THANK YOU ONE AND ALL

Craig and I want to thank everyone of our friends who came to see us this summer. We met so many wonderful new people at that many different art shows we were in over the season. We had a great time this year and hope you did too.

We'll soon be off one our next FOTO JOURNEY to the regions of PUGLIA and BASILICATA which form the "heel" and "arch" of the ITALIAN "boot". These are regions we've wanted to explore since our trip to SICILIA in 2005 but, for various reasons, we haven't been able to make this trip happen until now. The anticipation has been killing me as I have been planning this trip for four years!!!

Look for new Blogs and fotos along our way through these lesser traveled but fascinating regions of southern ITALY.

Grazie tutti!
jane and craig

ART ON THE GREEN in BURR RIDGE, IL

Just an update before we leave the house to set up. THE WEATHER IS GOING TO BE FABULOUS THIS WEEKEND!!! No excuses not to come out to this wonderful NEW art Fair. For times and directions, please see my posting from Wednesday. See you at the fair!

Jane and Craig

ONE LAST CHANCE TO SEE FOTOAMORE

The 2009 art show season has just flown by. Of course, here in Chicago, we're still awaiting the arrival of summer and it's already 09/09/09! Craig and I are really looking forward to our last show coming up this weekend, September 12 and 13, from 10:00-5:00 both days. There's a lot of excitement for this brand new art show: ART ON THE GREEN to be held at the new BURR RIDGE VILLAGE CENTER, 701 Village Center Drive in Burr Ridge, IL. Burr Ridge Village Center is easily located at I55 and Exit S. County Line Rd. If you see a Hot Air Balloon, that's the place! FotoAmore will be the corner, Booth 500 in front of Coldwater Creek. As ever, Craig and I look forward to seeing you at the fair!

Lake Forest: Art on the Square

We are in booth #6 this weekend (along Western Avenue) at the Art on the Square Show in Lake Forest, IL. It should be another beautiful weekend, so we hope you stop by to say hi! The show runs Sunday(the 6th)from 10-5 and Monday (the 7th) from 10-4. Ciao,
Craig and Jane

Port Clinton Art Show this weekend!!

Come visit us at the Port Clinton Art Show this weekend in Highland Park, IL. The show runs from 10am to 6pm on Saturday, August 29th and Sunday, August 30th. For more information, please visit Port Clinton Art Show Information.

Download a pdf of the Festival Map. We're in Booth #4.

The Port Clinton Art Show ranks as one of the top art shows in the United States each year. Don't miss it!

Schedule for the next two weekends:
ART FAIR ON THE SQUARE in Lake Forest, IL on September 6 and 7
ART ON THE GREEN in Burr Ridge, IL on September 12 and 13

Mille Grazie Tutti!

Here we are pictured at Italian Style 2009 with the beautiful Roasnna Capriati, Miss Italia Nord America, who stopped by our gallery. We are so proud to tell you that we raised almost $900.00 from the sales of our photographs. This money will be donated to help reconstruct the beautiful Teatro Comunale in L'Aquila which was severely destroyed in the devastating earthquake which took place on April 6, 2009. Mille grazie to all of you who helped raise funds for this worthy cause by purchasing from us at the expo. We're so grateful to you all. Please keep in mind that beside the irreplaceable art treasures lost, there are 65,000 inhabitants of L'Aquilia and the surrounding area that are still homeless from this tragedy. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

We're getting ready for our next two weekends of shows. You'll find us this weekend, July 31, August 1 and 2, at the Gold Coast Art Fair in Chicago. Our booth, #446, is located on the corner of Huron at Wells Street.

Next weekend, August 8 and 9, is Art at The Glen in Glenview and our booth is #152. The art show takes place along Tower Drive in The Glen shopping center. Our booth is located on the east side of Tower Drive south of the movie theater.

We've added a new 16" x 20" size to our gallery wrapped photographs on canvas. These are a wonderful size, large enough to enjoy from a distance but small enough to fit any tiny space. I hope you have an opportunity to come to one or both of these fine art shows. See you at the Fair!

