Jackson Pollock and Museum Visiting

Hi, All!

I'm back with some art-related updates!

So far, there as only been one summer "art night." My friend Amanda got a job in California for the summer, so she hasn't been around too much. But Jessica and I got together to try some Jackson Pollock-style painting. Jackson Pollock was an abstract expressionist painter and famous for his unique style of "drip-painting" where he drizzled, flicked, and whipped paint on ginormous canvases.

Jackson Pollock's painting "Number 31"

Anyway, Jessica and I were feeding some ducks and having a chat when she said "I really felt like throwing some paint at something last night" and I replied "Why don't we? I've always wanted to try." So we gathered all the bottles of craft paint and the canvases lying around our houses, set up on the front lawn and started throwing. It was really very fun and a great way to let off steam. (We giggled a lot.) Thankfully we were barefooted because we got paint EVERYWHERE; all over the grass and ourselves. I enjoyed the physical process of painting much more than the end result, which is a concept that my high school art teacher, Theresa Barry, tried to teach me almost 10 years ago.

If you cover up half of the painting down below with your hand, you will notice that the left side is much more dynamic than the right. At one point in the process, I felt that the whole painting was quite boring because the orange and green patterns blanketed the entire canvas. The shapes and patterns were all the same size, and I wanted to break them up to make the painting more interesting. I added more colors (blue and pink) in localized areas to break up the pattern in an attempt to direct my eyes around the canvas when I looked at it. This conscious effort only happened in the last 10% of the process because I had too much fun throwing paint in the first 90% to care how it looked. But I was pleased with the end result and will keep it to remember how much fun Jessica and I had painting together. Next time I try painting in this style, I plan to limit myself to 3 or 4 colors, leave a little more white space, and again cluster the colors in their own areas (like with the blue and pink below).

My painting. While Jackson Pollock's paintings were the size of walls, mine was a more modest 8"x10"

I also started a drawing in July of a very picturesque window that I saw while in Italy. In Italy, there are colorful window boxes on every house, and this particular one had a simple white t-shirt drying in the sun as it hung from a shutter. There was also a very charming, fresco on the exterior wall that was just barely visible where it hadn't yet flaked off. As of August, I'm about done the drawing stage and eager to start coloring!

This summer, Jessica and I also visited the Fruitlands Musem in Harvard, MA on a beautiful summer day. The weather was perfectly suited for walking around the grounds and enjoying the landscape from within the dining tent. We went early on a Sunday to have brunch, and between surges of animated conversation we fell into contented, peaceful silence. As we ate our fresh toast and enjoyed our view from the hillside, I noticed that the gentle breeze coming through the dining tent was neither warm nor cool. It matched me so perfectly that I felt no temperature at all. It was extremely comfortable sitting there in good company with a yummy breakfast and a beautiful view.

After breakfast, we explored the collections of art and artifacts around the grounds. There was also an Arist-in-Residence named Richard Kattman who we saw painting on the hillside. Kattman is an abstract landscape painter, and we saw many of his paintings on display in the Fruitlands' art gallery. (His paintings shared a building with a collection by the Hudson River School artists during the Transcendentalist Movement, which I greatly admire.) In the gallery, Jessica and I pondered the style of abstract landscape and wondered how painters decide what to paint and where, when their work doesn't portray any recognizable shapes. Despite our confusion, we both appreciated the balance of colors, shape, and texture that were evident in the work.

On our hike back up the hill (after visiting the Alcott Farmhouse, the Native American Museum, and Shaker Office), we passed Kattman at his work again and he stopped to talk to us. He was very friendly and eager to chat and answer our questions. He explained his thoughts on the painting in front of him. It represented a body of water with a long bridge across (the long vertical line down the middle of the canvas) that he drove across every day to get to the Museum. He also said there were lights across the bridge that were reflected in the water. After hearing his explanation, I could understand the shapes and colors in the painting better, and Jessica and I felt very enlightened.

We continued to watch Kattman as he went back to work. We loved watching him as he grabbed paintbrushes, brushed gently and then vigorously, and went over his canvas with water, which made the paint blend smoothly. Most of the images that we saw on display at Fruitlands are not updated on Kattman's website, but these will give you an idea of his style. See if you can find the painting called "Map," which is one of my favorites that I saw. Click here to visit his website.

Well, I think those are all of the art-related updates for now. Let's hope I finish my Italy drawing soon, then I'll have something else to share!

