Castiglioncello

At this moment, or while I am writing this, I am sitting on one of the rocky beaches on the west coast of Italy. While sitting in the bright sun, this wave of relaxation and content washed over me. I love when this feeling invades my pores, I am just reminded how blessed I am. This past year has been a tough one, emotionally and mentally. I have been trying to find myself as well as find my artistic voice. But it is times like this that I remember that my best is ok, it's good enough. Sometimes I just need to remind myself that I can only be myself and that is all I need to do. And today I feel content, I feel comfortable in my own skin. And I am happy.

Munich: Oktoberfest

This past weekend we traveled up to Munich to experience the infamous Oktoberfest. Man was it one for the books. We stayed with a company, Stoke Travel, that had an all inclusive campsite. After endless searches for hostels in our price range, and with this being one of the Oktoberfest weekends, this was the cheapest hostel we could find. It turned out to be the perfect place to stay. Although it rained all weekend, we still had the time of our lives traveling from the campsite to the beer halls. Oktoberfest was different then what I expected, I was under the impression that it would be about 10 large beer halls that people would move about, but it was more like a fair with rides and food stands outside of the tents. It was quite easy to find a spot when there was just the two of us, we were able to fit right on the edge of the table. But if you are going wth a large group, I would suggest going around 10 in the morning to find a table. That weekend was one to remember, and I am so happy that I was able to experience the joyous memories connected with Munich. Until next time Oktoberfest.

Letterpress: The Florence Flood

Surprising, but letterpress has recently become one of my favorite mediums. I had taken a class in college, but having the ability to use the vast amount of type located at the school has been a small dream of mine ever since I saw it last time. Starting the semester off with a few projects, I have decided to begin my piece for an exhibition here in Florence. This year is the 50th year since the damaging flood of 1966. All around the city there will be celebrations, commemorations and festivals. Florence School of Fine Arts, located in an alleyway off of the Piazza Santa Croce, will be hosting artists and their works within the courtyard. I will be using letterpress as well as serigraphy to create a poster commemorating the Florence flood as well as the Grand Forks flood of 1997. Below I have some images of the process as well as the final piece. I can't wait for the show in November, ciao for now!

Final Product