week 4

This week is 4 of 6 on my long pose at the Florence Academy.

so far so good.

most of my mornings are spent working at either the sculpture studio (with a sculptor named Lori) or in one of the students studio at Porta Romana (with Sean and Theresa, this is the reclining pose... it's beautiful!!!! i'll try to get some photos of the paintings). my afternoons are the standing pose and evenings are free for now.... Yesterday a man who used to teach at the FAA came in and asked me to pose for him as well, and the students in the first year studio, Casine, are trying to hire me for a weekend pose when i'm not doing extra work with Lori, Sean, or Theresa.

work is plentiful and i couldn't be more grateful. I talked with the model coordinator at the FAA and she told me she wanted to schedule me to work for them as long as i'm in the country, which was also wonderful news. job security is quite nice and it's wonderful working on long term projects. it looks as if i'll be working between 25-35 hours every week, which is nice, exhausting, but nice.

i was talking to adam on friday, telling him all about work and such, when he reminded me, "all work and no play makes nessa a dull boy".... which is true. and that's why i'm going to Venice this weekend. I'm leaving after class on friday, it's only a 3 hour train ride, and i'll come back sunday evening. just enough time to check out La Bennale di Venezia, take the water bus through the city, sample the food and hopefully pop into a museum or two. if any of you have been to Venice and have any advice on places to go, I'd love the input.

in the spirit of avoiding being a dull boy I've also been getting out and exploring the town. Friday i found a health food store that was as wonderfully overpriced as the ones in the states are. i did find some miso soup mix, tofu, and splendid herbal teas. yesterday i stopped in at a music store and played the guitars for a little while... i noticed a new poster for Taylor guitars on the wall and found 6 boxes nearby who's contents could only be the glory of a Taylor... sadly they weren't unpacked yet so i couldn't play them... i'll have to go back. i miss my guitar.

I've also discovered the beauty of Cappuccino. before my morning sessions at Porta Romana i go to the little cafe down the street, stand at the bar and sip my delightful drink while i watch the people go through their morning routines. Interestingly enough there are unspoken rules about cappuccino , like you don't drink them after 11 am unless you want to oust yourself as a tourist.... go figure. I've yet to discuss with a local how these rules developed, but i'd love to get an insiders view on the coffee society in italy.

I've also (although these are from a while ago) had the opportunity to visit the Accademia to see Michelangelo's David. it was amazing. I've no idea how he made the stone look so smooth, so life like. he carved the hands so you can see the veins, the torso looks so lifelike... it's really phenomenal. there is currently an exhibit of Robert Mapplethorpe's less controversial work being displayed in part of the Accademia. it was a wonderful exhibit, his skill with the photographic craft is amazing, and some of the images were so moving. I had mixed feelings about the exhibit as it continued out into the gallery and was displayed next to Michelangelo's "prisoners" the unfinished statues that line the hallway leading to David. David himself was flanked by 4 mapplethorpe photos. i understand the comparison of beauty in the human figure, but it wasn't my favorite display. the two together felt too harsh a contrast. I admired both sets of work, but i think they're both stronger standing alone. overall it was a great afternoon at the Accademia.

I also went to a museum called La Specola. it was AMAZING! the first 12 rooms or so are filled with more taxidermy animals than you can imagine. they had an extinct Tasmanian Tiger and a hippo that used to be a pet of the royal family... it used to live in Boboli gardens. this particular hippo was stuffed around 300 years ago... so it's not the most stelar job, but it's still pretty impressive. they had everything from lions to zebras, birds of every size from every continent(penguins, hummingbirds, ostrich, pheasant....), gorillas and orangutans, and even dolphins. it was a phenomenal collection. but even more interesting... were the next 9 rooms which are stuffed to the brim with wax models of cadavers. they were crated to help medical students study the human body. sadly pictures were strictly forbiden so i don't have any to share, but if you click on the link above (click on the word La Specola) it'll take you to some. there were full bodies, close ups on hands, feet, head... everywhere... they were so intricate, it reminded my of my anatomy class... minus the smell of phenol, which was a bonus. in any case, it was great fun, if you're in Florence and want something a little different from the Uffizi, this is definitely a step off the beaten path. not for the squeamish, but i highly recommend it.

overall things are going well, it's gotten quite cold here though and country wide heaters aren't supposed to be turned on until November 1st in the name of energy conservation. so... we're bundling up. it's actually nice going to work cause they have space heaters blowing on me... sometimes i'm warmer there than in my bedroom. ha. in any case, venice is coming up, i'll be sure to post about it soon.