Mag Mile Art Show Update

Sonia Grineva, an artist friend of ours from New York, just happened to be in town yesterday, and stopped by our booth at the Magnificant Mile Art Show. We met Sonia in Ravello, Italy on the Amalfi coast, two years ago. We were introduced to each other by the small hotel's owner. We had no idea she was going to be in town yesterday, so it was a great surprise that really made our day!

In the Studio on another 4th of July Weekend!

Here we are working in the studio over another 4th of July. No time to participate in all the activities surrounding this holiday weekend when we have two big art shows over the next two weekends. Our Chicago weather has been more like late September this past week. Unfortunately, for those celebrating the holiday with parades and picnics, it rained this afternoon. Luckily, it looks like the evening will be rain free for fireworks!

July 10, 11 and 12 we return to the Magnificent Mile Art Festival on Michigan Ave just north of the Chicago River. It's a beautiful location for a 3-day art show. Last year we arrived in France on the 4th of July and missed the Mag Mile show while we were singing and photographing Provence.

The following weekend, July 17, 18 and 19, we have been asked to participate in Italian Style 2009 on Chicago's Navy Pier, Festival Hall A. Italian Style is the largest "Made in Italy" expo in America showcasing all things Italian: Food & Wine, Design, Tourism and Fashion.

Craig and I were honored to be asked to participate in the L'Arte per L'Arte: Project Abruzzo section of the expo. We will be joined by painters and photographers from all over Italy who will be displaying and selling their collections with us. We, the artists, are donating a portion of the proceeds from our sales at the expo to support the reconstruction of one of the many historical sites that were destroyed in the April 6th earthquake which took place in and surrounding the city of L'Aquila [see my Blog 6/6/09]. We are honored to be given the opportunity to "give back" to this great country and to help restore the beautiful province of L'Aquila. Won't you please help us in this worthy cause.

For more information, please go to: http://www.italianexpo.us/

Glencoe Festival of the Masters

This weekend we will be exhibiting our work in the Glencoe Festival of the Masters in Glencoe, IL (Park Avenue and Green Bay Road).

We're in booth #40 and the show runs from 10am-5pm both June 27-28 (Sat/Sun). Additional show information: Glencoe Festival of the Masters

Hopefully we will get to see you this weekend!!
It should be a great show!!

Take care,
Craig and Jane

The Show Season Continues

With three shows complete, our season is now off to a good start. In this image, Jane is sharing some of her artistic insights with some of our patrons from the Hinsdale show. With no show this coming weekend, we are back in "production mode" again completing orders and preparing for the next round of shows.

Will we see you in Glencoe on June 27-28?

Pioneer Press Article

May 21, 2009

By STEPHANIE FOSNIGHT Contributor

Although Jane Love is happy in Arlington Heights, a piece of her heart will always belong to Italy, where she lived in her 20s. Now she goes back every year, taking her husband Craig and a set of cameras, and the Loves delight in getting off the beaten track to explore villages and rural scenes.

The pair's Italian trips provide a bounteous feast of images for their FotoAmore photography business, and, thanks to the Promenade of Art Arlington Heights, the first people the Loves get to share the photographs with are their own neighbors.

The annual Promenade of Art Arlington Heights, running May 30-31, is the first showing in a long summer of art festivals for the Loves -- and it's their favorite.

"It's a nice way to ease back into this crazy world," Jane Love said. For most festivals, the couple rise at 3 a.m., drive a few hours to the site and then pitch their tent in the dawn, but for the Promenade they get to set up in practically their own back yard.

"It helps us build up our stamina and get used to the art festival circuit," she said.

Craig Love agrees.

"It's nice to do something local," he said. "The festival has the real feeling of a hometown, community event."

Such a community event was what art festival producer Amy Amdur had in mind when she created the Promenade seven years ago, in partnership with Northwest Community Hospital.

"The hospital wanted to do a community outreach," Amdur said. "When I looked at the demographics of Arlington Heights, it looked really promising. There are great restaurants, it's a charming town, there's plenty of parking, the site is right next to the train. It easily and quickly came together."

