Welcome to the 7th "Simbari Diaries" Newsletter

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Letter  7
March 2011

www.simbari.co.uk
The Simbari Diaries

March 2011 Newsletter !!              

Something intriguing came up, recently, while ‘surfing the net’, using the name “SIMBARI” - - - I found a short tribute to Nicola’s name and work . . . !
The author of the ‘piece’ is a young artist . . . 

        “I would rather have a ‘SIMBARI’ than a case of Veuve Cliquot wine . . .” 

she quotes, from a book she was reading - - - then she tells us of her “Simbari experience”. A compliment, indeed !

Today, a co-incidence ! - - - on The Alan Titchmarsh Show, “Wine for Investment” was one of the subjects . . . apparently, a case of a very special year of wine, is being sold at £50,000. !!!

Simbari - 'Balcone a Pozzuoli' . . .might this
painting
be
equal to a
‘vintage wine’?!

. . . for me,
this
beautiful
work
IS UNIQUE . . .
I love wine

BUT . !!!!!
. . . give me a
SIMBARI - -
“Balcone a Pozzuoli” acrylic on canvas ©Nicola Simbari

It is a great Compliment, when an artist and/or a photographer contacts this Page . . . Nicola’s “hobby” has always been Photography . . . he has never traveled without his large leather bag,  filled with film and lenses and his ‘trusty’ cameras !     Everything - - - being “his subject” !!   LIFE  . . .   his   life - - -

I have always been Nicola’s “Fan” - - -  so I cannot ‘judge’ how other people see his work . . . I just KNOW he is a Genius!

His small collection
of “Southwest”
Paintings was
“unexpected” . . .

I fell in love with
two, in particular . .

“Blue Dawn” and
“Navajo Girls” . . .

and they adorned
the walls of my
‘Atelier’ gallery, in
New York, in 1987.

- - magnificent !!!
Simbari - “Navaho Girls”
“Navaho Girls” acrylic on canvas ©Nicola Simbari

Though it is hard to pin-point ONE work as “my favourite” . . . I know which paintings created an “excitement” that has led me to a continued ‘fascination’, to this day - - - ! This is a small group of canvasses Nicola painted in 1981/82, of Formula One Racing . . . !

Simbari - 'Last Lap' If he had not
been an
Artist,

Nicola
would have
been racing
car driver !!!!

Or maybe,
A Clown!

“Last Lap”
acrylic on canvas
©Nicola Simbari

Nicola’s “Circus” exhibition in Paris and in New York. It was indeed a “Circus” !

Simbari - “Clown with Trombone” There were

Clowns and Jugglers . . .

Musicians  . . .

Tight-rope walkers . . .

Acrobats - - -

The
 EXCITEMENT
 of the Spectacle!!!!

“Clown with Trombone”
acrylic on canvas
©Nicola Simbari

When he was a small boy, he wanted to run away to join a circus
(or Saltimbanchi – a traveling group of entertainers)

So nothing changed then,    everything in his life was "a circus" . . .!!

Here are two of his sculptures, inspired by his LOVE of “theatre” . . .

Simbari - “Clown au Saxophone” They are filled
with
humour - - -
       with love . . .

not only
amazing
FEEL
but
‘colour’ . . .!
Simbari - “Acrobats a Cheval”
“Clown au Saxophone” ©Nicola Simbari “Acrobats a Cheval”
(photographed with “Cockfight” in the background)

- - - and yet - - - SIMBARI is (and will be) remembered for his Mediterranean . . . SUN --- LIFE - - - scenes of the Sea and boats, café and street scenes . . . and - - -

“Nazare” - Nicola Simbari
“Nazare”
acrylic on canvas
©Nicola Simbari
. . a superb holiday in Portugal . .

the vast Atlantic stretched out before us
- - - -
small fishing boats along the wide open beaches
- - - -
and the COLOURS !

Nicola “fell in love” - - -
with everything and everybody!!!!
next . . . .
ITALY!
A summer’s day . . . a drive to the beach . .
  . . . is this Ostia ?
            is it Fregene ?
                  is it Anzio ?
- - - for me . . .
      ‘HE’ is “Nicolino” . . . (as a boy)
            - - - the “freedom” of his boyhood!

Detail from “Boy on a Beach Towel”
oil on canvas
©Nicola Simbari
“Boy on a Beach Towel” - Nicola Simbari

Our very first years together were a “discovery” for me - - - I had never traveled around Italy . . . I ‘knew’ Rome and Milan, and had visited Florence and Venice !

But Nicola’s love of ‘the South’ and the SEA introduced me to Calabria and the Marche and Naples . . and Sicily . . . such a different ‘world’ . . .

      COLOURS and SUN . . .

How could anyone not ‘fall in love’ with Naples ! ! !

and Capri! . . .
    and Ischia ??

. . . sitting at a Café
    . . . having a ‘gelato’ and
watching the ‘world go by’
    whilst a singer strummed on his guitar - - - and sang his song of love

pure “ROMANCE” !!!!
“Café in Ischia” - Nicola Simbari
“Edera” - Nicola Simbari
“Café in Ischia”
oil on canvas
©Nicola Simbari

- - - or strolling down a narrow
street in Capri,
    Sorrento
         or Amalfi . . .
white walls . . .
     bright plants climbing up . . .
         all in colourful ‘abandon’ . . . !
“Edera”
acrylic on canvas
©Nicola Simbari

          - - - - Nicola’s GREECE is Magical . . . !
When we traveled through the Greek islands, on a fishing boat, he was enchanted by Santorini and Mykonos. . and was soon speaking with the fishermen in Greek!!!!

“Greek Harbour” - Nicola Simbari
“Greek Harbour” acrylic on canvas ©Nicola Simbari

Which reminds me . . .  BUT . . . that's another entire chapter of the
"The Diaries" and the Adventures of living with Nicola Simbari !!!

      Regards Elfrida . . .

Web:     www.simbari.co.uk - The Simbari Diaries Website

Email:    elfrida.simbari@gmail.com