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| Color sketch of Ionian sea from Taormina, sketch of Trinacria, symbol of Sicily |
"3/23/14 7:20 am
Last morning here in Sicily.
The sun rose over the Ionian sea today, casting an orange glow on the water. I'll never forget the colors of this place. Mt. Etna always has a belt of fog at it's base, just above the coast line. And the colors of the ocean! I'm looking at them right now from the balcony in the hotel. Bluegreens, viridian, the purest light cool blue, and a summer of white on top of it all. It's paradise. I'm sad to leave, knowing what's back home.
Stressful school work, mind-numbing distractions, and the lack of this beautiful island."
3 Legged woman, symbol of Sicily - Trinacria
-Head of Medusa, thrown into center of Sicily to protect it by Athena
-3 Legs = 3 corners of Sicily, 3 Nymphs w/ Basket of fruit, soil & flowers
-Greek Symbol, 2800 years old (Naxos 2800 years old, 1st settlement)
-Birth of Sicily - basket & Nymphs fell into ocean, Zeus made an island
-Messina, Syracusa, Palermo 3 major cities at corners where 'knees' bend
This trip is perhaps the greatest experience of my life in so many ways."
On our last bus ride to the airport from Taormina, our tour guide Rosa gave one last history lesson. This time she spoke about the creation myth of the island itself. I tried to take notes while listening, but I was enraptured in Rosa's telling of the story, the Trinacria. I'll expand on the Trinacria next week as my final post about Sicily.
Finally, I'd like to share with you my final writings from Sicily, my reflection from the plane ride back to the U.S.
"3/23/14
On the plane from Rome to Boston.
I just looked through this book. It's incredible how vividly a memory can come to you from journaling and sketching. With each page I would remember the exact moments I drew something or wrote something down. I could remember the sights, the smells, the sun on my skin, the tastes, the feeling of the place, and my own emotions in that moment.
I've been a student of art for my entire life, but never have I kept a sketchbook and journal like this. I've talked about needing to sketch more, but never have I had a book in my pocket the way I have had the past ten days.
I've become attached to this book already. Sicily was the spark I needed to force myself to journal, and now I want to bring that home. Regardless of the monotony of daily life in Connecticut or New York, or the comparatively boring scenery, there is beauty everywhere.
If there is one thing I can take away from this trip, it's that beauty does not only exist in vast mountains and oceans, sprawling archaic cityscapes, or in grandeur. It also exists in every tiny moment that make up those larger than life scenes.
It exists in the rusted iron door knockers on a weather beaten green door, in the shimmer of light on a cobble stone street. It exists in the moments when a complete stranger says, "Buon giorno!" to an American abroad.
It exists when the sun shines just the right way, illuminating a potted plant on a balcony above you.
Beauty exists when you wake up to the sun rise poring through the window, rather than a beeping alarm.
It exists in the sound of waves and smell of salty air, in the taste of wine and sounds of laughter with good company.
Beauty exists in solitude, exploring every nook and cranny of an olive oil estate, in the moments when the sea's colors beckon you to wade out & touch them all.
Beauty is everywhere, you need only to look.
And it's in those small moments that the sudden need to capture it in writing or drawing or painting arises, and a book in your pocket becomes a necessity.
I've never felt more connected to my pen or pencil, and I've never been able to see so well. Regardless of whether or not I spent 5 minutes or 50 minutes on a sketch, however loose or tight it ends up, it's in the seeing that matters. By looking at something and attempting to draw it, you take it in in a different way. It forces a slower pace, and opens up a greater appreciation.
I can recall the first semester I was an art student in HAS, after switching from Hartt (I was a music major for the first two & a half years of college). That was just one year ago. I recall the feeling of being able to look up, look around me and appreciate the visual sights as opposed to being locked up in a practice room all day. Art requires looking, experiencing, traveling, it all goes into your visual bank. Traveling to Sicily takes that feeling from a year ago and expands it a hundred fold. I feel reinvigorated, and humbled.
