Spring has sprung a leak

Some few weeks back winter gave way to an eager Spring in full swing, with an army of birds gathered from the four corners to herald the arrival, bright green foliage on barren trees and temps soaring to the mid 20's. And so all was well and very cheery... until spring sprung a leak and it's not stopped (hardly) raining for the past 2 weeks (or so)... see photographic evidence:

The moody cloud-filled skies are spectacular, ranging from the cute and fluffy one minute to the dark and furious moments later and The Umbrella (marvelous invention) and/or The Raincoat (for cyclists) have become essential accessories. (The sunsets have been splendid too I must add). I read in the paper recently that there is (or at least was) a drought in Tuscany, with strict restrictions on water usage in the garden (and/or on the terrace) which is a good move since we've barely had a drop from the sky since I arrived in January last year. But with the swollen Arno River and the ongoing forecast for rain I do suspect the drought is at an end. I don't mind the rain so much, it's the return of "il freddo" (the cold) that I mind a lot and the joy of putting away the woolies has been superceded by the pain of dragging them back out again.

Anyhoo, onwards from the weather report... We've just come to the end of a 2 week break from school and as you will observe from the above weather chart, there was a single sunny day in that time (April 17, I remember it well), which was the day Inga and I were able to venture beyond Florence, with any sort of hope of staying dry, and head west young man. West being where the nearest coast be found. Livorno to be specific, which is a port city where goods come and go as well as cruise-ship loads of tourists. All of whom head for Florence where there is a whole lot more to see and do than in Livorno, except if you're feeling sea-air deprived in which case you might consider the trip in reverse, as we did. It's not a historic or in any way beautiful township but with the sun shining the sea-side Terrazza (terrace) is a sight for sore eyes and refreshing to the soul:

We also visited the Civic Museum which I threw into the itinerary for something to do and unfortunately didn't allow enough time (before it closed for a 3 hour siesta) to fully appreciate the wonderful Italian impressionist paintings we found there. After lunch by the Mediterranean Sea, with the salty breeze in our hairs we headed up the hill to Montenero on the funicular railway to admire Livorno from above. As there's not much to Montenero besides it's stunning view of the sea we took a short stroll and then made our way back to the beloved centre of high culture, an hour and a half train ride from the centre of Livorno. Speaking of Florence being beloved, the rising number of tourists has not been in the slightest deterred by the rain (what are umbrellas for?!). It's becoming daily more difficult to ride a bike through the historic centre, even with the earnest trill of a bell to declare the desire for clear passage. From tomorrow my trip to and from school, which in winter takes in the Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Repubblica and the Duomo, will necessarily be in a wide arc around these congested venues.

As for the rest of the break, I managed to do a still life in grisaille (one colour and white) but not a great deal otherwise (owing to the weather), other than some watery walks in the Boboli Gardens, an easter luncheon with Inga and Susan, a movie in English with Susan (Marigold Hotel), lunch and a visit to the Palazzo Pitti with the Reads (an Australian family here for 3 months on long service leave), and the carrying out of possibly the most thorough spring clean an apartment was ever subjected to. It's amazing what can be done if one only has the time.

I was also inspired once again by this hour long documentary by Roger Scruton called Why Beauty Matters...


To see the latest pics please click here. I'll sign off with this quote from the Marigold Hotel: "Everything will be alright in the end, and if it isn't, it's not yet the end".

Constructive drawing and Madrid

The first four weeks back at school after christmas we had a guest teacher from Russia who taught us anatomy and constructive drawing. I did my own anatomy study at home as the anatomy component was at night by which point my energy is all spent. However the constructive drawing course in the morning was great. The aim is to see 'through' the object and so to understand the form from every side. Not easy. I learned heaps including how very much more there is to learn. This is the capital I drew (after much sweat and nearly tears)...

