Loe raamatut: «Visiting the Sea. Journey with the artist Konstantin Prusov», lehekülg 6

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18th of July. Secrets of night streets. Matera

Night in Matera. A sense of mystery doesn't leave me for a minute. Midnight. People are walking somewhere above. I start painting. In an hour – complete silence. Just me and cats looking at me in surprise, more often frightened when they see an alien in familiar places. But I know that they steal fish from trash cans ripping the packages. We reached an agreement – I keep painting. It's good that the streetlight is so close to me and I am able to observe the result. The lights went out. Everything belongs to the artist, more precisely – to his art.

Secrets of night streets. Matera. 2018.Canvas on cardboard, oil. 30x24 cm

19th of July. Matera under the sun

Daytime. Bright sunshine. I don't plan to paint anything. Suddenly apartment employees who curiously watched my art adventures all these days, asked me if I could depict the town from another side. Of course! Five minutes to pack. I'm ready.

We are driving speaking all languages we know and understand each other perfectly. Another proposal – do you want to see Jesus? You bet! We are running. Illegally we break into an ancient temple – a cave where He is waiting for us. I will remember this illicit meeting with Jesus my entire life. Wonderful but I must paint!

Encouraged, I quickly find a view of Matera from the cave similar to the Jesus grotto. Delight – it will be a little pearl…

Matera under the sun. 2018. Canvas on cardboard, oil. 18x24 cm

21st of July. An old boat. Gallipoli

I wish to paint a boat but where to find a special one, with spirit? My path led to Gallipoli – a town in Apulia in the south of Italy. I walked around a small historic center, visited the bay. I was not satisfied, I didn't see a composition. Having passed an ancient fountain in the town bay I found that I was looking for – a charismatic boat. It was abandoned but the artist would paint it – he loves blue color!

An old boat. Gallipoli. 2018. Canvas on cardboard, oil. 18x24 cm

23th of July. Olives at sunrise

Reviewing works I had painted for several days in Italy I understood one thing – there wasn't enough nature. How could I not paint olives? Unforgivable! I decided to complicate my task and to depict them early in the morning, to catch a sunrise.

And here sun mildly begins to show its character and olives humbly accept its will. The artist takes brushes and follows closely this wonderful connection.

Olives at sunrise. 2018. Canvas on cardboard, oil. 18x24 cm

The train between south cities of Italy. 2018

Fresco fragment. Somewhere in the south of Italy

24th of July. On the edge of Italy

I was looking for the sea but I found something special. It was my final work while visiting Italy.

The day when I went to Italian heel was hot. Who would have thought – it's impossible to reach it by train. Only by car or bus that has no schedule. I had to walk in total 12 km from and to railway station. To say I was exhausted would be an understatement. Especially on my way back after work was finished. At that moment fig ripening on plantations saved me. Tasty, ripe…

And in order to find an appropriate angle at main object I had to work for it. It was worth it but my poor legs…have walked so many kilometers.

After work I managed to drink a cold beer before siesta had started when all the people simply disappear. Tired but happy I went forward taking a look at the endless sea one last time…

A fig. Somewhere in the south of Italy

On the edge of Italy. 2018. Canvas on cardboard, oil. 24x18 cm

Ceramic decor. Somewhere in the south of Italy

The formula of Rome

My plein air painting in the south of Italy is completed – pleased with the job I've done I'm coming back to Rome. I appreciate this city a lot – for good and bad. So my bags are in the apartment and it's time for a walk.

Late in the evening after returning from Caracalla thermal baths I found marvelous pines near the Coliseum. They were illuminated by yellow streetlights – such a magnificent decision! Their texture and elegant silhouette could not inspire my creativity more.

I met only one passer-by on my way. Incredibly but if you just move away from the Coliseum a little bit people disappear, especially in the evening.

A young man in a red shirt was examining a piece of paper. It was a letter most likely. I was surprised by the scene – the pines seemed to spy on the personal correspondence. And how many lives have they seen in their lifetime? But still the Coliseum was the oldest here, not to mention stars in the sky.

In all of this I saw a life formula. There is an eternal and there is an ephemeral – everything depends on what Rome decides – to keep you in its memories or to erase forever.