In Which I Talk About What's On My Mind

Hello faithful readers,
SURPRISE - I blogged! I've recently been thinking about this seemingly abandoned project and wondering what I can write about. There isn't much to say except for a few random thoughts and updates.

This past weekend was an eventful one. Highlights include being bitten by a small dog, discovering that another mouse had taken up residence in my car, and driving said car into the garage door. Thankfully none of these turned out to be serious! The dog did not break my skin (although it was still painful), I thoroughly cleaned and sanitized my glove compartment, and the garage door still functions. YAY! Small victories.

In other, much more important news, I was officially hired as a full-time employee at work! This means I have benefits like paid vacation, a retirement fund, and my coworkers no longer think I'm an intern and ask me what college I am currently attending! Dad is also quick to remind me that I have a full-time position in a field related to my major - no small feat in today's market.

For the past several weeks I've been working on projects that are more to my creative taste. I think my manager has finally learned that I enjoy making art much more than writing and social media (no secret there), and has put me to work making infographics. An infographic is a visual picture that represents a lot of data in an organized and beautiful way. They are very popular on the internet right now. Since my work doesn't have much data, my "infographics" are more like glorified text boxes or social media ads. I don't care, as long as I can continue working on them. And my coworkers are beginning to notice my work! I was recently in the kitchen area when a coworker asked if I made the Physical Education infographic on our Facebook page. When I said yes, he told me how much he really liked it. SUCCESS! It is a great feeling to be acknowledged for doing something well.

You may be wondering if I have any current art projects. No. But I have one in the development stage! Since traveling to Italy in 2012 I've wanted to do a painting of a little Italian balcony with flowers (a very common but always delightful sight). I've decided to make a colored pencil drawing instead of a painting for the sake of time. Almost 20 months have passed since my last serious art project (I'm ashamed to admit it) so I'm hesitant to jump right back in with a big painting lest it should sit unfinished for another year. My friends Amanda and Jessica and I are trying to organize a weekly "art night" so that we can jump back into the swing of things. We used to be running partners, so we know how helpful it is to have a defined schedule, to have the support of a buddy, and to be held accountable because someone else is waiting on you. Let's hope that these art nights will produce some new work so that I can post more often!

P.S. Thank you all for the birthday cards, gifts, and well-wishes! I had a wonderful birthday. I got to go bowling, had yummy cake, and received many Tangled (the movie)-related gifts including a coffee table book on "The Art of Tangled" and a clever Pascal-the-chameleon tape-dispenser. SO CUTE!

P.P.S. I saw a wild bunny on the side of the road yesterday. It was adorable.

A General Update On My Life for My Faithful Readers

Hi there, Readers!
I know some of you have been checking my blog weekly, and I have neglected it far too long for anyone's liking, including my own. So here is a general update on my life at the moment:

Photo Class
I recently finished an 8-week "Intro to Digital Photography" class (a late birthday present from my parents) at the local college. It turned out some of the best pictures I've ever taken, and left me with a greater understanding of camera settings and the principles of photography. It was incredibly awesome to be back in a classroom and learning about art again. Recently I've realized how much I miss my college art history and studio classes. I hope to start a new project soon, and maybe go through my Italian Renaissance notes. As for my photography class, I took a lot of pictures in 8 weeks, but here are a few of my favorites:

Old Sturbridge Village

 

Minute Man National Park

 

 

Old Sturbridge Village

(These kids didn't even work there! They were just visiting, and I heard their grandmother sewed their outfits)

 



The Old Mill Restaurant

Bolton Fair 2013
Here's some dated, but art-related news that I never got around to posting: This summer I submitted artwork to the Bolton Fair and took home a few prizes! I received blue ribbons in animal photography ("Pig Pile"), pastel/oil pastel ("Sunset on Cape Cod"), and watercolor painting ("Illuminated Tree"). I also took home a 3rd place ribbon in oil painting ("Bleeding Hearts"). I loved that the judges took the time to write lengthy critiques of each piece. They commented that my oil painting was a little thick, and the matte for "Sunset on Cape Cod" was distracting from the image. Although it's discouraging at first to hear anything other than praise, I got over it and I really appreciate their expert advice. I still haven't gotten around to changing that matte, but I plan to before it gets hung again.

Halloween
WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?! Last time I posted, I was writing about my 5K race in April! Unfortunately my posts keep getting longer, and longer in between. By now it's almost Thanksgiving, but I can't overlook this little artistic endeavor: family pumpkin carving! Yes, I used a stencil, but who cares? Mine is the one on the far right. I love this picture of our pumpkins all together. Ok, quiz time! Is the 4th pumpkin a moose or a bat? Send me an email and tell me your guess!




