Bread, cheese and tomatos

Well, halfway through my week and I am so excited. So much to look forward to this semester and when I return home :)

Monday I had Batik and I actually started my silk scarf! As I think you all have seen, I am doing a doorknocker design and then some random motifs on the corners in order to create unity in the space. I am using all warm colors (yellows, reds, oranges and a reddish purple color). I had to draw my design on the scarf using wax. There is an interesting pen tool which looks like a stick with a little cup on the end and a tiny straw sticking out of the bottom of it (weird description but I want to actually give people an idea of what it looks like). You put the wax in the little cup and then have to draw with the straw after warming up the wax with an oil lamp. I eventually got the hang of it, even though you have to hold the tool at this weird angle that was super awkward at first. After you finish the drawing and check to make sure all the shapes are separated by wax, then you can start painting in the shapes with the dye. Its like watercolor except on fabric and it is really interesting watching the dye spread like wildfire on the silk. I finished painting my doorknocker, so I have the motifs and the background to go! I have started thinking about ideas for my new scarf which I will be starting soon. In the evening, SACI hosts open figure drawing, which is basically my favorite subject so that was very fun to be able to end my day with two hours of that.

Tuesday I had jewelry. I finally finished all my sawing for the practice pieces we are working on and then got to move on to filing them smooth and sanding them. Basically I was stuck in hell for three hours... It is so frustrating when you are trying to sand down a piece and there is one tiny scratch that you just can't seem to get rid of! My arms and hands were cramping from being held in such a tiny position and there happens to be a girl who likes to talk and talk and talk about herself who sits in front of me. Not the best class I have ever had haha. I don't know if I am cut out for the detail work of jewelry.In the evening we had yet another cooking class (and again there was no cooking involved only eating!). It was a delicious meal and involved basically my favorite sauce in the world. PESTO!!!! Best invention ever since you can eat it on everything (fish, chicken, potatoes, pasta, crackers, wraps, sandwiches, etc, etc, etc). So we had pesto pasta with green beans, fagioli all'uccelletto (bean dish), mushroom sauce on bread (surprisingly awesome considering my hate of mushrooms) and an apricot tart. Tina Fallani is the signorina who teaches the class and she is an amazing cook and has been giving us tips on the cooking culture of Florence. She also filled us in on the fact that Genova is the best place to get pesto (and guess what? I'm taking a trip there this weekend!)

Today I had two classes, Women and the Arts in Italy and Fresco painting. As a fantastic way to start the morning, for whatever reason there was not loud construction going on outside our window at seven (trust me, this is a refreshing surprise to wake up to only cars driving by). For my art history class, we got to explore the Palazzo Vecchio, which is the old palace of the Medici family in Florence. I cannot even imagine what it would be like to live in a place like that. All vaulted ceilings with a continuous array of frescos coating the walls and cielings. Legends, muses, battle scenes and virtues are represented in human form and I am still just caught off guard every time we walked into a new room. I have evry hope in the world that I can find a way to surround myself with that kind of beauty on an every basis during my lifetime. Fresco painting is amazing as well and I hope I can continue to do this when I am no longer in this class. We are currently working on copying a Michelangelo portrait. W have a tile that is covered with a rough concrete like substance and then we had to trace the outline of the portrait and poke holes through the tracing paper. Then you pat sinopia (a brown pigment) over the top. This filters through the holes and then you have a guide for your painting! Today we used sinopia to paint a sepia version of the painting onto our tile and them mixed the colors f fresco we will be using. All water based, the fresco seems like it is going to be like water coloring concrete. Odd but I guess we will see how it works out!

This weekend I am going on a trip to Genova to see Lucia so more adventures await :) ciao