It's been a while...

Okay, I've done a lot since I wrote last! It's frustrating posting this because often times my Internet will cut off mid- paragraph and I'll loose everything! That's why I'm a bit behind! Anyway!  

My Classes-

Batik- I have an old British woman named Iris as a teacher.  She sounds and dresses like Mrs. Doubtfire and has this fascinating ability to be cold and abrupt and completely sweet at the same time.  It is important to be on her good side, as far as I can see, and that I have done so far! I'm really excited about this class and I am almost done with my first project.  I will post a picture when it is complete.  I am doing a wall hanging of a Madonna and child floating over a sea of sunflowers.   Our assignment was to incorporate a bit of Tuscany into our pictures, who could I ignore the images I see decorating every wall of every church! I hope I put enough of my own spin on it, although she seems to like it so far.  Classes are three hours long, twice a week, but she always gives us coffee breaks. I am really enjoying the cappuccinos here! :)

Fresco-  I have two old Italian men as my professors instructing me in the classic art of fresco painting: Mario and Luigi!  Mario is short and has a mustache and everything!  We spent the first two weeks layering  the lime and sand and creating the colors we'll need from pigments.  Our first assignment was to copy one of Michelangelo's images from the Sistine chapel.  I am doing the blond sibyl who gazes down over her shoulder.  I have fresco every Wed. for six hours, but it's like going to grandpa's house.  Mario is so sweet and he makes us endless pots of coffee and gives us cookies! 

Int. Drawing- My teacher's name is John and he is British man.  He lives in Italy now and works as a sculpture.  He seems very nice once you get past a somewhat snooty accent! lol We spend 6 hours a week (tues. and thurs.) drawing from live nude models.   It is very peaceful and relaxing.  Today, however, we went to the Academia and spent three hours drawing the David! It was my first time seeing him in real life and it was quite overwhelming, and a very enjoyable field trip!

Early Renaissance Art History-

This class is taught by an energetic, sixty something, run 5-7 miles a day, American woman.  She never stops and so our field trips are exhausting! But, as tiring as it to be going 12 + hours a day, we learn and see so much.  We've gone to local sites like the Duomo, the Baptistery, Santa Croce, San Miniato, and the Uffizi, as well as Ravenna, Pisa, and Lucca.  San Miniato provided excellent views of the entire city as it located on the hill across the Arno.  Supposedly, St. Minias was a Armenian king who was decapitated in a Roman stadium in Florence.  he then carried his head up the Mountain to where his church is located now.  Anyway, there we toured the church and listened to the Gregorian chants of the monks in the crypt there.

Santa Croce, the Duomo and the Baptistery were beautiful. I saw Michelangelo's grave there. The Uffizi was amazing.  We didn't look at everything just Early Christian, Gothic, and Early Renaissance painting, however, I saw The Birth of Venus and many other works by Boticelli!

The day in Ravenna was long, but it is a charming small city.  We saw many churches, and Theodric'c mausoleum.  The highlight was San Vitale! The mosaics were amazing! I will post pictures of them! It was easy to see the otherworldly effect they were striving for!

The day we went to Pisa and Lucca, it was cold and rainy.  This was unfortunate but it did cut down the crowds, and the umbrellas were a colorful addition to my pictures!  The leaning tower was indeed leaning, and the pulpits by the nicola and giovanni pisano were amazing!  One entertaining story from Pisa was a tradition we witnessed.  When were about to enter the Baptistery, there were about forty Italian teenagers gathered around with their umbrellas. They were loud and excited and some of them were running around the Baptistery with their hands on the wall.  When we left the Baptistery forty minutes later, strange events were taking place.  The high school students were in groups walking forward and backward in between the Baptistery and the Duomo.  Some were hopping on one foot, some were shaking hands, and then they hit our butts! We were all so taken aback before a guard explained that this was a good luck tradition that takes place before their finals! They have to run around, then on one foot, then count and walk forwards and backwards between the buildings, then shake hands and hit 50 butts! It was a weird event to witness, mayhem!

Lucca was beautiful as well, somewhere I would like to visit on a sunny day.  It is very green and has many beautiful gardens.  Some of the gardens are on top of towers.  Full grown trees on top of Medieval towers!

About a week and a half back my roommate and I went to Fiesole (a suburb on the surrounding hills of Florence).  There we watched the sunset.  There is no way to explain this sight, so again, look to the pictures! 

Back in Florence, there was a chocolate festival taking place.  We went twice...it was glorious. Hot chocolate melted over fresh strawberries, dark chocolate covered almonds, and many, many samples!  

Welp, that's all I have in me for now!  Time to make dinner!  I write again soon! :)