In fact, it's taken less than a decade for the Promenade of Art Arlington Heights to be ranked among the Top 100 art festivals in the United States by a festival trade publication, out of more than 10,000 annual shows.

The Promenade not only features 150 juried artists from around the country, but also has four separate live music areas, plenty of food and a variety of family activities. A yearly favorite is Art Festival Bingo, and this year there's a free stall where children can create their own books. Then there are other craft booths where, for a fee, children can tie-dye T-shirts and paint tiles, with a portion of the proceeds going to the hospital.

One big benefit for the adults, Amdur said, is that festival rules require the artists to be present at their own booths.

"The public has the opportunity to meet the artist and ask questions," she said.

That's part of the fun for the Loves, who chat at length with visitors to their FotoAmore booth. Sometimes native Italians even stop by.

"They look at our photographs and say we photograph the way they do, not like an outsider," Jane Love said. "To me, that's such a high compliment."

What strikes Craig Love is the way so many festival-goers tell him they can see themselves in the pictures on display.

"Our photographs bring back memories people have of their own travels or their family history," he said. "Looking at the photographs together is an interesting way to connect with people."

Promenade of Art favorite of artists, visitors
(http://www.pioneerlocal.com/barrington/entertainment/1579669,entertainment-nwlake-promenade-052109-s1.article)

Art Show Mania

T-Minus 13!!

Only 13 more days until our first art show of the season, The Promenade of Art, in Arlington Heights, IL. The intensity is beginning to build as it usually does this time of year.

Our HP z3100 wide format digital printer has been running non-stop lately. We've also been busy matting prints of our newer images and preparing many new canvas prints. They are all stacked up and ready to spray and mount onto stretcher bars at this point. Oh the joy!

Something about the deadline tends to motivates us to work at a feverish pace so we can be ready in time. Hopefully we will have great weather over May 30-31. The weather can really make an outdoor event special if it cooperates.

The Promenade of Art, an excellent show, is managed by Amdur Productions. Amy Amdur always attracts high quality artists to the event and Northwest Community Hospital is a sponser. It is a community event in the true sense of the word. We hope you will be able to stop by and see our newest works. We always enjoy seeing our collectors in person and learning what's new in their lives.

Well, back to the "salt mines." No rest for the weary, unfortunately. See you soon!!

Tra la,

2009 Show Postcard!!!

We finished the layout for our show postcard, which will be mailed to everyone on our mailing list in the next couple of weeks. This year's card features nine separate but complimentary images of Italy and France that have come together beautifully.

Our newest French sunflower image, prominently set in the center, has already begun to generate significant interest from our collectors. This stunning French sunflower will compliment our Italian poppies beautifully.

If you're not already on our mailing list, drop us an email with your 'snail mail' address and we will get one out to you right away. The back of the card features convenient reminders of the shows we are participating in this summer. It's hard to believe that the season is actually here! I hope we get to see you at one of the shows this summer!

Springtime has arrived!!!!!

Papillon en Lavende

In this image, the gentle white butterfly renews its sustenance from the lavender pollen. Taken in Aix-en-Provence last year, it sings springtime! It has been such a rainy April here in Chicago and we are finally experiencing the most beautiful weekend we've had all year. Soaking in the sun's vitamin D, we feel like the butterfly today, dancing among the Royal's purple below. We are refreshed. Springtime has arrived!!!!!

Coming back into our studio, we're filled with anticipation and a slight sense of anxiety for the summer season. It's getting very close to our first art show of the year. On May 30 and 31, we will be participating in The Promenade of Art in Arlington Heights, our hometown's fine art festival. We are beginning to work feverishly in preparation for all of our upcoming shows for this summer.

We'll be featuring the photographs from our most recent photo shoot last July in Provence, France, but we haven't forsaken our Italian roots. We will have photographs from both our French and Italian collections at the art shows. Provence, being a former Roman province, compliments Italy quite nicely. We're certain even the most devout Italophile will fall in love with the images from Provence as we did.

We're introducing new smaller modular image formats at our shows this summer. These new 20"x20" square images printed on canvas can be mixed up and hung in different groupings suitable for any home or office decor.