Fun Fact
I recently heard that web links deteriorate at a rate of 1/200 links a WEEK. It's called "link rot" and may explain why so many of my pictures have disappeared from my blog, since I haven't been maintaining it. This is something I hope and plan to fix, if I can ever get back on the computer again after a day at work.

Work requires me to be on the computer 8 hours a day (minus lunch), 5 days a week. I like what I do, but as a result, I rarely turn on the computer at home. As a matter of fact, I think this is the first time I've blogged since starting this job, and I've been there 4 months.  

Anyway, it's late and I've got to go to sleep so that I can wake up for said job. I hope you enjoy these pictures, and again, sorry about all the missing ones.

Celebrations and Mountain Climbing

For me, May is always a flurry of activity, and this year was no exception! It kicked off with my boyfriend's graduation ceremony, then my birthday, and my bf's birthday all in a span of 12 days. At the same time the museum offered me another part-time position, so I spent the last week learning my new responsibilities at the front desk. Needless to say, a lot has happened over the past month and I just wanted to share some of the wonderful, joyful moments in my life right now.

 

 

First up: graduation! Full of pomp and circumstance, as it should be :)

My parents and I were all recognized as alumni and got front-row seats at the ceremony. I took tons of pictures, and cheered proudly.

 

For my birthday, my friends too me to Pickety Place, which is an adorable cottage in the middle of nowhere that plans it's menu based on the herbs and plants it grows on it's own property! It also has a shop where you can buy some of their products. I highly recommend it for a relaxing outing in the countryside.

 

 

 Then Zach's birthday! Here's the cake I made for him. Chocolate - his favorite (although his absolute tippity-top favorite is his mom's "black magic" cake. I'll never be able to compete with that).

Then Zach and I and all of his friends hiked Mt Monadnock. Our military friend hiked with all of his gear on, which was quite exhausting. I struggled a lot carrying nothing but water and sandwiches. Of course, the men decided to take the steepest trail!

Top o' the mountain. Happy Birthday, Zach!

5K Race Day!

Sunday was the day; the day I ran my first 5K road race.

And I KICKED BUTT!
I finished in 42 minutes, and ran the entire thing without walking at all! I never, ever thought that I would be able to run 5 kilometers, and I definitely never thought I would want to. But a few weeks ago I got an email about my school's Couch to 5K program and thought "I'm not working yet. I have the time. Exercise is good. Why not?"

So I started training 8 weeks ago by running three 90 second increments and walking in between. Believe it or not, I struggled to run those 90 seconds. I was so out of shape. But I gradually lengthened my running time and shortened the walking like the program instructed and it became easier. By week 6 I could run for 25 minutes! However, I knew that I ran too slow to cover 3.2 miles (or 5 kilometers), so I started running at home for distance instead of time. The first time I ever ran the whole 5K was on Friday, and it took me 52 minutes. I mean, I was really slow, but at least I knew I could run it without walking. And that was great motivation to keep going on race day.

Race Day. I was number 5!
Also, it was freezing cold.
Lots of people ran in sweatshirts.

 

I was surprised by how many people showed up to run! I dropped to the back of the pack pretty early, but that was ok with me. There were people of all different abilities, like experienced runners (you could tell who they were because they had professional running outfits and ipods on their arm bands), mothers pushing kids in strollers, elders who walked, and even a Fitchburg State ROTC member who ran in his combat gear!

 

I got a big surprise in the first few minutes when I saw my family cheering from the sidewalk! I didn't think they would be there! They lined up to give me high-fives and screamed words of encouragement, which made me laugh. A minute later I saw the rest of my family; grandparents, aunts and uncles ringing cow bells, whooping and cheering for any stranger who passed by :) Even from a distance they pumped me up and I ran faster, haha. Apart from the volunteers directing traffic, my family were the only people who cheered along the route. They are AWESOME! I love how supportive they are of everything I do, and I know they made the other runners happy as well. Thank you guys!

My own personal cheering section.

They could make a surprising amount of noise!

 

Waiting in the cold with coffee. What dedication.

 

Some of the people in front of me would run in short bursts and walk in between, but I set a pretty steady pace. One girl would start sprinting again whenever I caught up to her, haha. I tried not to feel bad that I was being beaten by those who were walking, but remembered that by running I was accomplishing something I never expected myself to do!

