Ciao tutti! By way of introduction, I’m Amina Quargnali-Diehl. My relationship to La Romita School of Art is as follows: I’m a member of LRSA’s Board of Directors, and the daughter of Paola Quargnali, Enza’s sister. Paola died in 2003, but for many years was an equal partner with Enza in running LRSA. My brother Alessandro, also an integral  part of La Romita School and a Board member, is the School’s web-guru and the architect of all things Internet and social-media related. Yeah Sandro for

Our third group of the season just left this morning. The indomitable Karlyn Holman from the shores of Lake Superior. They were a hard-working group of painters who filled the walls of the Chapel / studio with their ambitious work. Here are some photos of last night’s aperativo with a performance of their “Ode to La Romita”…in their version of updated Capuchin garb… Our final dinners are now special Italian “grigliate” (barbeques). Olive wood, from the trimming of our trees, makes everything taste amazing.

Ben and Enza are back in Washington DC enjoying the presence there of their globetrotting son Lars Benson, daughter-in-law Francesca and grandson Giulio. Toward the end of their long stay in Angola, where Lars was working for an N.G.O. which helps fledgling democracies to get on their feet economically, the younger Bensons visited La Romita. Here’s a profile of Giulio in Italy: I’m back in San Francisco and the 2009 brochures are in the mail. Don’t hesitate to call me toll-free with any questions…or just

Ken O’Connell, Professor Emeritus and long time Dean of Fine Arts at the University of Oregon was just here with a group of students. His talent, energy, and commitment are an inspiration to all of us. Here’s Ken (center) and some of his group having cappucino in Orvieto. Ken took advantage of a visit by Santa Fe artist and figure model (and LR participant) Cheryl Anne Lorance for some lessons in classical drawing techniques in the La Romita studio / chapel. Tante belle cose Edmund

The amazing Indiana Plein Air Painters, led (somewhat) by the indefatigable Frank Downton, just departed from La Romita with cases full….FULL…of paintings. They are one of the most prolific and talented bunches ever to grace our studio. They are also warm and funny and incredibly cosmopolitan for a group with hometowns with names like Noblesville, Martinsville, and Crawfordsville. Here are a couple of photos: thinking outside the shutters… Now Benno Philippson, artist, architect, and sketchbook maestro, has brought his Portland based followers…along with some Coloradans,

The 2008 season is under way and the first session, with Marian Dunn was a great success. By the end of the two-week period, one of our participants said that she’d found twenty new best friends. This is hardly unusual at La Romita. We visited medieval fairs in both Narni and Assisi…here are a couple of photos from Assisi… and while we’re in Assisi, let’s make a little comparison between the gorgeous Umbrian wheel windows…first at the basilica of San Francesco… and then at Santa