We hope you will have an opportunity to stop by to see our newest works this summer. We are currently participating in 11 shows in the Chicago area between late May and mid-September.

A Brief History of Springtime Travels to Italy

Under My Umbrella Ravello, Campania

People always ask for our advice when planning a trip to Italy. We love answering their questions except for the dreaded "when is the best time to travel there?", which translates to "when is the weather perfect?" Back in the 1970's when I lived in Vicenza, April and May or September and October, were the ideal months to spend in bell'italia. But as you've probably noticed, nothing has stayed the same in Italy except for it's ruins and art!

Maybe it's because of the stormy weekend we're having here in Chicago, but this particular foto, "Under My Umbrella", really spoke to me today. I know the saying goes "April showers bring May flowers" but this foto exemplifies the fact that I can't even choose the "perfect" time for Craig and I to travel to Italy. This foto was taken in the Villa Rufolo in Ravello in the beginning of May, 2007. Almost our entire 2 weeks on the Amalfi Coast were spent under black storm clouds and downpours. I thought I'd chosen the ideal time to capture the coast at it's loveliest.... full of spring flowers and excusite vistas overlooking the gulf of Salerno. But no, we spent our days dashing from wherever we could take refuge from the storms back to the villas Rufolo and Cimbrone the minute the skies would clear.

That wasn't the first spring trip we spent under a cloud...Sicily in April of 2004, a hiking trip through the vineyards of the Langhe in the Piemonte in May of 2001 we found ourselves up to our knees in mud, a Grand Tour with my parents in May of 2000 and Venice in 1999.... We'd be happy to answer any question you might have to help you plan your Italian trip...just don't ask about the weather!!!

"Sul Ponte", Venezia

"A realist, in Venice, would become a romantic by mere faithfulness to what he saw before him." -- Arthur Symons, Welsh poet (1865-1945).

Facing each other on the bridge, a young couple sits silhouetted by the warm glow of the faux facade, its reflection in the canal below. Venetian street lamps, some lit and some not, are arranged in perfect balance with the couple. A touch of greenery, a laundered coolness, a blue sky, a peacefulness... Maybe you can see yourself in this dreamlike romantic scene, just relaxing and enjoying the late afternoon together...in the Queen of the adriatic, Venice.

Le Tournesol - The Sunflower

"Le Tournesol", Aix-en-Provence, Provence

THE WILD SUNFLOWER
At early dawn, like soldiers in their places,

Rank upon rank the golden sunflowers stand;

Gazing toward the east with eager faces,

Waiting, until their god shall touch the land

To life and glory, longingly they wait,

Those voiceless watchers at the morning's gate.

Dawn's portals tremble silently apart;

Far to the east, across the dewy plain,

A glory kindles that in every heart

Finds answering warmth and kindles there again;

And rapture beams in every radiant face

Now softly glowing with supernal grace.

And all day long that silent worship lasts,

And as their god moves grandly down the west,

And every stem a lengthening shadow casts

Toward the east, ah, they love him best,

And watch till every lingering ray is gone,
Then slowly turn to greet another dawn

~By Albert Bigelow Paine~

Our Thoughts and Prayers for L'Aquila

The Fountain of the 99 Spouts (L'Aquila)

Santa Maria di Collemaggio (L'Aquila)

Our hearts go out to the people of the Abruzzo suffering from a devastating earthquake which hit the region's capital city of L'Aquila about 3:30 AM this morning. The heavy damage not only destroyed much of L'Aquila but many of the small cities and villages within the province of L'Aquila have also suffered destruction. As the death toll is mounting most of the citizens of L'Aquila are now homeless.

Craig and I spent 8 days in L'Aquila in June, 2002, while photographing the province. We love L'Aquila and I have already made reservations to return there in October on our way to Puglia. I'll be very sad to have to change our plans.

L'Aquila has been a mountain stronghold since the Middle Ages when its construction was begun by Frederick II. It was completed in 1254 and has a distinguished architectural heritage with many prized Romanesque, Renaissance and Baroque gems. I was greatly saddened to read that the Cultural Minister said that among much other destruction was the collapse of a wall of the 13th Century Santa Maria di Collemaggio and the Renaissance bell tower of the Basilica of San Bernadino. Reports of partially collapsed and damaged ancient monuments have been reported throughout the province and as far as Rome, 70 miles away.