Then we had another week off (the Russians love their holidays) to mark the end of our first term and we start back at school tomorrow which will be the first day of term two. Meanwhile during the week break, to take advantage of the off-season and cheap flights, I made a short visit to Madrid with Susan, a friend of mine from school. She speaks Spanish and is familiar with Madrid which made everything very easy. We stayed in an apartment in the historical centre close to the main museums for a 4 day art extravaganza taking in the Prado, Thyssen, Royal Academy of Art and the Sorolla museum, as well as a day trip to Toledo. Madrid is a beautiful, clean and orderly city (the part we saw at least) which seems to have been plonked in the middle of the desert. I was pretty struck by the dryness of the landscape on the way in from the airport and on our train trip to Toledo. I've been telling everyone that Australia is dry, but it's really only that dry far west and in the desert!

Our 'hood' was a feast of quiet streets lined with quaint shops and cafes. On the first day after dumping our bags at the apartment we started wandering through the back streets towards the main road to find lunch when we came across a macrobiotic restaurant just a few minutes from our apartment. Thrilled! Both of us being very keen on good food, we were extremely pleased by the unexpected discovery and enjoyed a fab lunch. We asked the waitress where we might find a health food shop (for our essential breakfast items) and lo there was one next door.

Susan has a friend in Madrid who she knew worked somewhere around where we were staying. It turns out her office was on the other side of the health food shop! So naturally, we all met at the restaurant again for lunch the next day and we went again the following day. The added bonus to all this being able to use the free wi-fi whenever we passed by the restaurant during our stay. PTL!

The highlight of the trip for me was the house and studio of Sorolla which has been turned into a museum. It took my breath away to enter his studio and see the enormous paintings on the wall, so full of colour and light. I love his work and was captivated to see where he lived and worked and to take in all the objet d'art he collected or commissioned. Even his paint brushes are still there, his old tubes of paint and his great collection of art books. Talk about coveting his studio space, which was in fact 3 huge rooms connected to each other. Oh to have that space!!! And that talent. I was struck by how apparently disorderly his paintings appear until you get some distance back from them, at which point they come together magically and beautifully. Considering the artist has to paint right up at the canvas this is something I have to take more to heart when making my own paintings. To me it really highlights the incredible skill of Sorolla, who (just oh by the way) was evidently paid very well for his hard work and was no starving artist!

Another 'take your breath away' moment for me was visiting the cathedral in Toledo. By now I've seen the inside of a few cathedrals but I don't think any of them compare to the grandeur of this one. I was overwhelmed by the creativity and skill and imagination and resources and sheer man hours that were poured into it all those hundreds of years back. I snapped away on my camera but of course it can't capture the effect of being so tiny in such an awesome space. And that is a job well done when you consider the aim is to have you contemplate the awesomeness of God which is incomparably great compared to the earth, the planets, the entire universe... let alone this 'little' cathedral in a small town in Spain.

I liked the Prado although it's really too big to take it all in in one day. Susan and I split up so we could go at our own pace, and met up for a cuppa and rest half way (like boxers heading to the corner for water and a brow pat between rounds). I ended up swinging by a lot of masterpieces because of overload, a bit like at the Louvre. It was really interesting to see the artists with their easels set up making copies of different works. They gave a fresh view to the original painting which was in every case far superior in colour, subtlety and drawing... It's not as easy as it looks!

The Thyssen museum is a more manageable size, a bit like the Orsay in Paris, and has a great collection of impressionist art which is what I always make a bee-line for (they also had a temporary exhibition of the female impressionist Berthe Morisot). My favourite paintings at the Thyssen were the Sargents, just beautiful. The Royal Academy of art is another great collection of paintings, but the highlight for me was our visit to the basement where they make the gesso casts. Susan is interested in ordering a cast so she used her wonderful Spanish to get us in to see them being made and the collection they have available for purchase. Treat!

The Spanish people were lovely and for both of us it was a great relief to be in a warm apartment for 4 nights and not have to keep rugged up inside. It's really quite cold in Florence at the moment. The past 2 weeks have had top day time temperatures of an average of 2 degrees. It's snowed a bit but only once has it not melted on impact and made some impression of white on the roof tops (see pics)... The trip on the bus out to Pisa airport was pretty special though as it had clearly snowed more out there and the landscape was quite transformed with it's thin blanket of white. You can see latest pics here...

This is a documentary about Russians in Italy and our school was one of the features... It mostly shows the second year students although there's a few moments with some of the first years and also a brief interview with Nadya the director of the school...