I had to run past my family twice, so after the second time they all jumped in their cars and drove past me to the finish line, yelling out their windows along the way. It wasn't hard to start sprinting towards the end; I was surprised by how much energy I had left! No flailing arms like the marathon commentators talk about, haha. Looking back, I probably could have pushed myself a little bit harder along the way, buuuuut I didn't care too much about my time. I was just happy I did it!

Crossing the finish line at 42 minutes.

I was definitely pumped up on adrenaline. I ran 13 minute miles!

In support of the people affected by last week's Boston Marathon, my aunt penned a new motto for us "runners" in the family:

Boston Strong, Barrows Strong

 

Big thanks to my amazing family for coming to support me and all the other runners! You're the best!

Happy Easter!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter Sunday filled with candy and family and egg hunts! I know I did. I think Easter is the happiest holiday of all because the church music is full of "Rejoice" and "Alleluia!"s, there's a humongous ham dinner, and best of all, there are a few good old-fashioned egg-hunts. Thankfully I have lots of young kids in the family, so there are plenty of eggs to be hidden (and even a few to be found by a big sister).

Here is this week's Easter cake!

I tried to experiment and make some new flowers and made some eggs, too!

I didn't level the cake this time because I didn't want to waste the excess (and I didn't feel like eating it).

 

 

 

 

 

I had a lot of pink and purple frosting left over from my last class with Jessica, so I tried to finish it all when decorating this cake. Unfortunately, the frosting NEVER. RUNS. OUT. I swear it's a magical frosting that just keeps replenishing itself. Finally I gave up trying to use as much of it as possible, and told my sister she could have it. She's a good baker and I'm sure she'll find a good use for it. Although I'm sick of eating cake after having it four weeks in a row. What a ridiculous first-world problem!

 

 

 

The Festive Cake Finale

Happy Almost Easter! And with Easter comes the end of my cake decorating class. How did the month fly by so quickly?! Jessica and I certainly learned a lot, and can now put our newly developed skills to the test! If all goes well and I have time, I would like to make a couple more cakes for the family party!

 

My cake and Jessica's cake.

Oh, how professional they look! Check out those roses!

 

Leading up to the class I was so upset, because I was poorly prepared. I had baked the cake at Jessica's house the night before, but after transporting it home I forgot to open the carrier to let it finish cooling. That made the cake super moist (good for eating), but also impossible to frost (bad for decorating). The cake broke when I turned it over, the frosting kept pulling off, and I screamed in frustration as yellow cake crumbs speckled the frosting. All because I forgot to take the cover off! Then, I underestimated how much frosting I would need, and had none left over to actually decorate it during class. Luckily Jessica came to my rescue by bringing extra frosting, and I had a little pink and purple left over from our cupcakes the week before. In the end, I gained many valuable lessons from this cake, and was so happy with the way it turned out I almost forgot about the crumbs in the frosting!

 

My colorful cake.

This week, our lesson was on roses and writing.

 

Who knew you put flowers on a cake using scissors?

 

 Rosebuds! (Or tulips, whichever you prefer.)

I made them up myself since we didn't cover them in my beginner class.

 

Jessica's beautiful cake. I love the vines.

 

Side view. Check out those perfect rosettes!

 

I hope everyone has a happy and blessed Easter! Enjoy your chocolate and jelly beans and don't forget to thank Jesus!

 

 

 

 



 

Picture of the Day (and Italy News)

YUM.

 

Good news, Readers! First of all, I feel very proud of myself for sticking with my 5K program! This week we bumped up the running to five-minute increments and although I covered ground at a snail's pace, I was still technically jogging. By the end of the week I will be halfway done (and possibly very sore).

 

Second, and even more exciting, is that I finished another post from Italy last night! I KNOW, RIGHT?! This one covers my second day in Florence, or at least the beginning of it; the entry was so long that I split it into parts. Remember, days 15-18 of my trip (Florence and Rome) were non-stop-so-much-to-do-and-so-little-time kinda days. There's also a lot of art talk, so prepare to be enlightened! You have been warned. ENJOY! Day 16: Florence, Part 2a 

 

P.S. At the gym today I saw Kelly, who I met in Italy! What a coincidence that I just wrote about the trip last night! It was great to see her again and say hi :)

Cupcakes and St. Patrick's Day

Yesterday was my third cake decorating class, in which Jessica and I decorated cupcakes! Our lesson was how to make basic flowers and shell patterns with buttercream frosting.

