Work/study student Samantha continues to reflect on her month on the Summer 2015 program. If you missed the first instalment of her adventures, you can read it here…
Come the second week of the program I was recharged and ready to take on the city. I’d wake up and be out the door hurrying through the morning rush hour to get to the days art site. The sun was always out and burning the sky, but my body luckily learned quickly how to adapt to the smouldering heat. The Italian sun isn’t very kind and many people left site each day with a new patch of sunburn.
The locations during week two were all exciting. We went night painting in St. Peter’s Square; we toured the Vatican for drawing class; painted Tiber Island and toured a local sculptors studio. For art history we toured a palace and toured Sant’Angelo Castle. I sat beside fountains in Piazza Novanna and painted and I drew historic temples in drawing class.
I found a new confidence in my work. I felt myself growing and leaving behind old ways of moving my hand and putting down marks. I also was learning the ways of Italian coffee, what types of pizza were the best and adapting to fizzy water (I really love it but I can’t speak for the majority of the group).
On the weekend I toured a modern art museum with my friend and did personal paintings of the Tiber. I was getting comfortable and confident with Rome come the end of the week and was really getting excited about my artwork as well.
To be continued…
Samantha Saunders, Summer 2015
Want to find out more? Read about Samantha’s first week in Rome