This is an ad...

I recently stumbled across Mastering Color by Richard Robinson in New Zealand, which is a great video painting course for any painting medium - oils, acrylic, watercolor etc - it's all about how to see color properly and translate it to canvas. It covers lots of in-depth material in a way that's really easy to understand. I totally recommend this for all painters who need better control of their color - and lets face it, most of us do! Here's the link to the website: Mastering Color DVD Oh, here's the chapter list too: 1. Color Theory 2. Seeing Color 3. Describing Color 4. Value 5. Mixing Color 6. Manipulating Color 7. Color Harmony 8. Light Effects You can watch the first chapter for free on the site: Mastering Color DVD

(ps. marnie here... 20% off the price if you put this ad on your website which is why it's here)

Tanti auguri!

No snow to report, in fact it's been a (relatively) 'warm' winter. These are some of the lovely trees in the Boboli Gardens on a clear morning this week. One of the entrances to the gardens is a 30 second walk from my apartment and I can go in for free now that I have a residency of Florence (last year I bought a pass - it's normally 9 euro a visit, which tends to be a good thing as it deters some of the masses who otherwise might pop in for a jaunty). This part of the gardens is a new discovery as I usually head up the hill where there's a magnificent outlook to the west. However if you head in the other direction there's a significant area that's flat, full of beautifully designed open spaces with statues and water features as well as almost bush-like tracks that positively ooze with oxygenated fresh air. There's plenty of invisible but chirpy birds and once I even spied a squirrel which was pretty thrilling since there's a distinct lack of wildlife of any kind in Florence (no bugs, spiders, lizards or anything in the house and pretty much only pigeons outside of it). Since the gardens close at 4.30 in winter I've been taking advantage of being on holidays... if only one could bottle that air! (Which I say because if it's not cars and buses and motorbikes stealing your oxygen (and your tranquility), it's the people who smoke ciggies which for all intents and purposes must surely be the vast majority of Italians). Hence the Pitti people or whoever came up with the Boboli Gardens are to be thanked from the bottom of the heart for the oasis they have created in a (granted beautiful but) somewhat frenetic city.



Christmas and New Year have come and gone in a festive blur. We had an entertaining Christmas feast at my church on the friday night before Christmas. I knew it was going to be a long night when there were 3 courses of the 7 course meal still to come by 10pm. Didn't quite manage to hold out for the entire meal but it was an experience I'm glad not to have missed. Christmas day I peddled over to spend my third ever northern hemisphere Christmas with Sarah and Andrew and the kids. We played games and ate an abundant roast dinner to warm the heart on a cold winters night. It's great spending Christmas with kids, they are so bouncy and bright eyed with new treasures and yummy food, it reminds me of the olden days when I was bright eyed and bouncy with the Christmas festivities.

I've been painting and drawing in the cosiness of my (very small) apartment and pottering and doing who-knows-what else but it's somehow filled the days. A few times my friend Susan and I have gone to the museums to draw and check out the masterpieces. Susan lent me the entire series of The Tudors (four seasons which I've just finished) about the reign of Henry VIII and his 6 wives. History is brought to life in all it's colour and lust for power... costumes, palaces, jewels, intrigue, betrayal, greed, passion and plenty of rolling heads. It's certainly expanded my vision of English royalty!. I've also taken up writing poetry again... will paste one of my poems in below... Tomorrow I'm taking myself off to the old city of Lucca since it's on my Must Do list and the forecast predicts another clear day. School goes back on Wednesday so a few more days left to sleep in before routine reclaims the days.

Love and hugs!
(You can check out latest pics here)...


The prodigal

There once were two sons of a man of some standing,
They may have lived not far from here.
The elder bowed knees to parental demanding
He laboured to please without cheer.

Son number two was exploding with life,
He dreamed dreams and forged a grand plot.
Snorting at every suggestion of wife,
He stood tall and announced he could not...

Dwell any longer in such sameness and drear,
When the whole world is there for the taking,
Allot me my share of all you hold dear,
I’ll be off in the morn upon waking.

With wealth and a whistle he made his depart,
And braved himself not to glance back,
At the man of some standing with a sob in his heart,
As his son disappeared down the track.