Please keep the people of the Abruzzo in your thoughts and prayers.

"Story in Stone" - Arles Provence

Arles, a region with a rich history, was originally established by the Greeks at "Theline" in the 6th century B.C. It later came under Roman rule and was then known as "Arelate", when it became a town of considerable importance, possessing the southernmost bridge on the Rhone River.

In the 5th and 6th Centuries, its prominance peaked when Emporers used it to conduct military campaigns from it as their headquarters. It was a favorite of Emporer Constantine I. In the 8th Century it was overtaken by the Muslim Saracens and the Franks, when it became the capital city of the Kingdom of Arles.

In the 12th Century, the Romans again returned and in 1378, when the Kindom of Arles ended, it was ceded to King Charles XI of France. The arrival of the railway in the 19th Century caused the river trade to fade and it became a backwater which preserved the old town with its Roman theater and Roman arena.

In 1888, Van Gogh arrived in Arles. Strolling around Arles today, you can't avoid being swept up by its history and its Roman and medieval architectural elements. While it functions as a modern city today, there are clues into its past just about everywhere you look. The faces on the capitals of the columns are part of the riches of Bible stories told in stone in the beautiful cloister of the Eglise St. Trophime.

More I Cappelli - Gary visits Cortona!

Gary just had to have this photograph! A collector of FotoAmore fine art photographs, Gary visited the source of I Cappelli , Cortona, Tuscany, and shared his "Gary on location" photo with us. Note the fine Borsalino on his head, just purchased at the very shop in Craig's photograph. Very dashing!

It was so nice to get to know Gary at the Glencoe, IL, art show this past year. He and his wife shared some of their favorite Italian travel experiences with us, which we found fascinating. Meeting our collectors personally and getting to know them a little better is what we like best about doing fine art shows.

It won't be long before our tent will be up again for another show season. We hope to meet you and to get to know you better this year, too!

"I Cappelli" - Cortona, Toscana

"I Cappelli" -- The subtle variations in both the pallette and the shape of the men's hats in this image transport me back in time to a simpler way of life. For me, they conjour up visions of the 1950's when hats were all the rage in movies and in society at large. Was it a simpler time back then? Really difficult to say. Everyone always seemed to be in a hurry, rushing around, but isn't that really a lot like how it is today too?

The continuum of the beiges of the hats offers both a sense of personal individuality as well as a sense of community, of belonging to something that is bigger than the self. You wouldn't want to be caught without your hat in this town, lest you be considered an outsider, but you can also have your own personal, special hat, the one that fits just you, the one that says "this is me!"

Taking a closer look, you will notice that many of the hats have different shapes too. From the Super Fino Montecristi Fedora to the various Panamas including the Brim, the Downbrim, the Quenca Fino and the Optimo. While similar from a distance, they are all unique in their own way too.

Regretfully, I resisted the impulse to purchase one of the hats in the window while in Cortona. I foolishly waited until about a year later when I had the opportunity to purchase the same hat at a much higher price on the Amalfi coast. At least it finally cured my longing for a fine Borsalino Brim.

While interest in hats seems to have been fading now for several years, I do hope that such hats will begin to make their comeback in modern society one of these days soon. They bring back a formality of style that has been eluding us.

"Petit Rue" - Aigues-Mortes

Aigues-Mortes, a walled Medieval town in the Petite Camargue area of Provence, has a prestigious heritige and is known for its 13th-century military architecture. In fact, it still looks much the same today as it did in the Middle Ages. Its name comes from aquae mortuae, meaning "dead waters" for the surrounding saline delta marshland terraine from which comes the prized Fleur de Sel de Camargue.

A port for commerce was built here in 1240 according to the plans of French Crusader King Louis IX (Saint Louis), which assisted him in launching his crusades to the Holy Land from here. The Tower de Constance was initially built by Louis to protect the workers during the construction of the town. The town's fortifications were built by the next two kings of France, his son Philip III (the Bold) and his grandson Philip IV (the Fair).

