I thought I would change things up this week, because ‘when in Rome’ am I right? I’m also not currently in Rome, but you catch my drift. So, what am I doing this week? Showing you art! One of my favorite courses I’m taking here at the Florence University of the Arts is called Florence Sketchbook. We learn the basics of art and walk around town during class, learn some history about the buildings and culture around us, and stop and sketch. I mean, can you ask for anything better? I think not.

My ‘When in Rome’ piece, the Colosseo:

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And once I set up shop in Florence, of course I had to try sketching the Duomo – the historical and, not to mention, fourth largest Dome in the world (YOU GO FLORENCE).

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This next one isn’t my favorite, but it’s important to know that all artists, experienced or not, will have days where it just doesn’t come easy, or it doesn’t come at all. This is a bank on the main river running through Florence, the Arno.

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I think this one makes up for the last: I started this in class. As we sat on the steps of a nearby church to try sketching with a different and more challenging perspective, tourists would pass by asking for our pictures (clearly, we’re the next Michelangelos).

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What’s amazing about Florence– or, as the locals say, Firenze– is that sometimes things will just inspire you with all of their culture and history. Also, it is known around the world for being a flourishing Renaissance city in Italy (side note, the “mascot” of Florence is a flower [in Italian: fiore]), and since I consider myself a Renaissance girl at heart, I’m constantly wanting to stop and take pictures or sketch when walking the streets. Here’s a sketch from one of those moments:

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This next one is an in-class one. Sadly, no one asked us if we were the next Van Gogh or Claude Monet (my two favorites), but I think I kicked some butt with my shading.

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Alas, now we get to the sketch that is a hipster’s dream. A WINDOW. Yes, the amount of pictures of windows I have taken is ridiculous, but hey, ‘when in Rome’ (I promise to stop using this now). So, is it true that the eyes are the windows to the soul? What does this window tell you about your soul?

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This last one is a quick one from class. It’s from a garden on the top of Florence. And when I mean the top of Florence, I mean you can see everything and it’s probably the most beautiful view I have ever seen. A photo to try to explain what this is like, of course it does not live up to what it is really like in person:

Unfortunately, I didn’t think I could capture this magnificence in one hour, so I drew a sculpture instead:

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And of course, there is more to come! I’m currently working on my midterm and with all I’m learning I can only get better!

‘Till next time!

#YOFLO (You only Florence once).