My etchings and birthday gift

 By: AndyFerrari    15:09  brogues, camelia, etching, hortensia, oxford, pierre-joseph, redoute, shoes   No comments

First of all, I would really like to post my etchings in a whole piece here....But it's freaking impossible. I don't know if it's because of the glass, but the colors come out all weird, kindda yellow in the first two, and in the last one...well, it's just a disaster.

So what I'm posting now are pieces from the first and second, and an older one from the second that didn't come out that bad.

This is a piece of Camelia

And this from Hortensia

and this is the whole Hortensia piece. They are all framed togheter.

They are from a series of etchings and drawings I'm making, wich I started based in a book I got of Pierre-Joseph Redoute botanical prints. Now I look for any kinds of references, books, internetor even taking pictures on the street.

And last, but not least, my new lilac brogued shoes!! Next post I'll write about them. I just found out that there are little particular details that make a difference between brogue shoes (full anf half), oxford shoes and brogueing.

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 By: AndyFerrari    13:57     No comments

I'm trying really hard not to forget about the blog, I swear...But I don't really have a lot of stuff going on these days....

I was trying to find a place where I could have my workshop and a Pa kua space all together, and I did find a house for rent....and the cityhall blocked me =_= turns out I'd have to live there too....

So, as I don't want to sit around doing nothing until I find a place, I got one just for the workshop for now. Will start on the masks next week.

And here's the one I made during the course:

And sunday is my birthday 8D giving myself a soft purple oxford shoe ( I was actually looking for the black and white one, but they are out of stock ;A;)

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 By: AndyFerrari    11:53     No comments

Just some other random things from the trip.

This is Ponte Vecchio, from the Piazzale Michelangelo

This is Santa Maria Novella, right around the corner from our apartment

And this. Thiiis was the responsible for my 15 extra pounds last time I came to Italy! (of course I know it's all my fault, I shouldn't eat a hole package a day XD)

And, as people who know me already figured, I have a thing with windows. Yes. Because not many things annoy me as much as a crappy window. And this....this was my bedroom window. And it was so freaking perfect. It didn't make weird sound with the wind, the locks would fit perfectly and it blocked all the sound from the outside. I mean, really. There was a bar just outside our door that kept open with tables on the outside until 3 in morning. Couldn't hear a thing.

And this is...well, me. I'm terrible at taking pictures of myself, just don't know how to do it. Just trying to show that I cut my hair in the last days (that's how bored I was...) Yeah, you can't see squat XD

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At home

 By: AndyFerrari    09:11  agostino, berry, bow, cartapesta, dessi, firenze, florence, masks   No comments

Well, finally I can post some pictures here! Without almost killing my computer anyways.

I actually have no idea where to start, and since I can only put five at a time, I'll just post a few from each subject.

This is the Agostino Dessì's store in Florence. His work is really amazing, please check his website for info http://www.alicemasks.com/home.htm

He also teaches some of his techniques. I was in a course to take the basics, two years ago, and this time I came back just to remember some details and learn new finishings.

This is the base mask, ready to receive whatever work you decide to do on it.

This, is my pretty pretty mongolian bow! It´s a Wolf II from Kassai, blue with dark gray biding and horn on the hilt, 30". Unfortunatly, it didn't arrive before my classes were over, so I didn't shoot with it yet...Need to get my arrows soon.

And these....were my favorite breakfeast ever. I have no idea what these round red thingies are, but they look so cute I felt like taking a pic. In one of the markets there you could just buy a box with a portion of all four berrys:

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Waiting.......

 By: AndyFerrari    17:37  florence, study. abroad. italy, trip   No comments

So I got to the annoying part of the trip. Waiting for the day to go home to arrive. 'Cause now I'm not doing anything anymore, maybe will only get a last cartapesta class tomorrow morning, and that's about it.

And people are all gone ;A; it is so weird, both times I came, I ended up being completely on my own in the end. And I hate it. I need peoples. To talk, to walk with, anything. Yes, I know I'm weird.

And just found out Mika is coming to Brasil, and I had no idea so I didn't buy tickets yet (not that I could, since I'm here, but anyways...) Hope I can still get it =}

Loves, Andy

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Pics

 By: AndyFerrari    11:14  design, florence, italy, leather, scuola del cuoio   No comments

Those moments when all the people in the world decided, at the same time, to use the sewing machine...

You'd think the tables remained clean and pretty. Give it 15 min and it was all turned upside down =p

Lots of concentration....

Pics completely stolen from teacher's facebook (still problems with the camera...)

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Exercise in Florence

 By: AndyFerrari    09:20  exercise, florence, italy, running, walking   No comments

Since I don't have Pa Kua classes anymore and there's still almost a week to go home, I decided to find places to go running.

Usually, people will indicate the Le Cascine park, wich is a little west from the central station Santa Maria Novella, where you can also find a street market if you stay in the road along the Arno river, the Viale Abramo Lincoln. Another place is at Nave a Rovezzano, wich is in the other side of the river and of the town center (a little after Piazza Beccaria if you're on the northe side of the river or from Piazzale Michelangelo if you're south).

I also found a program that indicates routes trough the city's streets, from the simplest and easiest ones, to longer and more dificult ones, like going up to the Piazzale Michelangelo and take the chance to enjoy the view.

http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/walking-pieghevole-48x48_page_2.jpg<- the descritions of the routes (in italian)

http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/walking-pieghevole-48x48_page_1.jpg<- and the routes indications.

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Artists shopping

 By: AndyFerrari    07:08  art, bookstores, florence, masks, supplies   No comments

Hi again sweethearts. Another post with no photos this time...

But it's ok since we're talking about...shopping 8D Because I believe that for any kind of artist visiting Italy, it's indispensable to take a look at 1. the amazing bookstores e 2. the art supplies shops.

I know in some countries is not that hard to find the stuff you can buy in these stores as it is in Brazil, but it's just nice to take a look at them for the store itself.

Even though, I'll give some links to online stores, and for the actual stores, I'll stay just in Florence grounds.

In case you're staying a little longer and have a place you can have stuff delivered, the online stores.

(although most of them also have stores somewhere in Italy)

1. Amicucci - http://www.amicucci.it/ <- The actual store is in Urbino. If you're planning to go there, take a look at the store. If not....then you shoul'd use this as an excuse to go. It's a very pretty little town.

2. Il Foglio - http://www.ilfoglio-sas.com/ <- The store is in Milan, but is kindda hard to reach (well, at least I couldn't) çause not even the subway gets there. If you can go by car good, but it's probably easier to order online. They send the whole catalog by e mail .

3. Muller Colori - http://www.mullercolori.com/ <- The store is in Genova, and they also have a profile at facebook.

4. Decoarte <-http://www.decoarteshop.it/

5. Calcografia.it <- http://www.calcografia.it/negozio/en/index.htm

Physical stores

1. Salvini Articoli per Belle Arti <-

Via degli Alfani, 127r - 50121 - FIRENZE - Got all my etching tools here.

2. Rigacci <-Via dei Servi 71 r - really close to the Duomo, on a street that start just in front of it in the left side if you're facing the church.

3. Zecchi <- Via dello Studio <- basicly a street in the same line as the one for Rigacci, but starts in the right side of the Duomo.

Oh, and we can't forget about the little masks store from Prof. Agostino Dessì, in Via Faenza 72 r. There you can take a look at some of his work with the cartapesta and also buy his book.

Well, for the bookstores, I still have to check the adresses, so I'll leave it to some other day.

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