A little drive south: Urussanga

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 Urussanga

 

 

 

Urussanga, Rua Pref. Lucas Bez Batti - availabble

 oil on card, 24 x 28.3 cm

 

 
 

 

Urussanga, Rua Pref. Lucas Bez Batti- detail

 

 

 

Urussanga, Avenue, Praça Anita Garibaldi

 oil on card, 22 x 24.3 cm - unavailable

 

Urussanga, Avenue, Praça Anita Garibaldi- detail

 

Urussanga is one of those well-maintained interior towns that you don't hear much about. It's got some lovely old (for Brazil) architecture and feels very safe. It's friendly.

The day became overcast. I like empty urban spaces and I like a certain dream-style city art- as in Sironi and the city paintings of Whistler. 

Hence:

 

Urussanga, R. Pref. Jacinto de Brida, oil on card, 29.7 x 27.5 cm - unavailable

 

 

 

 

Urussanga, R. Pref. Jacinto de Brida- detail

 

 

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Getting out of Florianopolis was very good for me, and I'll try to do some other road trips in the next months -  it's so costly at the moment to fly anywhere that this is the best way to give me the change of scene that I need for inspiration.

 

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A little drive south

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A little drive south

 

 

The way to Urussanga: a three hour drive

 

All being well, on Monday I go down to Laguna, a charming town with nice old buildings, and then on to Urussanga. I suppose I spend four nights away. I'm going to book hotels on the way.

 I now have a little laptop, and the idea is that I continue teaching as necessary online and get to go painting in new places.  I haven't done this before though I should have. 

 

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Painting has been quite difficult lately, I think partly because of overfamiliarity with certain motifs. You get dulled by ease and familiarity.

Hence, travel.

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A drive to Urussanga and Anitapolis

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 Woodland and fields, between Urussanga and Orleans

 oil on card, 16.5 x 14.5 cm- available

 Homestead, late afternoon, between Urussanga and Orleans

 oil on card, 18 x 16.5 cm   SOLD

This, above, works well.

 Woodland, São Ludgero, oil on card, 15 x 18.3 cm

 Little house, near Anitapolis, oil on card. 15 x 18 cm  AVAILABLE

I`m trying for a style that is bolder and less ridden with equivocation. I feel that my mountain pictures are particularly prone to this fussiness. I think I am trying too hard. That may be because I am in awe of the subject, and therefore unable to respond with creative freedom. I need to find another approach. 

A fine painter of mountains is Bomberg: I must try to get a catalogue of his work.

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I took the wrong road from Anitapolis north, going to Alfredo Wagner by the most tortuous and at times muddy track. The views were fantastic, but I nearly damaged my car, and it took forever. Thank God it wasn't raining. I should have taken the paved road to Rancho Queimado. By the time I realised my error I`d already driven already for 15 minutes and  didn't imagine that the way ahead would become so difficult.

I'd intended to stay another night in the mountains but I came back, exhausted by that drive. There is little to do in the mountain towns at night. You just sit somewhere and read and eat hotdogs because there aren't any proper restaurants and wonder what the hell you are doing there. But I like that emptiness sometimes.

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