Glassy Eyed From Drawing

The drawing is in the refinement stage. Yesterday's work was so subtle, that I waited until today to photograph the image. I hope you can see the changes: the ear and hair on the shadowed side of the head, the darker areas within the shadow around the eye, down the nose, and on the cheek. The broad areas of dark have been evened out and the final measurements taken. Cross your fingers that I get the 3rd level Bargue this week! The paper on this drawing can not take much more reworking.

The afternoon class was another round of a standing figure and a seated figure. Next week we will have a new model. We will also begin "articulation" of the construct. This means we will be able to draw the contour of the body as we actually see it. No more straight lines, but all the ins and outs.

On Sunday, we went to Venice for a day trip. The high speed train had us there in two hours. The weather was cold and rainy - not the best sight seeing weather, but we had a good time. From the St. Lucia Train Station, we took a water taxi boat down the Grand Canal to San Marco Piazza. The piazza had an elevated walkway set up due to flooding in some areas. We could not get inside the cathedral - it was Sunday and masses were being held. Here are some photos from the trip and a few of my favorite things Venetian.

Venice is famous for its Murano glass. It is handmade on the island of Murano off the coast of Venice. The glass is delicate and beautifully colored. The glass objects range from gorgeous goblets , everyday plates , to klitchy clowns. Most stores display signs educating the tourists about fake murano glass coming from China. There are fewer glassblowers every year because the demand for the genuine glass is driven down by the availability of fake pieces.

Venice is famous for its waterways and gondolas. Too cold to take a ride, but fun to watch as the gondoliers steered through the choppy water.

Venice is also famous for tiramisu. There are two different stories about its origin. The dessert was originally made in Treviso with common ingredients as an easily digested food for children and the elderly. The other story is too racy to tell in this blog.

While in Venice, we tried the local fresh seafood. We enjoyed a great big bowl of mussels in white wine and garlic. A homemade, crusty bread was served with it to soak up the broth. Yum.

Caio for now!