Completed Portrait of Julia; Last Days in Florence

Portrait of Julia, oil on canvas, 55 cm by 70cm, copyright Jessica Libor 2009

This weekend was bittersweet—the sense of satisfaction that comes with completing a painting and the prospect of returning home, but also the thought of all that I would leave here in Florence. The European feel of the city, the sense of the great master artists who have left their mark on everything, watching the sunsets from the cliffs of Piazza Michelangelo, the solid training of the school, the possibilities that anything really can happen, the gothic grandeur of the churches, and most of all the dear friends I will leave here.

The last day of class we were all putting the finishing touches on our paintings, and there was a general air of excitement and laughter as we painted. All in all, everyone seemed happy with his or her paintings. The method of training that the Florence Academy of Art specializes in pulls an artistry out of you that you didn’t know you had. Truly, nearly everyone’s portraits looked soft and life-like, and beautiful to look on.

Portrait class on the last day

My model, Julia, posed for a picture with me and the girl I shared a studio with for the month.

Vanessa (left), Julia (center, the model we both painted), and I on the last day of class

The rest of the weekend mostly consisted of the girlfriends I made here and I sketching the sculptures and paintings, listening to the musicians on the streets in the evening, and just soaking in Florence as much as possible before our planes took us back to our various countries. The city here is vivid; in the colors, music, people, the depth of art, and its energy. It will remain so in my mind; and even though I may have left Florence, Florence will never leave me.

In Front of the Uffizi Museum

Florence

Back in the USA, I am getting geared up for finishing a large mural, and also for an upcoming show at the Eden Boheme in Charleston, SC. I will keep you informed as to projects coming up. I am excited to be back even though I will miss the training in Florence. But after being away for so long, there is no place like home. I am glad to be back.

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