"I am particularly interested in art. Mi interessa sopratutto d'arte."
--Barron's Italian Visual Language Guide
I'm dreaming of a painting trip to Italy next summer!
For the past few weeks, I've been trying to learn Italian using some CDs from the library.
I already know how to say two things:
- "Io non capisco l'italiano. " ("I don't know Italian.")
- "Mi interessa sopratutto d'arte." ("I am particularly interested in art.")
Actually, "particularly interested" isn't quite accurate. How do you say "ravenously obsessed?"
A cartoon from an Italian language book I found at Barnes and Noble.
I've never been to Italy, or Europe, and I don't know what to expect, but you can be sure that my imagination is working overtime. I'm basing a lot of my fantasies on the movie Roman Holiday.
(Except that, in my fantasies, I'm painting "the whole day long," not goofing off like this silly princess.)
I bet painting in Italy will feel as amazing as eating gelato with Gregory Peck. (Here's one of my favorite clips from Roman Holiday.)
I'm hoping to go next year, July 2017, for three weeks. It would be part of a painting program that I learned about from this Savvy Painter podcast: JSS in Civita. My understanding is that it would be like an independent study, but I would be surrounded by (and living and painting with) lots of other serious artists, and I would go on field trips to museums and beautiful cities, and basically be in Italy.
A landscape-in-progress in Civita, Italy. I assume this is Antrese Wood's painting. I found this photograph on her Savvy Painter webiste, relating to the JSS in Civita podcast.
My plans hinge upon winning a merit-based scholarship. The application is due in April. I don't know how competitive it is (probably very), or if I have much of a chance, or even the tiniest chance in the world, but regardless, I'm forcing myself to be optimistic. I already have childcare for those three weeks lined up, just in case! (Thanks family and friends!) I just have to raise money for airfare and food.
I'm soooooooooo excited about this potential opportunity. I know it might not happen, and that's ok. I know I can still have a good time painting in Pennsylvania, and maybe postpone this Italy thing a few years or decades. But for now, I'm just enjoying the wonderful feeling of possibility bubbling up inside of me. I feel exactly like I'm a glass of champagne!