Italy Sketchbook 7: Defeat of Hippolyta

So this is the last in the set of these sketchbook drawings from my study abroad trip to Italy.

The real lesson from these is there are so many great works of art people have not simply heard of.

This is from the Labors of Hercules by Giambologna. I only knew about them because my teacher Snowden Hodges did a series of huge drawings of them which are amazing.

I drew this statue three times total and really liked it. I did three close ups of different parts of it in the next few pictures. 

“And no one will listen to us until we listen to ourselves.”

  ~Marianne Williamson

Italy Sketchbook 4: The Bargello

So the next four sketches are from the Bargello, one of Florence's oldest public buildings. Above is Michelangelo's Bacchus. There is some awkwardness with the torso, but I really like how I rendered the hand.

I spent an afternoon there and was struck by a number of things. One all of the sculpture's penises have been broken off, which was apparently at the request of the owner.

Second was this statue below, Florence's Victory over Pisa. I had never seen it in an Art History class but really liked this statue.

I did one drawing and wanted to do a wider view of the statue. So I did the next one.

The next one is the statue from behind.

So the next section of this book is from my week in Rome. 

Italy Sketchbook 3: Florentine Masterpieces

The next two from this sketchbook are from giants of the art world; they are ninja turtles, even: Michelangelo and Donatello.

Above is a sketch of Michelangelo's Dawn; it is located in the Chapel Medici. The vault where the statue is located is at the bottom of a few staircases. I remember it being really cold in the vault because of all the marble.

I actually got kicked out of the tomb, by the security guard, while I was working on the drawing.  There is apparently a time limit to how long you can be in the vault. It's understandable because the vault is kind of small and there are a lot of visitors.

Below is Donatello's St. George. I actually drew it from the bronze cast outside the St. Michael's, Orsanmichele, so it is not the real statue. I drew it in the alleyway where the statue originally stood. I got a lot of good comments about the sketch from random tourists and Florentines.

The original statue of St' George is located in the Bargello, which is where the next series of sketches in this book are from. 

Italy Sketchbook 2: Perseus

I really like the statue of  Perseus with the Head of Medusa by Cellini in Florence, Italy's Piazza Della Signora. After I did this sketch, I wanted to do a larger version of it.

I remember having a little difficulty rendering the dark bronze as opposed to the white marble. As I look at this sketch, I think it is because the piece is rather dynamic. I think this has a lot to do with the dark tones as well as the composition. I also enjoy the fact the subject is larger than the page, so is gives the sketch a cropped photograph feel. 

Timeless strength and majesty.
I was so happy with this sketch and this statue, I decided to do a larger more finished version. The larger drawing has already been posted. I have included it again below.

Italy Sketchbook 1 : Piazza Della Signora

I have been looking though my previous posts, labeling them, tying to figure out what is up on this blog and what I have left to input.  I realized I didn't share with you some of my favorite sketches from my study abroad trip to Italy.

It was a fabulous trip, a joy to remember. I am so happy to share.

I prepped a book full of toned paper before my trip with the goal to try and draw as many marble statues as I could. I had already done cast painting in the Atelier with Snowden Hodges and had been quite successful. 

There is no place like Florence, Italy!

The Piazza Della Signora is an an L-shaped square in front of the historic city hall of Florence as well as the Uffizi Gallery. There are many marble statues in the Piazza including a replica of Michelangelo's David. The David was originally in the piazza until concerns of the weather, riots, and falling roof shingles caused the people of Florence to find a safer home for the beloved David.

So all these statues are located in the Loggia Dei Lanzi which has an outdoor sculpture gallery. I spent several afternoons drawing in my sketchbook.

So its been 7 year since my trip to Italy and looking back at these drawings gives me a good idea of how far I have come artistically. I am struck as I look at these how heavy my hand is.

My favorite sketch from the Loggia Dei Lanzi will be in the next post of my Italian Sketchbook. 

"Gratitude is the memory of the heart."

~ Italian Proverb

Great Idea

Italy Self-Portrait, Oil Pastels on Paper, 18" x 24"

I spray painted this piece of paper first, then added the oil pastels. It created an interesting effect. I was wearing a blue shirt, so I carried the color into my hair. It was a nice spill.

I had some fun placing the mirror. I was tempted to place it above, but decided to try it at eye level.

"A good idea will keep you awake
during the morning, but a great idea
will keep you awake during the night."
~ Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

With Life and Heart

Florentine Lady, Oil Pastels on Paper, 18" x 24"

This is not one of my favorites, but I drew it in Italy and the drawing is pretty true-to-life. This was an assignment for my pastel class and this was our model. I like the necklace in this picture.

