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Published: February 7th 2008
Santa Maria del Fiore
Everytime I start wandering the city, I somehow always wind up at the Duomo. It's just so beautiful.Tuesday morning, 9 a.m., oil painting. I have the coolest teacher, Justin, about 30 and really a pro with a paintbrush. The class sounds like its going to be the perfect mixture of not-too-intimidating and just-challenging-enough. I've never taken painting before but have always wanted to be taught how, so I'm really looking forward to the semester. The class will be based on still-life arrangements, and we will be working on five canvases. We took a field trip to a father & son art shop to purchase supplies -- canvases, palettes, brushes, paints, a sketchbook and some other assorted necessities. I'm so excited to get back into the fine arts side of my double degree. It's been far too long.
Tuesday afternoon, 3 p.m., Italian for beginners. Come ti chiami? Di dove sei? My name is Margaret and I am from the Quad Cities. A cute little Italian woman in high-heeled boots is teaching the class, and she said right away that she will not be speaking English except to translate. Fair enough. It's a jump off the deep end but it's the only way to go.
Wednesday, noon, early renaissance art history. I was disappointed when I first
San Lorenzo Basilica
You wouldn't think from looking at the outside that so many treasures are housed within. signed up that the high Renaissance class was full, but I honestly think it will be more interesting for me to learn about artists that maybe aren't as well known as Da Vinci or Michelangelo. I hear enough about them to constitute an entire class about every other day, so this will be a way to round out my knowledge of the time period. There will be plenty of field trips to outlying villages and Florence museums, so it's basically ideal.
Wednesday afternoon, 3 p.m., digital photography. I think I'm going to learn a lot in this class. My first assignment is to take 30 pictures of a natural landscape, so this will require traveling outside of Florence. Twist my arm. I've been wanting to get to those country roads forever. The teacher is also very knowledgeable about the subject and will be able to teach me to use my massive camera. I took a few pictures of the Duomo with it yesterday, and they are infinitely better than those I took with my point-and-shoot. Photography isn't offered at Drake, so this opportunity is a big one.
Every time I get out of class early or have a
San Lorenzo Courtyard
You must be completely silent, and no one is allowed in the garden in the middle. It's very peaceful. long break, I grab my camera and wander. Something spectacular waits around every corner in this city, and yesterday I found the San Lorenzo basilica. On a whim, I paid 3 euro to go inside before I even knew what I'd find. Turns out this basilica was the family parish of the Medicis, and many important family members are buried there. It's the resting place of Donatello and home to many of his important works. The building was designed by Brunelleschi, the same guy who built the Duomo, and even has a sacristy designed by Michelangelo. The place is full of marvelous paintings and sculptures, the architecture is beautiful, and there were even relics of Saint Peter in the chapel museum. It seems so unreal that I live so close to such treasures.
Thursday, 9 a.m., graphic design. Unfortunately I chose to sit at the one computer that was having issues, but other than that I am really psyched about this class. The teacher has a thick Italian accent, dark rimmed glasses, and is completely hilarious. We had to take an entrance exam on the spot since it's an intermediate course, and though it was intimidating at first, I
Standing Watch
These angels sit right above the famous golden baptistry doors. passed. I think this will be my most challenging class, but it will be nice to have a tough graphic design course for once. Drake has a good enough program, but I feel like I'll learn a lot in this one. I feel like such a nerd to be so excited about school. But honestly, how can I not be?
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Mikala
non-member comment
Busy! Busy! Busy! But that's how I know you right! Those sound like some amazing classes and also perfect for you. I expect nothing less than a personal orignal MargAret painting to be waiting for me at DG when we come back, since you should be a master when you return. :) Sounds like you're haveing/going to have a great time. You're so creative, even in your blog. That's why you're a magazines major. I can feel it when I'm reading about your trip. Miss ya bunches roomie!