There are a few works of art that everyone knows: the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the Mona Lisa, Starry Night, Warhol's soup cans to name a few--But it's arguable that David is the most famous work in history. And it's definitely the most famous sculpture. There's a great history behind it which is also fascinating. As always, photos don't even come close to capturing the scale of this monumental work and I'm very grateful that I could see it in person.
Another note is how well displayed it is. There are a lot of beautiful works out there that don't have the same presence because of the environment around the work. The area around the David is like a beautiful frame that fits around it. There are other great pieces here at this gallery too, but they are really over-shadowed by the David. I have class again this afternoon, but I wanted to share this because of how impressive it was.
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A quick update to show some progress of my still life painting and to share some methodology from the Florence Academy of Art (FAA). The process so far has been a traditional academic approach going preparatory sketches to finished work. This painting started out with some thumbnail sketches that only focus on value relationships (not detail). Squinting can be helpful throughout the process to keep values simplified--I personally don't squint very much, but it's good to test it out and see what works. The next step was to paint small scale studies. We're not using transfer drawings for the still life, but we are for a larger figurative painting.
We're using a limited palette of: Titanium white, cad. yellow light, yellow ochre, cad red light, ultramarine blue, burnt umber and ivory black. I added a touch of burnt sienna also because the burnt umber that I got from Zecchi is very cool and almost like a Van Dyck brown. Earth pigments can have a variety differences based on where they are mined from. I've always enjoyed limited palettes because it allows me to focus more on arranging values. I like experimenting with colors, but my regular working palette has only a few extra colors beyond this limited palette. FAA also works in sight-size, which is a method where you stand in a specific spot so that your canvas lines up with the subject matter. It's a method that allows the artist to transfer over measurements from a certain vantage point. I find the method to be very structured and works within a framework of specific circumstances. Either way, it's taught me the importance of stepping back from my work and seeing the painting as a whole. *You'll see the photo of my still life below was taken at a different angle from my sight size viewing location. The process is very rigorous and has pushed my skill level further. It can be a difficult process mentally and physically and reminds me of training for athletics. I'm very thankful for this MA program because I've always wanted to learn these time-honored methods. We had class today and my still life is still in progress so I'll share more as it develops! No class tomorrow so I'll be getting chores done and taking it easy :) Our class had an excellent guided tour of the Uffizi gallery today and I wanted to share just a few things that made me smile. I could have taken a lot more photos, but I'm generally not a fan of taking a lot of photos in a museum; I feel that the photos never do justice to the original work and they take away from my experience whilst I'm in the museum. It's a real experience to view paintings in person also because paintings aren't merely flat pictures; paintings have texture, translucency and a real depth to them that cannot be captured in a photograph. To me, it's always like meeting a person in real life Vs. doing a video chat or something. There's so much beyond the surface! The collection is full of gems and I particularly enjoyed the Titians and the Caravaggios. I've loved Caravaggio for a long time, but I was surprised by how nice the Titians look--I think his paintings don't translate too well to photographs. Of course, the museum has Raphael, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Botticelli (Birth of Venus), Rembrandt, Gentileschi, Rubens, Van Dyck, Bronzino, along with a lot of pre-Renaissance masters like Cimabue and Giotto. Maybe it's silly, but I enjoy the animals included in these great paintings also. I find it interesting that our love of pets and regard for animals hasn't really changed throughout history. The video on the left of the sleeping dog is a Titian and the cat in the right video is a Pontormo painting. Tough act to follow.. But, I'm also sharing a photo of my transfer drawing down below which I've been working on. We're going to use these drawings to create a final figure painting for the course. My still life is also going well so it's been a productive week here in Florence!
It's been a busy semester thus far in my final year as an MA student at the Florence Academy of Art. After all the travel, my first week was pretty crazy and I was also battling a cold so I was exhausted! With this second week starting, I wanted to share some of my studies that I've been working on. One of my projects is a thesis still life that I'm developing from thumbnails to charcoal studies to a small oil study. The focus is on values, which is one of the main principles of art. My other project is a figure painting that I'm developing in the same manner. The classes are very structured, which has helped me learn the principles more efficiently. The faculty has also been excellent and it's invaluable to be able to ask questions directly and to have my work professionally critiqued. This process of art making is a very old one and it's extremely versatile. It resonates with me because of its directness and simplicity. And when I say simplicity, I also mean an economy that is very challenging to achieve. As a teacher myself, I see the benefit of also passing these methods to my own students. And it's great to teach (and learn) a process that emphasizes direct observation without tricks or "secrets". On Thursday, we're going to the Uffizi gallery so I'm excited about that. I'm also going to get out and do some plein air work soon. This whole experience has been very fulfilling! |
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