Anyone in northern NJ should check out this exhibition at the Montclair Art Museum which has some fantastic paintings from a private collection.  My family and I are going to check it out soon and I can't wait.
​  This exhibition is on view until February 16th, 2025

  Today was another amazing day!  I finally got to visit Venice and it was just as beautiful as I imagined.  The light and atmosphere was really magical and there was a nice ocean breeze which helped to cool down a bit.  I tried my best to take some accurate photos, but photos (as always) can't do justice to this amazing place; that's why I really want to see these places in person and to experience them for myself.
  Our itinerary had two main sites to visit: Ca' Pesaro and the Doge's Palace.  Ca' Pesaro is an art museum which has a lot of interesting pieces and also a really cool collection of Japanese armor.  The main attraction, for me, was a painting by Joaquín Sorolla called Mending the Sail (1896).  Anyone who knows me.. knows that I love Sorolla.
  I first discovered Sorolla while I was working at Sotheby's auction house in 2013.  I was blown away by his paintings and he's been a major influence on me ever since.  I also visited the Museo Sorolla back in 2018 on a trip to Madrid.  Seeing this large Sorolla painting in Venice was pretty amazing and I took my time to really study it.  I took a lot of close-up photos to show the paint texture, but I also took a  video so that you can see the size of it (scroll down).
  Our other stop was the Doge's Palace and a group tour with Walks in Europe.  The tour also included St. Mark's Basilica which was equally as impressive.  The entire tour was excellent and our guide, Carolina, was extremely knowledgeable and did a great job.  If anyone is thinking about doing a tour in Venice (or across Europe) definitely check them out.

  Sorolla's work always impresses me and I was very inspired by looking at this one.  There are many things that you can only see in person, such as: accurate color, value, paint texture, canvas type, etc.  I hope these photos demonstrate a bit of Sorolla's paint handling and layering.

  Getting back to the Uffizi for a second time, I got to see their amazing collection of self portraits that goes back 600 years.  I had wanted to see a John Singer Sargent self portrait, but it wasn't on display or is perhaps at another museum; I think I've seen it previously at the MET, but I could be wrong about that.
  Anyway, I got to see some other great ones, including Raphael, Bernini (painted not sculpted!), Velázquez, Alma-Tadema and Frederic Leighton.   Alma-Tadema and Leighton both had amazing self portraits and I'm including photos here.

  Another great stop not too far away from where I'm living is the Giardino delle Rose.  Most of the roses are past their prime now in August, but it was still a peaceful place to sketch and walk around.  There are some interesting Japanese elements to the garden which were really nice too.

  Pisa is about an hour from Florence, but watch out because the train system here is pretty hectic.  Most of my trains have been delayed or cancelled.  Regardless, we made it to Pisa!  The tower is such an iconic monument and a place that I really wanted to see in person.  I'd say the lean is more prominent in person and impossible to capture in a photo.  You can climb the tower, but we didn't attempt it because of the heat.

  One of my favorites places in Italy so far was the Pisa Botanic Garden and Museum.  It's a part of the University of Pisa and dates back to 1543.  As a garden enthusiast, I really enjoyed this place and all of the interesting plants and trees.  It's a place for students and people to study so all of the plants are labeled and divided into areas.  Some of the plants and flowers were like something from an alien planet.  There's also a museum where they have a great collection of specimens and historical information.
  I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who's going to Pisa.  Entry was €4 and it's a short walk from the Tower!

  Today, I was able to get a final painting session with my self portrait.  I like it because it represents a memory of this special time here in Florence.  This evening was also our thesis exhibition so we got to see everyone's hard work up in the gallery.