 

Here's what I did in class!

 



This cupcake is my favorite, even though other people don't agree. I love the tiny swirls! I also made a couple leaves under there.

 

Shells. It looks woven together, yes?

 

The spiky flower. I practiced on the parchment paper in the background, but I was too afraid to move it. Jessica successfully moved hers, though!

 

She even made two!

 

More of Jessica's

 





 

On Saturday night, I also brought cupcakes to Jessica's house so we could teach Amanda and Kat what we are learning in class. It was tons of fun, especially because we made lots of different colors! We got very creative . . .

Amanda and Kat made a panda wearing a psychedelic t-shirt.

 

Jessica made sheep!

 

I made a manatee for Amanda, because she loves them so much.

 

And I made this colorful one (which my family ate! I'm so upset. I was saving it for later!)

 

In other news, Happy St. Patrick's Day! I hope you all enjoyed some corned beef and cabbage and boiled bland veggies. I particularly enjoy that meal. And as a special St. Patrick's Day bonus, here are some pictures from the annual party!

 

 

Painting the whale blue

 

Just dance

 

 

 



Week 2 of Cake Decorating: Cakes

This week in cake decorating we tackled: cakes. Jess and I each decorated a 1-layer (delicious strawberry flavored) cake. We frosted them, traced and transferred designs, and then used different tips to decorate/fill it in. Here is what we made.

CUPCAKES! Mine is on the left, Jessica's is on the right. Jessica had to draw hers freehand because the frosting kept coming off. Looks pretty darn good to me!

 

 Mine.

 

Jessica's.

 

Mine.

 

Jessica's. Is it any wonder she wants to be a baker?!

 

 

 

 

Yum.

 

 

 

 

Next week we get to decorate cupcakes! I'm excited because not only are cupcakes adorable, but you get to make lots of separate designs, instead of trying to make one, big, symmetrical pattern and position it precisely in the middle of the cake (too many factors to mess up). See you next week!

Cake Decorating Struggles

Yesterday was my first cake decorating class! But before I show you any pictures let me just say, I was not as good as I expected to be, haha. It was definitely challenging and I no longer see myself sculpting confectionery masterpieces by the end of the month. As part of the class Jessica and I had to buy a kit with lots of decorating tools, which was actually really cool. Now, when we try to fill cupcakes with ganache we actually have a tool to make it easier! We also got 2 reusable bags (for the frosting/icing) with 12 tips and 4 sets of "couplers" which hold the tip on the outside of the bag so you can change shapes in the middle of decorating! So cool! (There were lots of other things too, I was just really excited about the couplers.)

Since this was the first week, we experimented a lot with the different tips; first on a plastic sheet, and then on cookies.

These were the best designs I could make.

I think I've got the stars down.

And this was the worst. It soon turned into my "test" cookie when I tried a new tip.

Note my attempts to make grass on the left, and leaves on the right. I made the center blob using a tool made for roses. Yes, I was really trying.

 

Even writing was a lot harder than I thought it would be, especially the fancy cursive.

 

Our instructor also showed us how to level a cake, frost, and transfer designs in piping gel. Next week we have to bring home-made frosting and a 1-layer cake to decorate. Then we try our hand at cupcakes, and a double-layer cake for the grand finale! 

 

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I also went running today! Go Me! I had to bundle up with mittens and a hooded sweatshirt because it was so cold, but I stuck with the program, doing a 20 minute combination of jogging and walking. I could have pushed myself to run longer, but I'm supposed to stick to the plan and not jump ahead. Tomorrow I'll bump it up a little bit when I run the "week 2" program with a coach at school.

 

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I also started reading a new book on my kindle, called "Twentysomething: Why Do Young Adults Seem Stuck?" It's fantastic. Written by a mother-daughter team (a baby-boomer and a millennial), it explores the possibility of a new life stage called "emerging adulthood" and why 18-29 year-olds don't quite feel "grown up." Once I got past the disclaimers and technical talk in the intro, it really sums up how I'm feeling at this point in my life! The whole first chapter is full of great examples, but here are a few points that stuck with me:

 

"We're presented with too many choices and maybe a little too much freedom as well . . . It causes us to be mildly dissatisfied with just about everything we do, not because what we do isn't great, but because we feel we could always do more." 

