mosaic « A Pigment of Your Imagination

Covino Portrait1 P1070431 PaintingWorkshopCovinoFrank4-2015

Dear Artists and Friends,

It is with ineffable sadness in our hearts, that I must report this news. Our friend and long-time art teacher and mentor, Maestro Frank Covino, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, February 16, 2016, after being pronounced “cleared of cancer” just last week.

If I may use a bold simile, his loss feels like looking up at the mountains in Sugarbush, where Frank worked hard to build the home he loved, and seeing that the grandest of summits has disappeared from our sight.

Here is a note from his wife, Barbara Covino, that you will all want to read:

Subject: It is with a deep abiding sorrow in my heart that I write this letter…forgive the delay but it has taken time to believe this is true…

Beloved friends and family , one and all,

After two days of profoundest shock, and countless tears I realize I must write you. It is with a heavy, heavy heart that i must inform you that dear Frank has passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday night, February 16th. It was quick and he did not suffer–a death we would all prefer–but he had been progressing so well, it was a gut-wrenching shock that still is unbelievable.

I truly cannot imagine a world, or a life without him…32 years of happiness and adventure. Life was never boring with him!!! What an amazing talent, a brilliant man with a wealth of knowledge, a gentle and sensitive man who had to excel in everything he did, and was thus an inspiration to all who knew him. He encouraged others to strive for excellence and to believe in themselves, giving them the tools to create a positive reality in their lives, whether it be art or health. We all can repeat that golden maxim: IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO AMELIORATE! Wise encouraging words, those.

But he was more than the sum of his parts; he was a genuine force of nature, a real Renaissance man, but above all else, he had a kind heart and a very great soul. We all loved him so; there will never be another Frank. But I know it is now time for each and every one of us who was touched by his life, to take that spark and pass it on. He gave us wings and it is time for us to fly…Make him proud!!!

I am too choked up to continue writing. God Bless each and every one of you who had a place in his heart…family, friends, students….He loved you all sincerely and without guile….

We are in the process of collaborating with the family and planning both a smaller family funeral as well as a larger set of celebrations of his life and legacy open to all who loved him–one in Vermont and one on Long island. As soon as the Covino south clan and Mark and Jennifer and I hammer out the details, I will email you all, soon as can be done.

We are going to give that wonderful man a send off he won’t soon forget!!!

Love and blessings , Barbara Covino

PS: PLEASE FORWARD THIS to everyone you can think of. It has grown into a cast of hundreds, and forgive the delay but it has taken time to believe this is true.

Even though they didn’t fit into my “paintings” category, I just had to show you three unique pieces I saw at the Getty and de Young museums. The altarpiece room was exceptionally dark, so the following photos are the best I could get. Click on the text photos to make them readable.

The first is the Ecco Homo Altarpiece by Maerten van Heemskerck (1498-1574), Netherlands. About the artist:

About the Ecco Homo Altarpiece:

The central panel:

About fading and discoloration:

The reds:

The blues:

The greens:

When the altarpiece is closed, the following two figures are what you see:

Here, you can see another exceptionally worthy altarpiece, the Ghent Altarpiece by Hubert and Jan van Eyck with extreme closeup, X-radiography, infrared macrophotography, infrared reflectography and so much more, at http://closertovaneyck.kikirpa.be/#home/sub=altarpiece

Next, look at the amazing artistry and detail of this mosaic:

Portrait of Camillo Rospigliosi, about 1630-40, glass mosaic, by Giovanni Battista Calandra, Italian, 1586-1644

“This mosaic depicts Rospigliosi, brother of Pope Clement IX and Knight Commander of the Order of Santo Stefano, whose cross insignia he wears. Because mosaics are composed of many pieces of small stones, ceramic, or glass tiles, they preserve their color more permanently than paintings–thus making them an appropriate medium for the commemorative art of portraiture. Like the painters of this period, Calandra rendered his subjects with great realism.”

Here are some closeups:

And finally, this sculpture is made of wood, believe it or not. It is called Saint Gines de La Jara, about 1692, by sculptor Luisa Roldán (aka La Roldana), Spanish, 1650-1706. The one who painted the sculpture (aka polychromer) is Tomas de Los Arcos, Spanish, born 1661.

It was so tall that this upward shot was the best I could get. See the hands?

And the feet?

“Saint Ginés de La Jara exemplifies La Roldana’s artistic talents. The body is relatively straight and self-possessed, while the arms stretch outward. La Roldana masterfully worked the hands and feet, sculpting the veins and bones so that they dramatically push against the taut skin. The painting by her brother-in-law, Tomás de Los Arcos, enhances the carving. The statue displays the realistic expression found in Spanish religious imagery made for churches and convents in the second half of the 1600s.”

Note: All text in quotes is taken from the Getty or de Young museum placards posted beside paintings.