The metropolis beckoned with clutch wide and broad,
Leaving no stone unturned in his quest,
For every diversion that he could afford,
And any fair dame that impressed.

Here lies a true life of liberty from care,
He mused with amusement arising,
Well after noon and without clue of where,
The way he had chosen a prizing.

Then one day he realised, it came as a blow,
He’d squandered his fortune entirely.
He was wanton and wanting employment and so,
Went in to make an inquiry.

He worked like a dog on a farm feeding swine,
Growing ill, only he to condemn,
The servants live grandly in the home that was mine,
Might father let me be one of them?

The road back was long but he kept up a pace
‘Til he nearly came to arrive,
The father espied him, oh the joy on his face,
It’s my son, my son is alive!

He ran to embrace him and kiss his hot brow,
Forgive me father I was wrong,
Make a feast! Bring fine clothes! Shh.. all will be well now,
Let’s celebrate! Rejoice with a song!

Older son ceased his work when he heard all the noise
Outraged at the sight of his brother
How dare you forgive that wretch and his ploys
Loving him above every other!

My son you are mine and I am yours
All I have for you here does abound,
But now we must celebrate, you see there’s great cause
My dead son, he was lost, now he’s found!

Buone Feste!

Still alive... Think I've run out of excuses for not updating the blog and certain family members, who shall remain nameless, have let it be known that such tardiness just isn't good enough. So, what to write about...?

Weather: winter has arrived as of yesterday. The predicted overnight low for tomorrow night is -3 degrees which is chilly. It started to rain at the beginning of December... barely a drop all November which wasn't good for olive crops or truffles, apparently, but great if you're riding a bike to and from school every day. I've had some use of my poncho raincoat the last couple of weeks and it's pretty good except for the splash back from the road. Feet and lower legs get soggy in heavy rain and of course, not much can be done for protecting the face. It's not a great look if you have a fringe like me, wet hair plastered to forehead with the rest of the 'do' happily springy and dry. Anyhow as of yesterday it fined up and cooled down considerably. I'm wondering how many more layers it could be possible to add to my already onion-esque outfits.

This time last year it snowed in Florence and let's face it, if it's going to be this cold, I want snow! I'd love to see a snow-capped Duomo and David and Ponte Vecchio and everything else. Meanwhile anyhow the city is looking pretty with Christmas lights lining the streets in the historical centre and all manner of other Chritmassy things have manifested around the town... like a massive Christmas tree hauled in and subsequently decorated by crane and a life size nativity scene made with terracotta figures (with empty manger; baby Jesus is apparently whipped out from somewhere on Christmas day - of course - but then I wonder why the terracotta Mary isn't pregnant). Most shops have also made some sort of effort to celebrate the season with their own window decorations, so it's all very festive.



School is now on winter break until the second week of January and it's no great trouble adjusting to holiday mode. The hardy few of us not going home for Christmas (because we're from countries on the other side of the globe) are planning to get together to draw and share meals and things. It's a nice time to be cosy inside doing homework. The Russians are no bludgers, we've been assigned ample painting and drawing to do during the next few weeks.

My Italian speaking is still going hopelessly but I've made a name for myself since making a huge batch of ANZAC biscuits for our 'culture' party at school. There were so many left over I've been giving them out to one and all... including the bicycle man at the end of my street. I swing by his shop whenever I need my tyres pumped but he doesn't tend to overwhelm me with friendliness (at least he was pleased to help me the first time I went until I opened my mouth and he realised I was a foreigner). To save me buying a bike pump I've persisted in going back for the precious pressured air, trying my politest loveliest Italian on him to no effect. But then I had the most ingenious idea: ANZACS. Should have seen the reception I got when I picked up my bike after leaving it (along with a handful of ANZACS) for him to fix a flat tyre. He even tightened my breaks without my asking. I'm about to make a second large batch because not only do they apparently taste fab (being off sugar I haven't had one) but they are uniquely Australian which is one of the few culinary delights we can really lay claim to.