 

"The more choices you make throughout the day, the harder each one becomes for your brain, and eventually it looks for shortcuts"--either by being reckless and impulsive, or by turning into "the ultimate energy saver: do nothing. Instead of agonizing over decisions, avoid any choice." (mostly a quote from John Tierney in the New York Times Magazine)

 

"How many choices are too many? The maximum seems to be about six. More than that . . . [and you get] sloppy, expedient decision-making. . . . As if in self-defense, you start making choices almost randomly." "Offer people three alternatives and only 21% will make their selections using "elimination strategy," which is not a whole lot different from eenie-meenie-miney-moe. . . . Give people 9 options, and they essentially give up; 77% of them will revert to choosing whatever they land on at "moe.""

 

If you are a twenty-something like me, or have a twenty-something, you will probably find this book really interesting. I can't wait to read the rest of it.

 

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Shout out to my poor kitty, who fell in the washing machine and was trapped for hours yesterday! I think she has a new lease on life. She definitely purrs a lot more than she used to.

Small Steps to a Healthier Me!

Hello all,
Today is March 1, 2013, and this month I plan to make some improvements to my life!

(1) To kick it all off, I started a "Couch to 5K" program which will have me running 3+ miles at the end of eight weeks! Today was the first group practice. We started out slow (only about 20 minutes of a walk/jog combination), but I feel so proud of myself for going. Enrolling was a huge accomplishment instead of just acknowledging that I need to be more active. And I'll be ready for the 5K just in time to run in the beautiful summer weather (with some friends)! (I would like to say that eating better is also on my list of improvements, but St. Patrick's Day and Easter fall in March, so I definitely won't be counting calories.)

(2) I'm also going to start volunteering, although I haven't figured out where, yet. For the past few months I've been attending job seekers' meetings where people come to give advice on resumes, interviews, and keeping a positive attitude. I'm really looking forward to this week's topic about about skill-based volunteering, and hope that it will give me a better idea of where I would like to help. At last week's meeting we watched an inspiring video called "Lemonade," about making lemonade when life gives you a pink slip. I guess that makes pink lemonade, right? Although I'm just starting my career and haven't been laid off, I was still inspired to think about what kind of life I want for myself and how a fulfilling career can contribute to my happiness.

(3) This isn't really an improvement to my health, because it involves eating lots of delicious baked goods, but it will contribute to my happiness: This weekend I'm starting a cake decorating class with Jessica! We'll complete the lessons just in time for Easter! How perfect, haha. I'm really looking forward to being artsy with frosting and sugar. YUM! Maybe you'll get to try one of my delicious creations. Ooh ooh ooh! I should post pictures of what Jessica and I make! Yah, I think I'll do that!!!


P.S. I haven't forgotten about Italy updates! I know lots of maintenance needs to be done (restoring old pictures, posting pictures of Rome, the final days of Italy), and I WILL get to it, even if it takes all year.

In Which I Actually Graduate, But With Much Less Fanfare

Hello again,
I have happy news: As of Friday, January 25th, have officially graduated from college. Hurrah!

Last year, I was fortunate enough to take part in the May commencement ceremony, even though I wasn't technically done. That allowed me to celebrate graduation with the friends I made at school and be outside in the beautiful (and hot) weather. This time around, my true graduation was a much quieter affair; I didn't walk across the stage, none of my family attended, and there were no cheers or hugs on my account. I attended the ceremony to support another one of my friends, but it had special importance for me as well. My name was even in the program! It was just another happy occasion to celebrate :) And now my diploma should be on its way to my house, and I can take "expected date of graduation" off of my resume. Hurrah!

How Is It 2013 Already?!

I guess the old saying is true: time flies when you're having fun. And I had lots of fun in 2012, along with many emotional ups and downs. Just to name a few:

(1) My art exhibit "Engaging Moments with Ordinary Sights" (which is why I started this blog in the first place) far exceeded my wildest expectations! For that, I have to thank you, my readers, friends, and family members who cheered me on and helped me out immensely. It could not have turned out this great without your time, effort, support, donations and of course, your presence at the show. 
(2) I graduated from college. Finally! So happy!
(3) I studied masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance while living in the beautiful town of Verona.  Undoubtedly the coolest experience of my entire life so far. I also ate a lot of pizza.
(4) I matured professionally by working at a museum.
(5) I witnessed three people I love get married.
(6) I made new friends, and became better aquainted with myself.
I can't imagine a year more wonderful than that! I'm looking forward to whatever 2013 has in store . . . hopefully it includes a job.

