"All of it is The Art. This meal, and the sun, and the tortellini, and the waiter saying"Mam-ma Mia!" and the vistas and the longing and the unknowing. The laughter is the art... And I'm going to do it all and live it all and THAT is "the practice" or whatever the fuck we're supposed to call it...I want Art that EXPLODES and SPILLS and can't be held by a white cube or an artist statement... I want art that is everywhere. I want stories that make you buy a ticket or tell her you love her." |
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Firenze October journal, 2023 |
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I began my October adventure in the UK with a short visit to Penzance, a misty coastal town in Cornwall, where I stayed at the studio of my amazing friend and former MICA classmate, Emma Rose Kennedy... |
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If you’ve followed my work for a while, you’ll remember that in my early twenties I had a studio in Porto, Portugal, a magical city I traveled to originally with Emma, a few months after we both graduated art school. Emma has played such an irreplaceable role in my journey as an artist– from college days spent toiling in the MICA studio center, to post-college nights, drinking 1 Euro wine and sketching in coffee shops. Here's a peek inside her Penzance painting studio! |
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Here's a secret: if you look closely through some of my older work, you'll often find two figures, Emma and I, gossiping over wine... |
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This trip had a lot of firsts for me: my first time in Italy, first trip since making the difficult decision to leave my full-time job, and my first solo trip since before the Pandemic. I didn't know what to expect, or even really why I chose Florence (a split second decision at 2am), but I knew that somewhere along the way, I would find something I was looking for. |
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Some special places I discovered: |
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Brac Via dei Vagellai, 18/R, 50122 Firenze Brac is a beautiful art bookstore with a romantic atmosphere. It is also a coffee shop, a wine bar AND a restaurant (what else could you want?!) |
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Todo Modo Via dei Fossi, 15/R, 50123 Firenze The perfect bookshop cafe, on a narrow little street near the river. Plants hang from a skylit ceiling in the back, and the tables are filled with students reading and having coffee... the ideal place for writing and thinking. |
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Studio of Compagnia Colonna Via dei Serragli 51, 50125 Firenze As I was exploring two of my favorite neighborhoods in Florence- Santo Spirito and Bellosguardo, I walked past an old church that had been converted into the most stunning aerial dance studio I had ever seen and I KNEW I had to take a class. Luckily, I was able to train for the day with the beautiful Emma Poli, a dancer in Compagnia Colonna. |
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An hour train ride from Florence, I explored an incredible city called Lucca... |
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I watched the sun set from Fiesole, a town that overlooks all of Florence from a hilltop 20 minutes outside the city... |
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So, where are you dreaming of traveling to? What small details do you love noticing in new places? What makes your heart beat faster? Tell me... |
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