Only one week til Christmas, the year has suddenly disappeared. I'm spending Christmas day with Sarah and Andrew and their kids (Aussie missionary couple living in Florence) and possibly some other Christmas 'orphans'. So, happy Christmas and New year to all. If you're in the Northern Hemisphere: stay warm. If you're down south, enjoy your picnic sangers and don't get too burnt.

Lots of love! You can see latest pics here.

Back to school

The summer sun setting at 9.30pm seems a distant dream with the end of daylight savings this weekend. Tonight darkness had fully settled before 6pm. Winter is coming. I knew the seasons were changing when I walked into a department store a few weeks back and came across a whole section devoted to fashion gum boots. I heard that November can be wet, but... ok, clearly they're serious. I went straight home and ordered myself a 'bicycle raincoat' online. It's like a huge poncho with a visor-ed hood with clear panels to the sides for rain-free vision and ample skirtage to cover everything except the hands. Now I can't wait for it to rain so I can try it out. I'm sure the novelty will wear thin rather quickly but it's good to know I'll be able get to school by bike fairly dryly during November.

Other signs of winter are the vast array of coats and woolly accessories now available in the clothing stores and the sudden appearance of street vendors selling roasted chestnuts. I really must try them one of these days. The Boboli Gardens seem to close earlier each week and the town heating has been switched on. This is something I've only just learned about. Many buildings are connected to this government controlled system of heating so that one has to rely completely on the powers-that-be as to whether one is warm or not. We have this at school and it normally goes on at the beginning of November but thankfully it came on last week as we were painting with frozen fingers the week before. Unfortunately the colder weather hasn't made much of a dent in the tourist population although it seems they are sleeping in a bit later as I have a free run to school over the Ponte Vecchio and past the Duomo each day. Getting home is another matter entirely and requires great dodging skills akin to some kind of video game. Tourists do not walk in straight lines, make random movements, stop and start at random and don't watch where they are going ever. Why would they, there are too many interesting things to look at. I sometimes wonder how many snapshots I'm in worldwide zooming past cameras just as they go 'click'.

The lurgy has been making the rounds with the change of weather so I've had a few days in bed the past week but seem to be on the mend now. The cool is a bit of a shock to the system but although the mornings are cold (around 10 degrees), when the sun is shining the afternoons are glorious. After this summer just past I'm officially no longer a summer person, I'm now an autumn/spring person. I'd prefer to be slightly cold even than melting into a summer puddle. Maybe I'm maturing. I celebrated my birthday at the beginning of the month thanks to some lovely friends to help me do so. We went out for an aperitivo during the week at a bar in town called Kitsch where you pay 8 euro for a drink of your choice and a buffet dinner. We also had a picnic at the big park just out of town on my birthday day with some close friends... Unfortunately when I updated the software on my phone I lost all the photos I'd taken in the last month so I have no photographic evidence and hardly any photos to upload for this update. Not happy Jan!

The Russian Academy is very different from Angel and much more challenging in every way. We are learning to understand form and not just copy what we see. For me this is much harder but more exciting. We've also been thrown into the deep end with painting straight away, unlike Angel where the students draw for a whole year before picking up a brush. We paint all day on Mondays, paint in the mornings and draw in the afternoons Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday we have composition all day. We have to come up with 3 of our own designs out of our imaginations... the first, anything out of the bible, the second on the theme of 'waiting', the third is completely free. We do small sketches and work with the teachers to develop our ideas, then later find reference photos or objects to help us to paint it. We have to have something we want to communicate and use design and form and colour to do so. Not easy but something I'm very glad to be developing. We finished our first still life last week:



The school has a positive atmosphere and I love my class of 8. We are all ages (from 20 to 69) and from all different countries; Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain, Chile, America, UK and Australia. All the teachers and staff are Christians which I didn't know until the first day of school. Two of the girls in my class are also Christians so we have started a small bible study at my house with a couple of other girls we know. I haven't been part of a bible study since I've been here as the one at my church is in Italian and starts too late at night for me. I'm amazed by God's grace in all the changes that have happened and how much better this school suits me.

My Italian has fallen by the wayside because I've been BUSY and also realised that I've come here to draw and paint so that has to take priority. Ah well, I get by ok in the street so it has to do for now. It's recently come to my attention that the Italians aren't big on mash potato and I only know this because I've been on the hunt for a potato masher (to mash my winter soups mainly). Interesting... I will continue my search and keep you posted..