Returning home, I will keep this journal in my pocket as I have the past ten days, as I still have half of it left to fill. Once full, I will continue journaling, sketching, writing and painting. It will keep me humble, force me to think of the basics of visual communication, and help me to keep my eyes up and open. It will keep my love and appreciation for art alive.
Painting is more than a job, or career, so much infinitely more. It is something intangibly personal and therapeutic. There is nothing else like it. There is a stillness in motion, as I recalled on the third day in Sicily while I sat by the ocean. But as I sit here now reflecting on art, those same words apply to painting. While painting, there is a peace and calm in the heart, even if there are moments of stress.
My final thoughts before wrapping up this trip have to do with distraction. Traveling and journaling, keeping my eyes open, waking up at sunrise and enjoying that sunrise before starting my day, spending my free time exploring, thinking, writing and drawings, leads to a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment at the end of a day. I didn't have a phone, computer or any device with me for the past ten days. I noticed within a single day how much more in tune with myself I felt, how much better I slept, how much more human I felt!
I'm as guilty as anyone else in my generation for being addicted and dependent on phones, computers, internet, etc. But a ten day complete break from it all was incredibly powerful for me. I often complain about not having enough time in the day to work, but how many hours are wasted on my laptop? I depend on TV shows for "down time" and relaxation. After this trip there is a clear distinction between relaxation and distraction. Relaxation is healthy for the mind, you clear your thoughts, settle your emotions, and regain balance. Distraction simply pushes all of that into the back of your mind, bottling up everything, and never balancing anything. Well no more, not for me. No more distractions. I want to paint!
It is those distractions that detract from our humanity. All of the beauty around us goes unnoticed because we keep our heads down in our own personal worlds where we are the center. Not the Sicilians! They look up and say hello. They make everything around them a work of art. They are warm and kind, inviting strangers into their homes. It is unlike anything I've ever witnessed.
All of the hours spent on the internet, watching TV and movies, texting, etc could be so much better spent! Taking a walk just because, with no where to go, head up and taking in your surroundings. Bettering yourself as a person, or as an artist. Both!
On this trip, even if I wasn't drawing or painting, I sat somewhere and looked. I would take a walk, and better yet I'd do with friends. I'll repeat something I've already written:
I feel human.
It is a combination of the incredible experience, traveling around Sicily, learning what I have learned, as well as the lack of distractions that sort of gave me a new breath of life. I don't want to go home because I don't want to leave Sicily. I don't want to leave the beautiful place, nor the experience of the place. I know old habits of distraction, stress, etc, wait for me back home. But I know it's on me now to bring Sicily home with me. To take all I've learned and continue to push myself and learn more.
One of the greatest things said this entire trip sums it up; as Jeremiah related a quote by Jack Beal in the Greek theater at Taormina:
'Make your art like your life and your life like your art.'"
One year later, I can say that I did take Sicily home with me in so many ways. I've kept a journal & sketchbook with me at all times, and I spent last summer focused on plein air painting. After my thesis project is complete in May, I intend to return to plein air painting. I've let go of so many distractions, and spend my days filling my time with art, books, and experiences in their stead. At the end of the day, my goal is to go to sleep feeling accomplished and fulfilled. It is far more rewarding than anything one may gleam from distractions.
One year later, I can say that Sicily changed so much in my life, from the way it inspired and still inspires me artistically, to the way it changed my approach to every day. The lessons learned in those ten days will inform me indefinitely, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to have had that experience.
Next week will conclude my Sicily series. I will write about the illustration I painted as a reflection of my time in Sicily.
Also, I will repeat the public announcement made on last week's post:
I've been expanding my social media presence! In addition to this blog, my website, Facebook, and deviantART, you can now find me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr!
All of the profiles feature my current portfolio, and I've begun to post unique content to each as well. Over time, the unique content will continue to grow, so be sure to follow me on your favorite platform. Thanks!
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