sooo apparently i suck at blogging! this has got to be #1 on the lamest blogs to read list cause I never update it and when I do i usually spell words incorrectly and dont know how to properly load a link onto the page! Man on man...sorry bout that!
If by some miracle you're still reading this, thankssss! i love you infinitely for your patience!
Things are pretty super over here on the hill. Finally making some art pretty regularly and always getting surprised by the italian way of life. Just like week there was a 100 piece orchestra that performed outside in the main piazza of Cortona. a.w.e.s.o.m.e .
I have lots more to say and even more to show you in pic/video form if I can ever figure out how to download it.
buona sera for now! i'll write sooner rather than later...i promise!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Tutti i miei domani saro con te
I've finally found some time (and a computer with functional internet access) to catch up on what's been going on over here in Cortona. So here's the deal, this place is straight out of Etruscan times, as far as the architecture goes. The town is fantastic, all of these narrow, curving passageways that lead back to the main piazza or up to the top of the hill near the Medieval fortress. The locals are the farthest thing from Medieval though, they are the epitome of Euro-chic. Everyone, seriously even the toddlers, dresses better than I ever do! On some days I look put together enough to fly as a somewhat with it tourist, but never super fly like these Italians.
Besides their cool attire, the Cortonese are pretty friendly and generous with the UGA art students. The program has been coming here for 40 years, so the community kinda embraces us American art kids. The local grocery store, the only one and it is about the size of a fairly small barbershop, is called Molesini's and they gave us all tote bags to carry are groceries up the gigantic hill to our dorms. Oh the hill! It's great because I never feel bad about eating too much pasta or gelato since I am CERTAIN to work it off walking home. It really is a spectacular walk though. Right about the time where your calf muscles are screaming at you, there is this amazing lookout point. Apparently even medieval Cortonese peeps needed a break every now and then too.
The students in the program are great. People from all over the country, we are all used to working in all sorts of media. It's really interesting to be thrown into this environment together and be forced to work in ways we aren't used to. It's a healthy art challenge I think. I am the only student who is graduating this December (not the oldest though, there are a few going on fifth and sixth years) so its a good feeling to have both freedoms and limitations in my designs again. Freed from making what I'm so used to making and limited to certain materials, in my case stone and bronze.
The studio space is interesting because most of the classrooms are directly below our dorms. Also, they are all interconnected, you can walk through 3 other studio rooms on your way to class. It's kinda close quarters with everyone, but it is still really cool to be living with these people and working with them at the same time. My roommates are great, really chilled out and fun, Eliza from Philly and Olivia from Atlanta. But it seriously feels like all of the 47 other kids are my roommates too, we eat breakfast, sometimes lunch, and always dinner together, we work on art late together, we get pissed about the crappy internet in the common room together, its just like freshman year! Oh geez, one side comment that I just want to share. There is this kid, his name is Nathan but his nickname is Nicaragua, who is so funny. Not intentionally funny, but just funny in the way he lives his life. So he used to live or study abroad or was a cowboy or something in Latin America over the summer, speaks pretty much only in spanish to everyone he meets, and sometimes plays his flute in the dorm at night. he is a cartoon character. But i love it, he's so entertaining.
As much time as I'm spending surrounded by people, I do find a surprising amount of quiet time, which is tremendous around here because it is literally silent! There are some great paths to hike around the hill, a nice park with amazing views, and road that loops down around 'Bramasole', the under the tuscan sun house. It's never an eerie silent or creepy alone time though. just peaceful. I have never once felt worried about safety since I've been here. Granted, there is a old geezer town drunk, so I watch out for him. But really, he is just ridiculous. He's like 90 and wears Michael Jacksonesque gloves everywhere he goes. Not really a threat, just amusement!
So that's all I've got for now. More adventures to come. Ciao Ciao
Besides their cool attire, the Cortonese are pretty friendly and generous with the UGA art students. The program has been coming here for 40 years, so the community kinda embraces us American art kids. The local grocery store, the only one and it is about the size of a fairly small barbershop, is called Molesini's and they gave us all tote bags to carry are groceries up the gigantic hill to our dorms. Oh the hill! It's great because I never feel bad about eating too much pasta or gelato since I am CERTAIN to work it off walking home. It really is a spectacular walk though. Right about the time where your calf muscles are screaming at you, there is this amazing lookout point. Apparently even medieval Cortonese peeps needed a break every now and then too.
The students in the program are great. People from all over the country, we are all used to working in all sorts of media. It's really interesting to be thrown into this environment together and be forced to work in ways we aren't used to. It's a healthy art challenge I think. I am the only student who is graduating this December (not the oldest though, there are a few going on fifth and sixth years) so its a good feeling to have both freedoms and limitations in my designs again. Freed from making what I'm so used to making and limited to certain materials, in my case stone and bronze.
