Not as bad as my bathroom blowing up, but seriously?
So, I almost had a break down on Friday. I had been working all day on book arts and we had a speaker come so I wasn't ready for my graphics crit. But then Spivey, as perceptive and awesome as she's been this whole trip, moved the crit to today. Thank God. I was almost in tears from stress and feeling like I wasn't prepared. Why is it so engrained in me to be uptight about having every little detail done? If I know things I should have done aren't done, I dont have that easy going chill attitude like "screw it" that so many people have. And part of me is jealous for their capability to have that. Even in middle school, if I walked into a class without my entire homework completed I'd be freaking out inside. Spivey intervened with her second big life lesson this year. The first time it was about how GPA doesn't really matter in the real world and that porfolios matter and the only thing on your resume that designers care about is how it's designed. She helped me clear my schedule and create more time to enjoy college and do good design. She's all about staying in school as long as you need beacuse you'll always have time to be an adult and work. She laughs at us about how we complain of 8 ams and back-to-back studios, when, in the real world we'll have long days much earlier. The realization that college looking back will have been EASY makes me chill out and want to enjoy it more. But the life lesson this time was for Italy. She said to stop caring about my GPA and that I shouldn't worry about making straight A's here but just eat, drink, be merry, relax and make art that I enjoy. I think I push myself to no end to achieve goals that are yes, impressive, but only really matter in my head. I took her words to heart and this weekend we traveled to Orvieto for our last field trip. I went to the morning discussion but showed up a little late (Rachel and I grabbed a chocolate croissant breakfast (the best one I've had) at a little cafe). We explored the Duomo, caught most of an english worship service and decided to skip out on the rest of the group time that day and spend a day for ourselves. It was a delicious day. I was excited that I'd finally gotten to understand a church service, since I haven't been in 2 months. (Oh how I miss 2 rivers, matthias, and watkinsville.) I got chill bumps just listening to their singing echoing in the cathedral, every person sung. The message pertained completely to what we're learning about in art history - as it was all on the history of the relic there (a piece of cloth that some doubter of the eucarist had where the host actually bled on it). It tied in perfectly with the cathedral of the last judgement that Danielle had talked to us about. Being in those enormous structural duomos and learning about the frescos (which are all based on the bible - this one was on revelation) always makes me want to stay for hours and read the texts that are illustrated. It makes me feel so close to God and excites me that people who lived centuries ago painted the scenes half way around the world that I've been reading my whole life.
Rachel and I's day for us began with a little stroll around town into a few little shops. Kelley - we found marimenko fabrics!! We decided that we wanted pedicures so we went on a wild goose chase until we ran into Marco who took 30 minutes to help us find a beauty shop and made us appointments. It was so sweet but he was astounded that we were so grateful saying it was really no big deal. After being turned away at one place, the second place he took us said it would be hard but to come back at 1:30, so we went to find lunch. We ate at the most beautifully deocrated restaurant I've been in yet. Shabby chic - blog worthy to the max!! I'll have to post pictures soon. It was the same color scheme and interior as my bedroom at home. If I ever open a shop or cafe or bakery, it will be decorated similarly. Very artsy, elegant, and cottagy in all whites and neutrals. So perfect. Candles lit the room and we ordered the famous Orvieto white wine. It's the best wine in Tuscany - and this little town is famous for it. We saw the vineards of the exact wine we drank just an hour before - so cool! We had a wonderful lunch and chat and then headed back with fingers crossed that they could take us for our pedis. The daughter of the owner of the shop was our age, in college and spoke English. She translated for her mother, who had come in just for us! Pedicures are very different in Italy - her mom is more of a foot doctor and she examined our feet and shoes. She told rachel to buy new shoes and what kinds of support to look for. She pointed to the exact spots on Rachels back that hurt her and told her it was because of the way she walked since she was a little girl. When it was my turn, she said my feet were "perfecto!" - the only positive doctors report I can ever remember having. She used tools that are required with a permit only and illegal in the U.S. (liability reasons). She shaved off all our dead skin with these power tools and then the all the U.S. pedi-procedures. The whole time, I talked with the daughter who taught me all about Italy and what it's like for college here. Doctors aren't paid as much but dentists and engineers are. She taught me about the medical situations here and about taxation and how it's different for store owners. She taught me the cutsoms of beauty appointments, and it was all very interesting. After the pedi, it's procedure to lay down and let your toes air dry, so I took a nice nap on a massage chair. Rachel and I were giggling non-stop out of delight as we left the shop with discounts and candy and hugs from all the workers who swore we were sisters. Our feet were like brand new. We got coffee and relaxed until it was time to go and laughed about how everyone else was exploring underground tunnels while we were getting pampered.
When we got back to Cortona we grabbed Molesini's sandwiches and then 8 of us headed off to our baking lesson with Alex from Cocoas. I don't know if I learned more about baking or about life that night. He is the happiest Cortonese I've met and works 16 hour days, every day of the week. He owns a shop and only has one girl employed to help him pack things in boxes at night. He makes everything from scratch - gelato to cakes to pasteries, all in his kitchen in the back. He has big dreams of opening up a wine and cheese store with outside tables in Arrezzo at his home. He got a culinary degree so he wants to make "assorted" - or what he refers to as food. We learned to make a dark chocolate cake with ganache on top and a white chocolate filling that is his house speciality chocolate. We also made a lemon custard tart with hazelnut chocolate icing on top and Tuscan tiramisu. We got to keep all that we made including the recipes! I can't remember a time when I've laughed more this summer. I got his laugh on video and took pictures for a stop motion of tiramisu making. Afterward we went to Lion's well for a late dinner and ran into all of Cortona itself.
On Sunday it was rainy, so my villa pool plans were canceled and I worked in the studio all day. I took a mid-day break for a "tea-party" in Dru and Vas' room where we ate some of our cocoa's creations. I took a nap with Vas and worked until dinner when we went to the fancy "La Grotta" with the big fam. It was quaint and delicious and I had homemade spaghetti noodles - which are my favorite. Vas and Dru are going to add a part to my blog on their wine tasting and all they learned from Mr. Molesinni about the wine and culture here. It was a very productive but lazy sunday. (I know its an oxymoron but I don't know how else to describe it).
This morning I checked, and my hand made pottery came out of the kiln perfectly! My little cups are ready to be glazed and refired on Tuesday. When I leave I will have had a small taste of each class here -
Painting - I modeled for their portrait series
Photo - I modeled and sat in on a class, attended the Around Cortona international show that Mei Lin was featured in
Ceramics - I made little cups by hand and also threw on the wheel
Stone Carving - I attended the bronze pouring
Jewelry - I went to the fashion show and had a ring made for me here
Graphics - I took the class
Book making - took the class
Art history - took the class
Drawing - did a lot of that
Interior - I didn't do anything with that really, actually. But I spent a lot of time in the computer lab as they created.
Science - handled the frescos they made and helped with their paper making process
I'm going to work hard on my finals but also enjoy my las week here. Hopefully the weather gets better because the crazy heat that's in STL and ATL right now isn't here - it's like fall and in the 70s!
Gotta grab lunch and head to my book arts crit - but Ill post again soon - ciao!
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