Hello from Roma

I can barely get on the Internet ... so hopefully I'll get through this post. Today was our first day of the "official" art historical workshop and we spent it ... with ten gadzillion other people at the Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel. Randy and I are in Rob Liberace's art historical workshop (for the third time in Italy), and as usual, thoroughly enjoying it. We went through the Raphael rooms before entering the Sistine Chapel, and spent a good bit of time discusiing Raphael's "School of Athens" fresco. (And "The Transfiguration".) What's wonderful about being on these tours is seeing the artwork through an artist's eyes. Totally different. I'm constantly looking for inspiration as an artist to make me reach for some new height. These tours, more than anything else, inspire me. You see (and hear) how artists of each time period influenced and inspired each other. Rob talked about Raphael's "last minute" inclusion of the figure of Michelangelo in "The School of Athens" after the young artist saw the Sistine Chapel work in progress. Essentially, Raphael was blown away by Michelangelo's work. (Who wouldn't be?) He'd earned his rightful place in history.

The Sistine Chapel leaves me awestruck. Every aspect of it. The incredible design. How all the pieces fit together. The narrative. The large figures and smaller. The layers. So much I'm positive just has meaning for him. He is so bold and confident. Rightfully so. You take this ridiculously ambitious project ... then place it on a ceiling ... work in a secondary medium (he's first a sculptor) ... and work in fresco (totally unforgiving ... done at once ... etc.) Michelangelo must have loved a challenge.

After our Vatican Museum visit, Randy and I limped (sore feet) through St. Peter's -- seeing the Pieta, and extraordinary sculptures, architecture, et al. It was a great day.

I've struggled to draw in Roma. Hence, here's a drawing from our Florence days last week. We visited Santa Croce and sat in the piazza for a nice lunch. Here's our vantage point. Hopefully ... hopefully ... I'll post more ... Roman work this week.

I'm gathering thoughts and inspiration these two weeks. I can't wait to paint when I get home ... but then again, I can't wait to see what's in store for each day until then. The sights and sounds are powerful. Beautiful. What will I take from here?

"Santa Croce", ink and watercolor wash on treated Canson mi-teintes paper, copyright Jill Banks 2010.

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