As a New Year's gift to my faithful readers, I finally published two more posts from Italy! My intention was to finish all of the days in order, but my two days in Rome are proving far more difficult to cover than I thought. There's just so much material (artworks, Roman ruins, run-ins with the transit police) that I could write TEN posts at least. So when they are done and posted I will let you know and give you a link. I'm assigning the date of each post as the day it happened, even if I finish the post months later. That way they will read in the right order, and can be found easily.

In the meantime, enjoy reading about Day 19 and Days 20-21. And have a Happy New Year!



P.S. I noticed that in some of my older posts the images have dissapeared. I do not know why this happened, but I will try to restore them as soon as possible.

"Days Go By"

"I can feel them flying like a hand out the window in the wind . . ."

But seriously, I could do with a dose of Keith Urban's "yeah it's all we've been given, so you better start livin' right now. Cuz day's go by."

Right now my life basically consists of the Museum of Russian Icons (with a little GC thrown in there), which is great, but I left all of my lovely readers in Italia! For that, Dad, Aunt Jo Ann, Grandma+Grandpa, Uncle Bill+Aunt Debbie, Rachel, Jess+Amanda and everyone else, I am sorry. And I have an explaination. After my last post on day 14 of the trip, my class and I departed for Florence. Oh! Florence was wonderful! Then, immediately after that, the class split up and went to spend a weekend on our own at the location of our choice. In my case, that was Rome! Wonderful! On the other hand, I had so much to write about after that long weekend and so many pictures to upload and post, that I never got caught up. I continued to write little short-hand notes at the end of each day (until the last week got too crazy), but I didn't want to post them out of order!

What I'm trying to say is: Don't give up on me! The posts exist, they're just not ready for publishing yet. I promise to try and post all those missing days as soon as I can.

Love from Julie, the workin' girl

Days 20-21: In Which I Get Reaquianted with the Beautiful City I Live In

This entry is also called: "In Which Julia and I Conquer the Oven"

Monday June 11 and Tuesday June 12, 2012

I can't really remember what happened yesterday, except that I did a lot of grocery shopping after getting back from Rome. By last Tuesday I had cleaned out the fridge of fruit, bread, juice and milk (but unfortunately forgot about a bowl of diced tomatoes and lettuce. Yuck!), and took most of my non-perishable foods like granola bars and pretzel sticks in my suitcase. Since almost everything in Verona shuts down on Sundays, I was left without fresh food until Monday. After getting out of art class at 4pm, my friends Jess and Stacey and I hit up the local markets :)

First, we went to Vera Fruita, which is the BEST place to get fresh produce. It's an indoor-outdoor market about 2 minutes from my front door; the veggies, bread and dairy are inside with the register, but the outside is crammed with giant crates of fresh fruit like apples, peaches, strawberries, kiwis, melons and more. And also, it's dirt cheap. I got apples, peaches, kiwis, and a quarter of a watermelon for under 5 euro (under $6.50). They also have fresh-made loaves of bread there that resemble huge, round mushroom tops with fluffy cotton-candy-insides and crispy outsides. YUM! They are rather difficult to make sandwiches with, and they last forever, so Julia and I have only bought them twice.

Yummy bread! This one we used to make garlic bread for our entire study group a few weeks ago.

On the way back, we went to the little tiny local grocery store, with four teeny-tiny aisles. Here, you can get blocks of cheese and yogurt, soda, wine (and lots of it!), fruit juice, and processed stuff like chips, crackers and granola bars. I was devastated to find that they were out of my favorite pear-juice (more like pear puree), but then felt really bad about my first-world complaints that night when I read Amanda's blog from Guatemala and realized how much they go without. I'm so proud of Amanda for donating her time and efforts to help the women of Guatemala and to keep them company when they need it most. I hope I can someday make a difference to other people in the world like she is.

After the little grocery store that was sold out of pear juice (I got yogurt instead), we stopped in the little local bakery about 3 doors down. I. Love. This bakery. And I love the old lady who works inside it just as much as I love the sweet goodies she sells! She's always so cheerful, and wears a flat straw hat with a ribbon around it. Even though she can't speak a word of English, and my Italian is non-existent, we can communicate just fine. I love everything I get from there, which includes (but is not limited to) a strawberry-topped chunk of cheese-cakey-goodness, a gigantic strawberry & vanilla swiss roll, and the latest addition, half a loaf of apple strudel (which I'm a little embarrassed to say is already gone)!

I took this picture after I had already eaten half of it! I bought half the loaf, but I didn't eat it all in one sitting! More like 4 . . . or 3.

