Studio work

Sometimes people ask me what I do in the studio. I'm not sure how to answer that other than to say that I paint..? In fact, mostly it's a big lime of artists that bounce ideas off of one another.. and Sometimes we paint. ..Sometimes.

Anyhow the semester is coming to a close, the end of year show is coming up, and believe it or not, we have all produced amazing, cohesive bodies of work.
Here's one for my thesis.

Opening Night

My opening night at Colle Bereto.
pics: the OCA gang at the star table, and Carmine, April and I outside.

Dolce Zucchero

Friday --Aprils night at Dolce Zucchero.

MayDay

Caitlyns show "Absolent" last Thursday at MayDay

Jens B'day

We were invited by Jen and Kelsie for aperitivo for Jens Birthday before Kaits opening at Mayday. Celebration was re-commenced at 11. We all went out for a late dinner. Everyone was smashed. It was hilarious.

Film Festival !

Yesterday the Florence off-campus program hosted its first Film Festival. Shannon B, Eva and I organized the night. It was a great success. There was lots of food, and lots of laughs. Eva did a great job of editing everyones videos together. The drunken moments caught on tape made for some good entertainment, together with some music and fitting captions. These will no doubt screen well back at the Toronto campus (heads up guys, that's where they're getting screened next -- orders came from the den mother herself). Collectively the videos were nostalgic, and will be something we look back on in years to come with teary eyes and say ...."remember when Xenia tried to do a push up?"

Shameless Self Promotion

ALSO,
I am having solo exhibition
"Travel: Transience in Space and Time"
at Cole Beretto in Piazza Strozzi, Florence.
Florence friends, the opening night is on Saturday 25th with Apeirtivo at 7:30pm.
the exhibition runs from the 24th - 31st of March, 2006.

For those who are abroad, I will post pictures next week. ;)

Toronto Juried Exhibition Prize winner !

I had a conversation with my father about a week ago that went something like this "I hope I don't win anything.. I won't be in Toronto to collect the prizes they have, and I'm not living there anymore... and what am I going to do with a big fancy bike in Canada?" (first prize is a bike and some money-- it's environment week people!)
A few days ago I got two e-mails from one of the organizers of the exhibition. One titled "A big thank you to the artists" .. the other "Congratulations!"
haha
I love my life. Too funny !

Things are going well here in Florence. It's been a bit stressful (a BIT), as my thesis and body of work are due next week, and there are more exhibitions coming up to start preparing for.. but the weather is getting better, and I'm still enjoying myself amongst the myriad of papers and deadlines, and with the uncertainty regular Florentine life. Things are great. I'm already looking for excuses to stay.

[A]lternative [R] [T]ransportation Exhibition

Toronto friends! You're invited to a big opening party for the exhibition [A]lternative [R] [T]ransportation as part of Enviro-week in Canada.
The show includes artists of all disciplines and works that include traditional painting, mixed media, video, sculpture and installation and photography.
There is a juried art exhibition at 8:30 (go and check out my work!), Junkyard races at 10:30, and of course great food and wine at Sylvesters on the U of T ccampus!

Opening: 10th March @ 7:30 pm

If you cannot make the party, the art will be on exhibit March 7th-March 17th at Sylvesters for your enjoyment.

Festa della Donna

It's Womens Month !

Festa della Donna (festival of the woman) was yesterday in Italy. March the 8th marks the anniversary of the day hundreds of Italian women died in a fire in a factory in New York in 1911. It is a day of remembering the tragedy of the past and equally celebrates the women of today.
It was nice to be greeted with smiles and given handfuls of yellow Mimosa flowers yesterday from people on the streets, and in the markets.
In true art school style (and with a feminist prof from the 60's) we celebrated the day with a big dinner at the studio; and as with all affairs here, this was a night to remember... lots of food, artfully decorated cake and cookies of biological parts, wine, and a video screening.

Ladies, don't forget to celebrate International Womens Day on the 10th of this month !

Parma and Mantova

I don't know how we manage getting everyone at the Lazzi (bus) station for these early morning art history excursions. That, and how Peter (even if he's sick) manages to have more energy than all of us put together (he keeps talking about these papaya supplements everyone takes here..).
As always, it was a great day.
Parma (birthplace of Parma ham and Parmesan cheese)is a wealthy medieval city with beautiful architecture and surrounding countryside. We spent our time there visiting sites with frescoes by Correggio.
We then visited Mantova in Lombardy where we walked through the post Raphaellian mannerist Plazzo del Te (creation of Guilio Romano, 1535). There we went through the many rooms of the 'pleasure palace' of Frederick II. He dedicated one room to his beloved horses, having portraits of his favourites on all four walls. Another room was dedicated to his lovers and features shocking erotic frescoes including giants animals and nymphs on the north wall.
After leaving the palace, we went to another exhibition then walked through the town into the old city and stopped to have tea in one of the big piazzas before heading home.
Pics: Piazza in Mantova, and Eva and one of the many signs found in all Italian cities with their very thorough illustrations-- mind the medieval castle in the background.

Arrivederci Torino !

I had such a great time on Saturday that I decided to skip Venice carnival and returned to Turin on Sunday for the closing ceremony !
I went to the Olympic stadium early and partied with a bunch of Swedish fans, as they had just won the hockey gold medal.
I met up with the Aussies again and saw them play later in the piazza.
Again I was amazed that with the 50 000 people there to see the ceremony, there were no lines (I tell you --organization was seamless). It took me two minutes to get into the stands and find my seat that was filled with a ton of free stuff! I was in the field and we were given these white dresses to wear that they projected different colours on, we were given a catalogue, cushion, medal, masks, all sorts of things. I met an American girl that sat next to me and the two of us had a ball ! We had a huge party going on in the field during the ceremony and we had different things to do because we were part of the show.
it was a moving experience being there. I can't say I can describe it without getting a little watery-eyed. The show itself was spectacular, the carnival floats and the fireworks.. Andrea Boccelli, Laura Pausini (Italys darling), Ricky Martin, and Avril all sang, the olympians said goodbye to Turin, and the flame was burned out. It was just incredible.
I had a great day!