tireless effort

Here is a photo of my thesis helper Mike and I the night before he left...He has been tirelessly editing and proofing my thesis for me on the technical end. I understand now why I do NOT like Microsoft Word and happily would rather be using a design program.

But...I will triumph!!!!

no time

I haven't had much time for posting to this blog or anything else but school work...it's getting close to the end! I am swamped with a thesis, a didactic panel, a movie/slideshow and I just finished a science presentation. I still have reports to finish and I also just finished some restoration work on the computer...life of a post-bacc student. It's all fantastic work, and I am enjoying it but there is little time do much else.

On top of it I think I need to find some time to job search...as it stands right now I might be extending my time here in Italy to get in some extra practical hours if all works out. Fingers can't be crossed about my future because I won't get any typing done. Here is a shot I did at the paper restorers studio...I do love going there!

fresco fresco fresco

We are doing a specific technique in fresco class called lime white. We are doing it old school so we trace the picture with stylist impressing the image into the mortar and then using pigment outline...later we paint. So here is my project, one of the few things I do at school that I can actually post. Here are the three stages and the final product.

aarrrgh the noise

On monday I awoke to stone chiseling outside my window AND inside my building. I am thinking it might be a metaphor of some sort of life changing thing but I haven't had enough sleep to care much. I wish I could be one of those people that can sleep with a pillow over my head but I'm not. Like Mike did when he was here...I don't even think he knows I took this photo.

Virtual Restoration

I was lucky to have a classmate tell the paper restorer that I am writing my thesis on virtual restoration. He had a few projects lying around the studio that I could work on and it has been fantastic. Here is a little piece of the first one I did. I'll leave the details out but I have to say it is pretty incredible to get to work on something so incredibly historical...and that might get auctioned at one of the biggest auction houses in the world...

Mike's visit

It's been great having him here. He has put in some time helping me with my thesis and weeding through the technicals with me. It has helped that he has been here before, so there isn't a sense of urgency to do all the tourist things. In fact he had an allergy attack which turned into a bit of a cold so we stayed in a LOT of the time.

We did however manage to wander over to Nenad's studio (paper restoration) and have a few fantastic afternoon's there digging through all this stuff...the best show and tell I've ever been too. I am working on a few projects with him and now I regret more than ever not having paper as an independent study course.

So it's the home stretch of 5 weeks until I finish school. I have so much due in the next month that there won't be any time for getting out in Florence. What little free time I have should probably be spent finding a job...arrrgghhh....and I have to decide when to come back and where I'm going to stay.

I know it's supposed to be about being here and letting the rest work itself out but that is easier said when you have a home. Oh well...I need to have a little faith right?

The knight arrives...

Mike is coming to visit and will be here for 10 days to help me with my thesis over my break. Of course coming to Florence has other benefits but I'm pretty excited to see him...and actually take a little break from all the work. In fact it's kinda hot to think that I'll have some help with it all. Making sense of the technology is slowing me down a bit so I'm hoping he can help me make some sense of it.

He also got me in contact with one of his friend from Adobe and fingers crossed he can help as well. I did just see a fantastic thesis done by someone a few years ago and it made me gulp...aaarrrggghhh....the stress of it all!!!

So maybe soon I'll have some new photos of me here in Florence since I won't be the only one with a camera.

One morning

I woke up and looked out the window and a drunk was passed out right in the MIDDLE of the piazza. We have 2 tunnels on either side of him and yet he managed to fall asleep right there.

A few seconds later I was a bit horrified to think that maybe he wasn't actually breathing...but 2 guys went up and got him up but it took a good deal of prompting.

Funny the surprises you can encounter without even leaving your apartment.

Almost time for a break...

I haven't had much time to post and write here but that in no way reflects what has been going on. It has been complete chaos and constant since school started up again. Classes getting shifted, add a few in on Saturdays and keeping us until 7pm. But it's been great. So I thought I would post something I did on Thursday in fresco class so you can indeed see that I actually produce "something".

I have been typing my ass off trying to get my thesis underway, my presentation done and all the reports done. I got a great opportunity to work with a book restorer last week and hopefully he will have a little hands on work for me coming up soon so I can practice. Experience is the key in biz like so many other industries.

So if anyone has time to proof my "stuff" please send me an email because I might need a few pairs of fresh eyes checking in on me around the end of March when I hear it gets even busier.

All is well...and just an hour ago I finally after exhaustive months of searching got my very first geniune Italian leather bag! I know...shocking it too so long but I was searching for something exact, so exact in fact that I think my friend Anna was about to choke me. So it's my birthday and Christmas present to myself all wrapped into one lovely brown leather tote. Yippie for me

. But like a celebrity I won't be posting any photos of my new baby...

Now to explain the photo: this is the first stage of painting a lime white fresco. We chose an image from the 16th century and using a stylist you inscribe the outline of the image into the wet mortar. Then you use the pigment mixed in water to go over the lines and add shading if you like. This serves as the sketch to paint by. We begin painting when break is over. My last one was a bit of a disaster so may be this one will survive.