"One day, with life and heart,
is more than time enough to find a world."
~ James Russell Lowell

Silent Poetry

Antella Cemetery, Watercolor on Paper,  11" x 14"

This is a cemetery that I walked to in Antella, a small city outside of Florence, Italy. This was a multi-story cemetery where you walked into the basement. I was fascinated by the place. The graves dated back to the 1600s and the cemetery was still in use with recent burials.

I do like the yellow and blue transition and I had fun with the light, which went from dark to sunlight. It felt cold in there, but it was beautiful. The marble reflected everything, so the light areas glowed golden light.

"Painting is silent poetry, poetry is eloquent painting."
~Simonedes

What's It For?

Gestures Drama, Oil Pastels on Spray Painted Paper, 18" x 24"

Another gesture drawing from Florence, Italy, but I am happy with the effect of the figures on the spray painted paper. There is a flow of movement here. Although some of the figures are not my favorite, they seem to work together well. I really like the lower left kneeling figure.

"To be human is to keep
rattling the bars of the cage of existence
hollering, 'what's it for?'"
~ Robert Fulghum

Block of Granite

Study of Cellini's Perseus, Conté on Toned Paper,  18" x 24"

I really like this drawing of Cellini's Perseus in the Palazzo della Signoria of Florence, Italy. Cellini's piece is the only bronze in the square and is quite dramatic to see. When I was in Florence, I was really passionate about drawing sculptures.

After doing a small drawing, I prepped a piece of paper and worked on this larger drawing. I worked on this for two hours at the square. I think my sketch captured the strength and mood of the piece very well.

"The block of granite, which was an obstacle in the path of the weak,
 becomes a stepping stone in the path of the strong."
~ Thomas Carlyle

Take Pleasure

Two Moving Figures, Oil on Paper, 24" x 36"

This is another assignment from my Italian studies. There were two figures and they would take a two-minute pose and then change positions. They did this for an hour. There was no set pattern to their poses and our assignment was to capture their movement.

It is a little trickier than one would think because oil does not dry quickly. So, you had the figure to work with, but you really had to springboard and make something else out of the painting. This was more about movement than capturing the figure.

"Take pleasure in your dreams; 
relish your principles and drape your purest feelings 
on the heart of a precious lover."
~ Giotto di Bondone

Process

Squares, Oil on Paper, 2' x 3'

This is a process painting. The assignment was to work on a painting continuously until you thought it was done. I enjoyed the layering, then had fun creating negative shapes then creating patterns with the negative shapes. I used to do these with tape, but I did not use tape in this one, so the edges are less defined.

"The process will set you free."
~ Chuck Close

Rhythmic Measure

Antella Cemetery 1, Watercolor on Paper, 10" x 14"

This is the study of the Antella Cemetery that I used for a larger piece. I really tried to capture the depth of the hallway by drawing squares. I experimented with colors and I liked the pinks and reds the best. I changed the orientation of the page in the final drawing.

"The same stream of life that runs through the world
 runs through my veins night and day in rhythmic measure. 
 It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust 
of the earth into numberless waves of flowers."
~ Rabindranath Tagore

Nudes - Hot and Cold

Nudes Hot and Cold, Oils on Paper, 2' x 3'

  

This was a painting I am very happy with. I painted it in Florence and it was the first time I painted two models at the same time.

These were a two 30 minute poses with a model break of 10 minutes

The assignment was to paint the two models and try to put as much distance between the two figures.

I did this by through focusing on the hot / cold contrast as well as the amount of details in the figures. The red figure really jumps in this painting and by the same token the blue figure sinks into the paper. 

There are some minor problems with this painting but overall I am really happy with it.

"I am still learning."
~ Michelangelo

Criticize by Creating

Angry Nude, Conté on Paper, 18' x 24"

This was another assignment for the pastels class I took in Italy. It is probably one of the most academic nudes that I have done. It looks cool. This is one piece of Conté, rubbed on its side all over and then I shaded with an eraser. This is an excellent likeness of the model.

"Criticize by creating." 
~ Michelangelo

Love Deeply

Self-Portrait, Oil on Paper, 18" x 24"

I think I look young in this self-portrait. I was in Florence and I needed to do something, so I started this. I like the colors. This was my Twitter avatar for awhile.

"To love deeply in one direction
makes us more loving in all others."
~ Anne-Sophie Swetchine