Landfall! St. Lucia

Photo  by Tim wright
Sundowner made landfall in Rodney Bay Marina, St. Lucia today after 15 days 2hrs 28min 3sec at sea!  They arrived 3rd, despite their 30 hour late start.  Haven't had much information on the trip other than they had some windless days near the end that used up plenty of fuel.   Awaiting a full report.  Info on worldcruising.com  and photos on www.photoaction.com.  (click for links)

'Atta boys!!!

Tijuana & Christmas Lights

   

The Christmas lights are finally being lit!  It's beautiful. The Duomo at night - with  the lovely light pollution in the sky. :-)  Makes for a nice photo.  

Drink from Tijuana!!!!  We went out for Mexican food on Thurday night. It was wonderful.  Funny how a little change is always good - the spicy food was a pleasant alternative to Italian.  IT was a dry warm refuge from the RAIN as well.  

Black Panthers & Solar Plates

Life is a funny thing.  One never knows what a day will offer.  Today - Dec 2! (how is this possible?) our Experimental Photo class had a surprise visit from David Hilliard, one-time leader and co-founder of the Black Panther Party.  I bought him an acqua fizzante!  He knows our Professor from 'back in the day' in California.  She used to photograph members.  

http://www.blackpanthertours.com  

It was a very informative slide presentation and discussion.  Most people don't know much beyond the images of the berets and guns.  They were much more - providing food, clothing and education for their communities.   

Then later we had a demonstration by Dan Welden who invented the Solar Plate printmaking technique.  Sounds like just the thing for a sailboat in the Caribbean!  

After all that I was too tired to go to Beatles night at BeBop.  Maybe next week! 

Libri, foto e autoritratti.

I've been glazing over a lot of the meat and potatoes (or pasta and pizza) of what I'm doing here.  I am doing artwork, studying and such.  Really!  And learning new things.  I've maintained an A- in Italian but only because the quizzes are quite easy.  Spoken is still an ugly mess.  

I made myself a soft bound leather journal with a buttonhole stitch.  Last week we learned the caterpillar stitch; I"m still working on that one.  We finished our postcard project which will be on exhibit at school starting on Nov.27 (US Thanksgiving...for which there will be a dinner).   Current project is using a process called Image-On: printmaking creating an 'altered reality' of Florence.  I used one of my Polaroid emulsion transfers (Experimental!) for this one.  I printed it on the press on Tuesday and it turned out okay.  We'll all get a copy of one another's and bind them into a book.

Sadly I was avoiding Drawing class because I despise doing self-portraits.  This week we were drawing each other which was a little less painful.    

Started some intensive museum and tourist activities too.  There are still a lot of tourists around but not as bad as Sept & Oct.  I've been to Medici Chapel,  Bardini Gardens,  San Marco Museum, Accademia Gallery to see David again, La Specola Zoological Museum... And that's only the tip of the iceberg.  

Speaking of icebergs...it is officially cold here.  It may have been -1C last night.  I'm layering!  Turkey dinner and lots of work before our last school trip to Rome next weekend.  

Venezia

Accademia Bridge
San Marco Basilica
Me, San Marco Square

Short and sweet visit to Venice on the weekend.  Tired after last weekend and a busy week but it was great to get back to Venice ('03).  We couldn't have asked for better weather for November.  Sunshine both days and just enough flooding to say we saw it and take photos!  No wet feet.  No pigeon poop on our heads.  Few close calls with crazy marathon runners though. 

We did get to San Giorgio Maggiore for the "Gregorian Mass" on Sunday but it wasn't what I was expecting. We didn't stay long.  Looked at the woodwork, pipe organ and Tintoretto paintings in the church, then the sailboats docked outside before catching the ferry back to San Marco.  

Shopped, got lost, found GROM, before catching the 4:40PM train back to Florence.   All Good.  

Canary Islands & Boats

Linda on the new yacht in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/canary.htm

And view from top of mountain looking down on banana plantations, etc.

Two days traveling for two days in Las Palmas, but worth it. Great to see Mike/Michel. Gran Canaria is beautiful! The place, the people, the climate, food/wine. My Italian has taken a beating after being in Spain for 2+ days. WE shopped in one of the biggest dept. stores ever, got a fabulous grand tour of the area by Juan and his wife. (Taxi driver - on his day OFF! so kind). Ate tapas, drank Spanish wine.

This weekend: Venice.

Novembre!!! Arte.

    Charcoal sketch

  Memory Game Class project - linocut prints. 

Hardcover with long stitch binding. 

I wanted to add some ART content but I didn't have anything 'worthy'!  Here are  some of the things that I've made or class projects.   

Since Mom was here and Fall Break I've been busy with school mostly.  Learning new alternative processes in Photo - litho negatives, Polaroid Emulsion transfers.  And trying to finish our postcard project in Printmaking/Bookarts.  There is an exhibition of that class work this month at school.