I realize now that when I return to the states I'm going to miss the local markets and cafes. Another place that I've grown to love is the krapfen window! And I love being able to walk everywhere. And follow the river to get to these beautiful cathedrals filled with art and history. And open my shutters in the morning. It's a much more leisurely way of life here in Verona than in Westie. Before I leave I'll have to take pictures of all the places I like :)

SO! Before bed on Monday I studied just a little bit for my Renaissance test the next day. Luckily saved my flashcards from spring semester, so I got to reuse them. I still can't believe how many of these masterpieces I actually got to see in person!

Today, Tuesday, I didn't set an alarm, and slept til an acceptable 9:30am. After getting up and ready, I had a breakfast of a fresh peach and yogurt with cereal in it (yum) before settling back into my bed to practice flashcards. Did the dishes and took out the trash like a good apartment-owner should :) and then went to class with Julia for our test. The lecture came first, and today we talked about Titian. I could say lots about Titan, but considering what he's known for, most of it wouldn't be appropriate for my audience. Instead I'll just say that I was thrilled to see several of these works in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence on Friday and in the Venice Academia two weeks ago. I can really appreciate the composition and organizational tools he uses, and his later style of loose brushstrokes.

The test covered two important rooms that I visited at the Vatican on Friday! First was Stanza della Segnatura, or "Room of the Signatures," which Raphael painted for the Pope in 1509 (it has a different scene on each wall), and second was the entirety of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, 1508-1534 (not just the ceiling, or one scene, or the altar wall. The whole thing). Needless to say, I wrote a lot. I was the second-to-last person writing, and my professor had to hurry us both up, haha (nothing new there).

"School of Athens" is just one of the walls in Stanza della Segnatura! I want to emphasise just how much material I had to cover.

And of course, this is the Sistine Chapel. It is without a doubt the coolest artwork I have ever seen in my life. This also gave me a ridiculous amount of material to write about, even when I tried to cover only the main points. For those who are interested in seeing the Sistine Chapel in more detail, here is a FANTASTIC link to view it in 360 degrees: http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html 

After taking the test we were let out early, which was a nice surprise. At 4:30, the photography students had a reservation to see the Robert Capa photography exhibition here in Verona, displayed in a gallery set within the ruins of the Roman city! It was a refreshing change from Renaissance art, and although I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibit, it was sometimes very disturbing. Robert Capa was a documentary photographer, and specialized in showing the emotional side of war. Several photos almost brought me to tears, and other times tears of happiness. What an emotional roller coaster ride. You can visit the exhibit's website by clicking here.

The gallery space was interesting enough by itself! The photography weaved in and out of stone foundations that were built before Christ, around stone-paved roads, and alongside an ancient sewer-line that still functioned until the 20th century! I was amazed by the skill and craftsmanship of the Romans, who made structures that far outlast those of our lifetime.

This is the courtyard above the gallery. There are lots of glass windows like this one in the pavement for passersby to look down on the Roman ruins that make up the gallery below!

After the gallery, I walked back to the apartment by myself, which was one of the most enjoyable parts of my day! I love walking on the sidewalk alongside the river, seeing the Verona skyline with it's many churches and hearing their bells chiming from every direction. The balconies and potted flowers are so colorful, and the river breeze is so refreshing. It's never chilly here. After the chaos of Rome and the pushy vendors of Florence, Verona feels very much like home and I really appreciate it. I'm eager to be home with my family, but I'm going to miss this restful, easy-going way of life.

Julia had the great idea of making pizza together in our apartment! She had bought a fresh loaf of bread and mozzarella cheese, while I already had crushed tomatoes and a garlic grinder. We threw it all together, borrowed some basil from our neighbors downstairs, and then tackled the oven. If you remember, the last time we touched the oven, black smoke came out and filled our entire floor. Julia and I and the boys across the hall opened all the windows to let out the smell before the rest of the group came over for a party later. When our landlord came to check on it the next day, she told us it was fine, not to worry, and it always did that(!). She also said something about turning the knob the opposite way, so Julia tried that tonight, and-voila!-no smoke! In the end, we created an amazing meal that tasted better than we had hoped! And it was so easy!

Pizza! Julie and Julia style!

And I ended the day with a wonderful chat with my lovely boyfriend, who I don't think will ever read this, so I can talk about him all I want, haha. We're off to Venice again in the morning, so I've got to get ready for bed. Soon I'll be able to write about Rome, but I never seem to have enough time. Goodnight, world!