First Week Adventures

The last part of this week held even more adventures.  As for the art class, the sketching part finally came together.  The last twenty minutes of the last session, I finally put the eyes in, and the drawing came alive.

Basic steps of the realist method

My drawing at stage two

I saw why they teach using the sigh-size method—it actually works extremely well.  So far, anyway—we start painting on Monday, and I am very much looking forward to it.

Near the Uffizi Gallery

I climbed to the top of the Duomo tower in the center of Florence— the one with the dome-and saw all of Florence spread out before me.  There were 370 stone steps to the top, and on the way up you could look inside through iron grates into the middle of the tower, and see the places inside that they used for jail cells.

Inside the Duomo tower

The Michaelangelo Piazza was also breathtaking.  From there you can watch the sunset with a spectacular view of the Arno River, as the molten sun sinks into the waters.  The whole city is awash in golden light for the hour of sunset, then fades into the palest pinks and delicate blues.

View from Piazza di Michaelangelo

We also visited some of the small ancient towns surrounding Florence, where they make the wine and grow the olives that Italy is so famous for.  The hill country is incredibly peaceful, a breath of fresh air in contrast to the lively business of the city.  We also got to watch a lovely Italian wedding on the steps of a cathedral.

At a tiny village outside Tuscany

Our class visited the Bargello museum yesterday.  We had an art historian for a tour guide, who told us fascinating tidbits about the paintings and sculptures we saw.  I felt so fortunate to be actually seeing with my own eyes those pieces of art that have changed the course of history, that I had seen pictures of in art history class as a freshman in college…Donatello’s David, early sculptures by Michaelangelo, and one other sculpture of David by Leonardo DaVinci’s early instructor, Andrea Del Verrocchio.  Through various methods art historians believe this statue to really be of the young Leonardo, posing as David, at age 14 or 15.

I also visited the Boboli gardens, with grounds so extensive and lovely you could get lost for hours.  I liked their long passages and pathways covered in vines, ending in piazzas filled with ancient marble statues and fountains.

In the Boboli Gardens

At the end of the week there was a party for all the artists involved with the Florence Academy of Art, held in an elegant courtyard walled in by stones covered in climbing vines and fountains.  The food was delicious, and the company very interesting.  All of the summer students were there, who are an eclectic mix from all over the world.  Some young students from the US, like me, but others were older artists very established in their fields and just looking to enhance their work.  Many were from different cultures—Austrailia, New Zealand, England, Japan, Norway.  Of course, the instructors were there, many of whom I was shocked were so young to be so accomplished.  I had the chance to meet some of the greatest artists in their field (realism), and they were very kind in answering my questions.

Something that has really struck me about everyone I have met associated with the Florence Academy of Art is their humility.  Even though these people are unbelievably good, both the full-time students and the teachers act as if there is nothing particularly spectacular in what they do.  “I dabble”, said one teacher, whose work I had seen online and had made my jaw drop.

Inside the Duomo

More to come…