Oct. 25, 2019 | Posted in Reports, Painting and Drawing , Student Reporter | Tags:Kristin Fiorvanti, Painting and DrawingReporter: Kristin Fiorvanti | Course: Painting and Drawing

Painting and Drawing vol.14 (One-Year Course – Kristin)

A Week of Preparation
Slowly but surely, I’m getting closer to being completely prepared for this exhibition. What’s not pictured in this report are the constant trips to hardware stores and craft shops, the buying of new supplies, the epic failures, and the immense planning that it takes to put on a show. This week, I’ve dabbled in all of my various hobbies and talents: paint, graphic design, writing, crafting and woodwork. What has really kept me pushing forward is having a simple list of goals to complete each week. I check them off when they’re finished to encourage myself, and also to remind myself when I should rest.

Alessandro has been a great help in preparing for my exhibition; he has shown both concern and enthusiasm for my ideas. This week, with the stress of preparation in mind, we decided to experiment with watercolor paint and a smaller surface.

I utilized the same still-life subject from last week. I approached it a few times to try my hand, again, at matching color. I’ve since been working on these little watercolor cards to sell at the exhibition.

On Tuesday, I reapproached it with oils on canvas. I found it to be strange at first, because I usually paint the background first, but I blocked it in after the main elements. This time, I am happy with the color gradient I chose. I want to continue to try for an impressionistic look, but I still focus on the details. Right now, I’ve learned, that it’s a matter of focusing on the right details and finding simple ways to represent them.

One of my biggest obsessions as of recent has been color theory. For those of us that see colors everyday, it can seem like a simple thing to study. As someone who works with color everyday, I am always surprised at how complicated it can truly be. Color theory expands from color mixing to psychology, interpretation, design and so on. We discussed this in general during this week’s Basic Lesson.

The Art Stage took place in the beautiful Pitti Palace this week. As you can probably see from the photos, walking through these palaces can surely make you feel like royalty. The gaudy gold and magnificent marble from around the globe draw your mind to a blank when imagining the expense of it all.

With each room, we stopped and gazed in awe. This piece, inspired by the Greek god Zeus, is painted on the ceiling in one of the rooms. Barbara explained that it’s from the Baroque period –after the Renaissance. There are some telling signs within it –including the figures, the geometry, and the colors –that assign it to its period. The picture doesn’t do it much justice, but it stretches at least 5 meters; it’s something jaw-dropping. I’m getting too comfortable with this feeling of awe that Florence tends to carry.