I have come to know this place as home. It has not taken long, but in a matter of two weeks I have found comfort in the streets of Trastevere. Just across the Tiber from the center of Rome, Trastevere is a bustling area of street vendors, local shops, and delicious restaurants. We are so lucky to have a studio space that is located right off Piazza Santa Maria, where we can work with the windows open and still feel like we are part of the action.
Across the the piazza from our studio is Basilica di Santa Maria. In my first visit to the beautiful church I was blown away by the intricate ornamentation that is found in the interior of this classic basilica church. While it is not uncommon to find an elaborately decorated church on the streets of Rome, each one tells a different story through its mosaics and well preserved frescoes.
In this first exercise of plan drawing I considered the church in terms of its spacial relationship. Never have I learned more about a structure than when I was pacing the side aisles and nave estimating the distance based on how many steps I took. As if pacing the length of a church isn't hard enough I had to dodge tourists, as they abruptly stopped to take a photo, and the occasional group of kids on a school field trip. The obstacles only made the drawing experience more interesting.
After this first adventure in plan drawing I look forward to my next chance to dabble in sketching based on analysis. Sketching has now become part of my daily routine as I am constantly finding views that make me think, "Oh that would be a great place to sketch!" Turns out it is hard to find anywhere in Rome that isn't worth sketching.
Cioa for now!
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