Icon Workshop 2016 with Andrea Matus deMeng and Michael deMeng: Day Six, Seven, and Eight

ICON WORKSHOP WITH

ANDREA MATUS DEMENG AND MICHAEL DEMENG

CORTONA, ITALY

MARCH, 2016

Monday, March 7

Today was Day 1 of the ICON workshop with Andrea Matus deMeng as our instructor.

Marilyn appears doubtful about the process.

Marilyn is reassured.

Andrea's class sample.

What it takes to make a collage.

Here is how I started.

My tablemate Dave Donley with Stacey lurking.

My substrate with the space created for the gold leafing at the top.

My collage begins.

The evening event was at 5 pm and it was a Tuscan cooking class and dinner.  We all took two vans for about a ten minute ride to an olive farm near the cool church we saw from the cemetery.

The idea was that we were the cooks of a multi-course meal of appetizer, pasta, chicken and tiramisu.
I made it through the dessert prep, the pasta making and watching the chef begin to cook when the heat in the kitchen and all the smells made me nauseous.  So Stacey was nice enough to take me back to the hotel where I went right to bed.

Tuesday, March 8

Today is day two of Andrea's portion of the workshop.

The goal today was to get our collages done as we are going to start the assemblage part in the next class session.  

Andrea provided a critique of every one's efforts as this portion of the workshop came to a conclusion.

Today for lunch we had a short break so I had some minestroni soup.  After the critique, went out to dinner at the same place we ate lunch and this time I had an anchovies pizza.

Wednesday, March 9

Today is the group excursion trip to Florence.  I briefly thought about not going to Florence to stay back and explore Cortona more or work more on my project.  But ultimately these deMeng workshops are as much vacations as they are workshops so I decided to keep the play date in Florence.  Also,,,it's Florence!

We all vanned down to the train station at Camucia which is at the foot of the hill that Cortona sits upon.  It is a one and one-half hour train ride to Florence on the convenient and efficient train system in Italy.

We did a group walkabout with Stacey through the streets of Florence.  While I never felt unsafe, it is true that all major cities now have an armed force handy in case of trouble.  I used Stacey as a pick to get this pic.

The walk led back to the fabulous Duomo.  

We took time to check out the magnificent doors on the Baptistry.

Florence seems always to surprise no matter what direction you walk.

The Arno River and Florence's bridges 

As in Paris, the idea of locks on the bridge railings is a standard.

Chiesa di Santa Felicita

Dave considers the consequences of foreign dumpster diving.

Then it was time to head over to the Bargello museum where we all had tickets to roam amongst the wonders.

For lunch we ate at the food court in market.  Then it was time for me to lead the group to the wood trim store  Castorina that I had found on my early stay in Florence.

 Castorina.  I think the group was impressed.

Basilica Santa Trinita

Then it was time for us to go home by train.  That night we went to eat at the Caffe Degli Artisti which is becoming our favorite place to eat.