Sunday at the Uffizi

Today I took my second trip to the Uffizi museum of art. It's a really wonderful collection and i'm glad that i have to time to revisit it and take my time with the work there. My first visit was a bit rushed seeing as it was about 40 minutes before they closed up for the evening, but i made it through the first wing on that trip. so this time i breezed through the annunciations, crucifixes, and madonnas that almost the entire wing is made up of and explored the second wing fairly thoroughly.

The history in that building is simply amazing... looking at these works that were created between 1200-1600 strikes me with awe... realizing how many people dedicated their lives to creating these paintings, how much control the church had over what was created, and the amazing quality of some of the pieces. I was surprised at how dark some of the original paintings actually are, specifically the Sacrifice of Isaac and Rembrandt's self portrait. they were both much darker than the images i found online, the were still mesmerizing though.

The art was amazing, but so were the people at the museum. I sat and watched the people walking by for a good 30 or 40 minutes. i shared a bench with 11 strangers... i just stayed and watched and they cycled through. I chatted with a lady who was visiting with her husband, they are celebrating their 25 year anniversary by taking a bike tour down the coast between Pisa and Rome.... amazing. watching the onlookers was quite interesting, but my favorite person was one of the guards who was sitting in one of the smaller rooms. he was amazing.

he must have been late 60's early 70's. his pants were too short, and the hems were just frayed edges of the fabric. he wasn't wearing socks and his shoes were scuffed and tattered. his Uffizi uniform jacket was a few sizes too large. he had thinning salt and pepper hair, more pepper than salt. and an amazing mustache. he had a stack of newspapers next to him, one in hand, and i couldn't tell if he was actually reading it or just doodling in the margins. he was so aloof. the other guards look bored or chat with each other or have a book or watch the patrons, but he was alone in his own world. he looked so tired. i sat and watched him, he would yawn and rub his eyes with aged work worn fingers. take off his glasses and glance about looking as if he wondered if he could go home yet. he was so self contained, so ambiguous, so self assured. i loved watching him, he was so interesting. of all the masterpieces i saw today, i wish most i could have taken a picture of him... he was an enigma. i loved finding him.

aside from the guards, Here's some of what i saw today.... they don't allow photography inside the museum so i got these all off the internet.

Botticelli,

Birth of Venus:

Allegory of Spring

Da Vinci,

Annunciation:

Francesca,

Duke and Duchess of Urbino:

Michelangelo,

Holy Family:

Raphael,

Madonna of the Goldfinch:

Titian,

Venus of Urbino:

Parmigianino,

Venus with the Long Neck:

Caravaggio,

Abraham Sacrificing Isaac

Medusa

Artemisia,

Judith Beheading Holofernes:

Rembrandt,

Self Portrait:

It was amazing to see these pieces is real life. having studied them in my art history classes in school it was fulfilling to finally see them in person. the difference between the energy and emotion in the work is amazing. it's also a little mind blowing how certain paintings will stand out in a room. the artists given Master status definitely have a more powerful presence in their work, i'm excited to go back and revisit these and study them some more. I'm so honored to be able to experience this place and these beautiful works of art.

Culinary Divinity

October has been pastry month.

when I walk out my door and head to work, the very next door down from mine belongs to a cafe. this cafe happens to sell butter and sugar and chocolate combined in magnificent ways to produce the most delightful sort of deserts and snacks. I realized that it was a shame not to partake of this beautiful opportunity to embrace local culinary ventures... and then i realized it was also a shame not to partake of the opportunity by my work... or the one i pass going to the Piazza by the university.... in any case, i've been trying deserts from different places and found more than a few that are simply wonderful. and here they are:

The shop by Porta Romana does a fancy wrapping job for their 'take away' customers.

I also found a pomegranate that was so beautiful. It's taste was more vibrant than any pomegranate i've ever eaten before.

Incidentally, November is looking like celery, arugula, and more dedication to my running routine month... ha.

San Gimignano and the Chestnut Festival

This past weekend I got a chance to visit the medieval town of San Gimignano. I went with my friend Francesco, we drove through the beautiful Tuscan hills in the late afternoon and saw castles from the 1100's-1400's. It was surreal. the hills were covered with vineyards and olive groves. the beauty was breathtaking.

