There are many words that one could use to describe an artist- a reclusive hermit, a strange character, creative genius, unpredictable and uncontrollable... and now, after this semester, I have one more synonym to add to that list: cross-cultural socialite.
Being an artist means having powers that could rival Iron Man, Captain America, or any of Stan Lee's creations (in my humble opinion). Artists bring any vision, any intangible thought, to life. They shape the lenses through which the world is seen. They can shift public opinion, move the heart, and communicate across generations and continents. And, as I have now learned, they can connect with any person, regardless of cultural background, age, ethnicity, or gender, without saying a single word. Artists, I have found, are almost entirely immune to the normal social restraints that govern every day life. They do not need to be fluent in any language, native to any land, or devout to any religion, in order to connect with the people around them. They simply need to begin creating something.
There are many seemingly insurmountable challenges that travelers face when visiting or living in another land. I would be so bold as to claim that language barrier is one of the most difficult of those challenges to overcome. If you do not speak or understand the local language, you are always one step behind, always on the outside of the circle. And that is quite an ostracizing feeling.
But... when you are an artist, the only language you need be fluent in is that of creation. You see, I have found that people, no matter their background or genetic makeup, no matter their ethnicity, religion, gender, or age, are drawn to artists like my dog is drawn to chocolate cake (bless his little pudgy heart).
Over the course of this semester, I have had the opportunity to wander around Florence and sketch different things that have caught my eye. I'd like to think that I am creating a "visual journal" of sorts. And in the process of working on this journal, I've discovered the cross-cultural power that comes with being an artist. The more I drew, the more people I met from all walks of life. In fact, whenever I'd get lonely, I'd just grab my sketchbook and go find something to draw, fully expecting to make a friend or two in the process. According to my notes, I met over 25 people, hailing from Kenya, Russia, Korea, India, and all other corners of the globe. It was quite an interesting phenomenon, one which I fully intend on capitalizing on as I continue pursuing the artistic path.
Below are photos of some of the things that I've done this semester and a brief description of who I met while working on that piece. Hope yall enjoy!
Watercolor painting of The Apennine Colossus by Giambologna- While painting this, I met an adorable little girl name Margherita. In my limited Italian (and her speaking only Italian) she told me that she was five years old, lived in Florence, and loved to paint. She watched me paint for almost twenty minutes, later introducing me to her family as her artist friend from America.
Sketch of the statue of Christ and St. Thomas by Verrochio- I met a young Italian named Michele who was studying sculpture at a school very close by. He luckily spoke English fluently and told me all about the history of the sculpture and the sculptor, who happened to be one of his favorites.
Sketches from the Bargello museum- I met a young couple while sketching here- the husband was from Russia and the wife was from France. they had been visiting Florence for the week and lived together in Russia.
Sketch of Michaelangelo's 'Prisoners' and watercolor of Saint Barbara- I met a couple from Dubai, India- the wife had studied art when she went to university and this was their first time visiting Florence.
Watercolor of Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria- I met a spunky old Italian man named Nikolai who didn't speak a lick of English. He counted every window that I drew, every statue, every pillar, making sure that I had correctly depicted each building. Only once I had made his suggested modifications did he pronounce it "bellisima" (beautiful).
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