You can check out my measly offering of photos here.

Bye for now! =)

Umbria and Venice

It's been a long summer break but this is the last few days of it as I start a 3 week portrait workshop at my new school on Monday before the term begins on 26th September. I survived the Florentine heatwave (38-40 degree days) by laying naked on the tiles for 2 weeks without moving. Worked a treat.

I also escaped the city for a week in Umbria with some friends who came to Italy for a holiday; Nic, Karen, Sarah, Mike (and baby Alexander). We all met at church when I lived in Drummoyne while I was studying at Wesley Institute. We rented a villa in the mountains about 20 minutes east of Assisi (as in Francis of..) where it was cooler and the countryside incredibly beautiful. We spent our days exploring the near-by cities, such as Orvieto, Todi and Gubbia (although I opted for a couple of days at home to soak up the serenity and recover from eating the wrong thing for lunch one day). We had a taste of Italian culture with the Festa at Costa del Trex (the nearest village) which we were invited to by our hosts Mary and Brian (who live next door to the villa for the summer months every year). The local nonna's cook mountains of food and everyone eats a great meal for a bargain price, accompanied by live music and later, apparently, dancing (which we didn't manage to stay long enough for after a long day out exploring - it was after 10pm by the time we left though!).

What luxury to be in the fresh mountain air with ripe figs to pick, a cat to pat and friends from home! Also to be able to pray and share God's word with other people which I haven't had much of since I've been here. It was a much needed break from the furnace in Florence and the feeling of abandonment (!!) as the last of my Florentine friends had just left town for their summer holiday. As Nic and everyone were staying in a villa in Tuscany for a week afterwards, we were able to meet up for the day in San Gimignano, which was HOT (and hotter out of the shade) so perhaps we didn't give it the fullest energy it deserved, but for me it was just great to see everyone again before they headed back to oz.

Last weekend I spent 3 nights in Venice for my birthday present from mum (it's a rather big birthday so it was a particularly special present). Venice is just as romantic as it sounds aside from the tourists. Everyone knows that you shouldn't go in August, but off I went as here I am with all the time in the world and soon I'll be back at school without a minute to scratch myself. Never-the-less! There are plenty of quiet back streets in which to lose oneself, and the city seems to have been designed for that very purpose. It's truly a wonder how it can function without land vehicles of any sort, bicycles included, when you think about things such as garbage collection, furniture delivery or even the simple act of doing one's shopping! It's certainly no place for the eldery or disabled with its endless narrow streets and interconnecting bridges with many steps up and as many back down again. But could there be anything more romantic than a stripey shirted gondolier paddling his reclining customers along quiet canals lined with magnificent edifices adorning flower boxes spilling with bright red geraniums for all to enjoy? It's truly one of the wonders of man's creation, set smack bang in the middle of God's creation... the sea! Well, maybe you would call it a lagoon, but whatever, the ocean breeze was heavenly and the smell of the salty air constantly reminded me of Manly where I grew up.

The highlight of my visit was seeing the opera at La Fenice (ironically meaning The Phoenix) which had featured in a book I read before I came to Italy so I was very keen to see it. The theatre, built in 1790, was burned to the ground and rebuilt a number of times, the last in 1996. It was rebuilt again by the end of 2003 as closely as possible to the previous design which was/is quite stunning (see pics, which sorry don't do it much justice). I saw La Traviata which had a huge cast and accompanying orchestra and went for 3 hours with 2 intervals. I read up on the story before-hand so followed along despite the old Italian being sung where no average voice would go. I was in a box on the 3rd floor not far from the stage which meant leaning forward on the lovely velvet barrier from where I had a fine view of everything. The nice Italian man next to me (wife in next box) lent me his binoculars and reassured me that I looked only 20 (it was dark), so we quickly became firm friends. The 2 Americans behind couldn't see a thing but when I found out they paid only 10 euros for 'listening only' seats I stopped feeling bad for them and enjoyed the show.

I'll let the pics do the rest of the commentary: click here.