The studio space is interesting because most of the classrooms are directly below our dorms. Also, they are all interconnected, you can walk through 3 other studio rooms on your way to class. It's kinda close quarters with everyone, but it is still really cool to be living with these people and working with them at the same time. My roommates are great, really chilled out and fun, Eliza from Philly and Olivia from Atlanta. But it seriously feels like all of the 47 other kids are my roommates too, we eat breakfast, sometimes lunch, and always dinner together, we work on art late together, we get pissed about the crappy internet in the common room together, its just like freshman year! Oh geez, one side comment that I just want to share. There is this kid, his name is Nathan but his nickname is Nicaragua, who is so funny. Not intentionally funny, but just funny in the way he lives his life. So he used to live or study abroad or was a cowboy or something in Latin America over the summer, speaks pretty much only in spanish to everyone he meets, and sometimes plays his flute in the dorm at night. he is a cartoon character. But i love it, he's so entertaining.
As much time as I'm spending surrounded by people, I do find a surprising amount of quiet time, which is tremendous around here because it is literally silent! There are some great paths to hike around the hill, a nice park with amazing views, and road that loops down around 'Bramasole', the under the tuscan sun house. It's never an eerie silent or creepy alone time though. just peaceful. I have never once felt worried about safety since I've been here. Granted, there is a old geezer town drunk, so I watch out for him. But really, he is just ridiculous. He's like 90 and wears Michael Jacksonesque gloves everywhere he goes. Not really a threat, just amusement!
So that's all I've got for now. More adventures to come. Ciao Ciao
Sunday, September 13, 2009
ciao amici!
I'm just writing to say the first week of classes went well. I can't wait to get really going...right now we are primarily focused on preliminary designs. Went to Orvieto yesterday which is an amazing little town that you have to take a funiculare (cable car) to get up to it. Just wanted to add that last night I found out my grandma passed away. She was an indescribable woman and will of course be missed. It was a rough night last night but i'm doing better today. It is really strange to not be grieving with my fam and friends but everyone here has been really sweet and offered many hugs. Mae Wright. She was superb :)
I'm just writing to say the first week of classes went well. I can't wait to get really going...right now we are primarily focused on preliminary designs. Went to Orvieto yesterday which is an amazing little town that you have to take a funiculare (cable car) to get up to it. Just wanted to add that last night I found out my grandma passed away. She was an indescribable woman and will of course be missed. It was a rough night last night but i'm doing better today. It is really strange to not be grieving with my fam and friends but everyone here has been really sweet and offered many hugs. Mae Wright. She was superb :)
Thursday, September 10, 2009
In the piazza...
So every night after dinner, the whole group of students (and sometimes our rad professors) stroll down through the main piazza for either gelato, people watching, and stop at the local pub, or all 3!! Last night we were pleasantly surprised by interpretive fire dancing that included a crazy love triangle story acted out by the fire dancers while twirling flaming wands around their heads. It sounds made up...but it was really freakin cool! Best part was the finale with the most extreme sparklers i've ever seen and really awesome live drum beats keepin pace with the flaming dancer.
it was crazy times in Cortona!
it was crazy times in Cortona!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Che bellisima!
Okay, I just got to Cortona today and I'm not sure I can describe just how perfect this place is. It's kinda blissful, everyone is always smiling, we live on the top of a hill, the town is small and beautiful and the Italians come out to greet all of us American students! It's just unbelievable. The dorm rooms we live in actually overlook the town below Cortona called Camucia, and the horizon is just filled with hill after hill. Everyone kinda glows here...i'm not even kidding...maybe it's the wine...but things in Tuscany as definitely as golden as they seem. I want to give so so so many more details but I'm so poopty so more to come soon. I'm home though, in my little Italian town!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Precious internet access!
Heya! I'm finally on the internet again! It was kinda nice being unplugged for a bit but i'm glad to be back. I'm in Florence now, I was in Rome for a total of 3 days. The days flew by, it's kinda a blur of new friends and professors, really really important Renaissance art ALL OVER THE PLACE, of course good italian food, and about a million other things. Some highlights, we took a walking tour of Rome at night with our professor/only actual Italian associated with our group, Marco. "Walking" doesn't really describe what we did...it was more like a sprint because Marco walks so fast. We buzzed by, oh ya know, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, the Roman Forum, all before climbing a massive hill to see the whole city of Rome. It was beautiful, the city is absolutely huge. But by the time we finished we had lost half of the group because unless you were literally jogging you would get left behind! ha oh my!!! As far as major monuments we've been to my favorite was probably morning mass at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican city (aka the Pope's pad!). The congregation itself was small and recited in Italian by an Italian cardinal, but the morning time in that massive cathedral was extremely peaceful. I can't go into more details about everything we did because it's 1:50 am (the internet was a little overwhelmed by all of us so this is the best time to get on) and tomorrow is our first full day in Florence.
hopefully my updates will be getting more frequent (and more coherent!) over the next couple of days while things start to get settled. We head to Cortona on Saturday so it will be wonderful to relax and fill you in on more of my trip. So much love for all of you!!
hopefully my updates will be getting more frequent (and more coherent!) over the next couple of days while things start to get settled. We head to Cortona on Saturday so it will be wonderful to relax and fill you in on more of my trip. So much love for all of you!!
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