Comment number 1)
Comment number 2.
At 18th Jul 2011, ALFONSO wrote:Hi,Neal.
Thanks for your comments about english grammar and your valuable help to improve our skills on it.
Today,I just want to talk about one of our most important and iconic artist.He came over from the colombians mountains to the world,just to say:Here we are...this is Colombia ..this is our art and tis is the way we are..Enjoy!Guess whom I´m talking about?I´m talking about Fernando Botero.If you follow up this link you will learn more about him and his art work...m wondering,how many of you,when walking around the streets of Paris,London,New York,Rome,Madrid,Barcelona and many others cities around the world,out the blue,got in front of one of Botero´s masterpieces.And how do you know that you are in front of one?.Here is a hint:Not only people crowded around enjoying the piece is a good sign,just take a closer look on it and you´ll noticed that a bull is not a bull..is a big,rounded and obese bull...and if you are looking one of those paintings in a museum just take al look in the model...the face is not a skinny face...is a big,rounded,obese and well defined face limited by rounded lines filled out with vibrant colours.So then you´ll conclude that Botero´s work stand for showing the obesity and overdimensioned figures as and art....overwelming art.
Here is a gift.Folllow up the link and you will enjoy a selection of beautiful colombian music performed by one of our best musical groups .........Colombian music and colombian´s musicians ........hold a minute!...that will be another story.Enjoy.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 2)
Comment number 3.
At 19th Jul 2011, beatriz wrote:Hi, Neil, Alfonso and the rest of the group:
Thanks a lot teacher for your blogs and the link to appreciate the Pissarros´s painting. It´s difficult to imagine the painting was made "only" 150 years ago.
Now, for Alfonso.
Excellent your mention to Botero, he´s admired in Argentina too. Apart from that I was deeply touched by the moving serenade "El camino de la vida". Very sweet and romantic music with probably the same roots of our folklore. How strange, I was moved by different local artist (a French painter, a Colombian painter and a group of Colombian musicians through the ѿýle program. Thanks a lot, and the best for you.Beatriz. Buenos Aires.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 3)
Comment number 4.
At 20th Jul 2011, ALFONSO wrote:Hi,Beatriz...
Thanks in advance for your nice comment. The real drive behind my post was to share with all the ѿýLe bloggers just a little bit of Colombia and learn as much as I can about others cultures,regions,folks,countries ...learn about everything.I felt happy when you told that our music touch your felings in a deeply way.Thanks.Let me tell you, that argentinian's music ,have been holding an important place in our country and every time we hear a beautiful tango we used to hold our breath.I enjoy to listen Facundo Cabral,Mercedes Sosa,Alberto Cortez between others and the unforgettable Carlos Gardel.In Colombia Carlos Gardel still alive and sing better every day..I swear.
All the best.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 4)
Comment number 5.
At 21st Jul 2011, londonjadore wrote:Hi Neil!
This is a very interesting topic!
I live in Venice, this very famous italian city, halfway between a huge puddle and a seniors amusement park.
To be honest, I could spend all the day just doing the list of the artists who set foot on this town, but one of them is not very well-known and I would like to present him to you.
His name is Raffaele Mainella. I discovered him when I visited a new Hotel in my neighborhood: Palazzo Stern. This neo gothic palace has been built in 1909 and imagined by Mrs Ernesta Stern (an important art collector) and the painter Raffaele Mainella. His style is very oriental and he certainly has been influenced by Delacroix.
I hope you will enjoy his work!
Bye Bye!
Complain about this comment (Comment number 5)