My Personal Renaissance

Art students gathered for their portfolio presentations this morning in the garden, sharing with the group their "Personal Renaissance" and evolution of their experience as artists. Each presentation was authentic, inspirational and demonstrated the creative spirit and energy the students applied to their work. Below is a Gallery of Impressions...

Lizzy welcomes us to her art studio with a range of images...the couch...is her piece that she feels represents friendship...taken from the hotel

Elisabeth " from doodling in my math notebook to painting...I have gained a greater awareness and appreciation for art...it takes patience and determination ..."

Emily..."my greatest breakthrough is that I did not have time to procrastinate! This trip taught me so much beyond the art...it will influence my life choices..."

Sebastian moved out of his comfort zone and took risks even though he felt he wasn't an accomplished artist. His favourite piece was the espresso cup drawn the day we went to the cafe for an exercise on still life drawing. We told him he should frame it and perhaps one day hang it on the wall of his kitchen in his own home.

Nathalie found her personal Renaissance by, "... Having more freedom and independence..."

Anastasia enjoys abstract and working against dark backgrounds.

Magdalena was taken aback by many detailed impressions of Italy in her Sienese collage. Time was always a challenge' "...but I was able to step over my mental block..."

Lexie was mostly proud of her door piece and demonstrated a versatile body of work...each so unique!

Jasmin had a wonderful breakthrough...explaining her 1st day painting the door, conquering her quest for realism and being able to see colours beyond the constraints of real life. "I jumped out and developed a lot...I just wanted to paint and not over think it...to be in the moment!"

Juliana gained greater confidence with paint and evolved beyond drawing/sketching. It built up confidence and courage.

Nicolas discussed how his work helped tell a story and how he used mediums he never tried before like watercolours.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Students were asked to create a final piece...a postcard from Italy dedicated to their parents...drawing/painting and writing their final impressions and words of thanks for supporting them on this adventure.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ani explained that as a child she was greatly connected with art but experienced a disconnect that she has happily recaptured. Interestingly enough, Ani maintained each of her paint palettes to demonstrate her appreciation of colour and courage to seek personal techniques. She feels that she has not found her personal Renaissance yet but is on the path...a work in progress!

Shae went full circle and started her presentation with this image...

The day students were asked to paint a door but Shae had other ideas...she painted a Vespa instead. She discussed how different it was to be asked to paint out in the open and how exhilarating and daunting it could be at the same time. She concluded with a symbolic representation of herself as fire ( one of the philosophical discussions we shared while working together).

Elise evolved from highly meticulous drawn pieces to wandering with watercolours. She experimented and challenged herself. "I love this painting of the dog because it represents the everyday of italy...it also taught me to create quick brush strokes."

Rico said that he is more of a traveller than an artist but in a surprising way this trip changed him and he has gained greater strength in a variety of mediums and subject matter. This evolution improved his skills!

Maxine explained her creative body of work and how learning to paint outdoors was a challenge to experience. She embraced it and learned to create with a variety of mediums and inspiration.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Doors of Siena ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sketchbook Impressions.... "PAINTING IS SILENT POETRY" Plutarch