Following a century of royal priviledge, the port area silted up and the town fell into neglect. Aigues-Mortes, since it has never been greatly restored, seems frozen in time. Strolling above the town on its ramparts, you can't avoid being swept up by its history and its unique and original architectural elements. There are clues into its past just about everywhere you look.

Back on the ground walking the "Petit Rue" one can inspect the architectural history much more closely. The angled patterns of the stones, which have softened with age, the doorways, windows and shutters all form a caleidoscope of subtle contrasts.

"Porta Prima" - Verona

"Prima Porta" features an entrance into the Giardino Giusti in Verona. The giardino, in typical Renaissance style, was created at the end of the 15th Century as the backdrop for the Giusti Palace. It was the home of Agostino Giusti, Knight of the Venitian Republic.

Off a busy street of Verona, the giardino is a lush, very green and peaceful oasis. With the right light, it is a photographer's paradise. Mythological statues line the paths along with tall, graceful cypress trees.

On our last visit to Verona, we spent a lot of time in the giardino, returning at different times to experience how the sunlight would touch it. Early morning, before the sun was warm was our favorite time of day.

"Early Morning" - Verona

"Early Morning" ...inside of the Giardino Giusti

"Treasures of the Vine" - Uzès, Provence

Uzès, a medieval city build on a limestone plateau in Provence, lies about 20 miles north of Nîmes, about 30 miles west of Avignon and about 50 miles from the Mediterranean Sea. In 1632, it became the first Duchy of France.

In addition to the Pont du Gard Roman aqueduct, the region is known for its truffles, wines of the Duché d'Uzès, olives and abundent local market produce. Uzès was also the starting point for the Roman Aqueduct of Nîmes.

Trésors des vigne ("Treasures of the Vine") is the name of the shop in this image. The beautiful lace in the windows above, the architectural reflections below, the oak barrel in front and the rouge colored entrance are subtle reminders of recent corkings, decantings and delicate sippings. Perhaps a cheese tasting would be a nice compliment.

For our wine lovers.

2009 - New Provence Images Added

[Opening night Parade of Lanterns during the Costume Festival in Arles, France, on the 4th of July, 2008.]

Here we are on Valentine's Day 2009 and we're in the midst of scheduling our art shows for the coming season. We'll be adding new show commitments to the "Art Shows" page on our website as jury results come in.

You may have noticed that we veered off our normal course last year by visiting Provence, France instead of Italy. We had the opportunity to perform the works of a Provencal based composer, Pierre Villette, with the Chicago Master Singers in several important Provencal venues. This gave us the opportunity to add new images to our portfolio. We have wanted to expand into the Roman provinces throughout the Mediterranean and this was the perfect opportunity. We were able to combine the two things we love most, photography and music, in this fabulous trip.

We loved Provence. It is definitely similar to Italy in many ways and yet different. Open and friendly people, wonderful foods and wines, fascinating history, etc. What's not to like? We will indeed return there again to spend more time in that region.

This year we will be visiting Puglia and Basilicata in the fall, finalmente! Jane is right in the middle of planning our photo excursion there (you probably already knew that she is the our travel planning guru). If you have any ideas regarding places we should visit or things we should consider seeing, please let us know. We've wanted to make this trip for many years and are really looking forward to seeing the southern most regions of Italy.

We converted our printing platform from Epson to HP over the past year. The HP z3100 uses 12 inks, has a 44 inch carriage and has a built in color management spectrometer. Craig is really jazzed about how well it works and the results it produces.

Canvas keeps growing in interest these days. More and more of our clients are interested in having our images produced on canvas. Canvas works wonderfully in all types of home and business decorating. We can frame them if you wish, but they really work well unframed since the sides are mirrored which finishes the look.

We hope you are thinking about adding to your art collection this year. Even with the weak economy, we have found that many of our clients are more interested than ever in beautifying their homes. As we're all spending more time at home, why not enhance your environment with some new art.

Thank you for being so supportive of us as we've grown over the years. It really means a lot to us to include you, our collectors, as friends, also.

Best,
Craig and Jane