Francesco showed me around the town, we got gelato at a little shop that won the Gelato World Championship 3 years in a row. I've never tasted anything like this gelato in my whole life. I tried pistachio, tiramisu, and hazelnut, it was kind of like heaven in a cup. Pistachio was my favorite, the taste was so rich and it finished with an amazing warm, toasted, nutty flavor on the exhale. It was so good. After we wandered around the town we ate at his friends restaurant where we tried the local Vernaccia white wine, only produced from the grapes grown around San Gimignano, it was wonderful. We also had a type of bread soup, I think it was called Ribollita. they use stale bread and cooked vegetables and make a stew like pottage that's delicious. then we had fire grilled steak sliced and put on a bed of arugula. it was amazing. once again, surrendering my long time vegetarian ways for this trip is truly helping me appreciate this culture. The steak was wonderful and the arugula added a nice contrast to the meat and a peppery hint to the meal. simply amazing.

And then there were the Castles.... you know... only built around the 1300's. they were amazing! The history here is so rich. It's interesting realizing that I'm in a place that is so interwoven with it's past, yet so distant from it because of the global economy and tourism. Francesco was telling me that the only thing produced in the rural areas around here now are grapes and olives. He said there's no more goat or pig farmers and they have to ship in most everything besides wine and olive oil. They've gone from being a sustainable community to one that is dependent on import and export of resources... sadly my Italian is still non existent and his English isn't quite up to par to be able to discuss sustainable culture and the effects of globalization. In any case, this town was quite charming, very touristy, but it was a wonderful visit.

to get to this town you have to take winding little country roads that climb up and down the Tuscan hills, the only downside of this trip was that despite the fact that I NEVER get carsick I found myself feeling slightly ill as we zipped around corners and covered the hills. this sensation would only grow worse as we traveled on the ever so winding road to the Chestnut Festival in the mountains outside of Florence the next afternoon.

The mountains in this part of Italy are much smaller than the Wasatch or Rocky mountains, they reminded me more of the Tennessee Smokey Mountains. The festival was in a tiny town, we stopped and asked directions from an ancient Italian woman who was just sitting in the sun by the side of the road, she pointed us the right way and we found ourselves lost in this little village who's streets were lined with booths selling raw and roasted chestnuts, locally made cheeses, deserts and pastries that use the beloved Chestnut, candies, anise chips, cheap wallets and handbags, etc... there was a one man band like Burt from Mary Poppins, he wandered through town playing songs. There was also a 'mid life crisis' band for 40-something year old Italian men playing Pink Floyd cover songs... each song would end with "GRAZIE!!!!!" even when no one was clapping... it was kind of out of place, but that made the whole thing all the more entertaining.

we got an AMAZING lunch. Polenta with wild mushrooms, potato tortillini, and divine sausages that are specifically made in the region outside of florence we were visiting. not to mention the deserts made out of candied chestnuts... we also got a bag of roasted chestnuts, which were amazing too. I never realized they were so sweet, they were right off the fire too, so they were all warm, charred and smokey. we got soot all over our fingers, but it was worth it.

First week of school

School started on Monday.

I really love the studio I'm working at. Porta Romana has beautiful lighting and it's wonderful to be working with artist that are so passionate and dedicated to their work. the only downside is it's about a 30-40 min walk from my house... I think I'm going to purchase a bike this week.

The first 3 days of class we did short poses (one 6 hour pose for Monday and Tuesday and a 3 hour pose on Wednesday), and Thursday we set our long pose. For the next 5 weeks the students will work on painting this pose, it's a beautiful contrapposto, simple, but beautiful.

what was also encouraging was that before our first session was finished I'd had two students approach me about working with them on projects outside of class, i was even more elated when i found out that neither of these students were doing standing poses (one is a seated sculpture and the other is a reclining pose), i wasn't sure my body could handle 6 hours of standing a day... at least not to jump start back into long poses. I've also lined up a few open sessions at Angel Academy, but they didn't schedule me until November, which made me a bit sad, but I'll be glad to work with them.

Tomorrow we start our second week and I'm excited to get back into a routine and to get started on some new projects. I'll post soon about my recent adventures at the Accademia, La Specola, the Florence Wine Event, San Gimignano, and the Chestnut festival in the mountains outside of Florence.

said festival helped me truly begin to appreciate freshly roasted sweet chestnuts... and locally made sausage. mmmmm......