My name is Yael Grimaldi. I'm a marketing major and studio art minor at Santa Clara University. I went on the Semester in Florence program in Fall 2023. I chose CIS Abroad because I was recommended the program by a friend!
During my time in Florence, Italy, I had the opportunity to take an advanced painting course. The class consisted of using oil paints as a medium and focused on the human figure and anatomy. Every week consisted of exercises that help refine our painting skills through traditional and non-traditional approaches. Although the course is about painting, we were also assigned sketches to supplement our learning for the human anatomy/gesture.
What is great about having a painting course in Florence is the fact that inspiration is so close by. World class museums such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Galleria dell’Accademia are within walking distance and are great locations for inspiration. Additionally, there is the Piazza della Signoria where many famous statues are erected and where for one assignment, I was instructed to sketch live! Furthermore, because there are only a selected amount of people in this course, each student is given their own studio space to paint. This is a great addition to the course because like many artists, I prefer to have my own designated space to create and work best without much distraction. The space also gives me the opportunity to hang up my assignments and paintings which I used to track my progress.
One aspect of the class that I found shocking was the work load. Compared to the painting courses I have taken back in my home university, for the most part, assignments and deadlines were much more relaxed and flexible. In this painting course, I was expected to produce several drawings/paintings within a couple weeks! For painting courses back home, I sometimes finished two or three pieces for the whole quarter! Furthermore, for the final, not only was a painting assigned, a written exam, portfolio, paper, and slides were expected.
Despite the heavy workload, I managed to adapt to the workload and doing so has made me grow so much as a painter. Something that I have gained from this course is newfound knowledge for oil paints. After painting for six years with acrylics, I expanded my artistic horizons by using a medium unfamiliar to me. This newfound knowledge about oils will help me in my journey as an artist by showing me what the oil medium can do that other mediums I am familiar with cannot. I also believe to have gotten a piece of Florence through this course. Florence is ground zero for the renaissance which is an art style I strived to replicate and is prominent in my paintings.
What I would tell any student taking this course is to be on top of the assignments. It is expected to present quality work and that type of work is only attainable with time and patience. The building with my studio had limited hours with only weekdays open, from the afternoon to the evening, which made getting assignments done in time ever so important. I would also say to communicate with your professor about any problems or concerns regarding assignments. In my case, because of the heavy workload, I was able to be flexible with my assignments and receive some exemptions!