Alexandra Nason week TWO! aka best blogger EVER. . .

so, at first after the first week of "research" on our spots, i was kind of upset about the courtyard i had chosen. obviously, that would happen to me because my hobby is second guessing myself, but to give myself a little more credit, i wasn't sure that i felt inspired by my courtyard space. for anyone who is confused about my "courtyard" space, it is the space right outside of the body and architecture studio on Via il Prato 64.

so, i was even a little jealous because erveyone else's spots seemed to take them into and around florence, where i would definitely like to explore more. also, my spot is lonely and cold, and focusing only on the corner area which i had been doing didnt seem to get me much farther than moss, wires, and tons of hair balls (as ive already discussed--they are AWESOME)

little did i know, some pipes, wires and hairy growths were all i needed for some inspiration.

during our second studio with julia, i spent alot of time exploring the rest of the courtyard. i was taken with everyone elses findings, and comforted by my growing self-assurance (maybe re-assurance) that the reason all of ours are cool is because they are different. i wanted to work with my spot, not be defeated by it. i would not be defeated. after we all visited each other's areas, saw the findings we had all gathered, pictures, writings, i had a second wind to go out and show my court yard who is boss.

So oo o o...i sat and sat for a good hour, hour and a half, after taking pictures of every corner of the courtyard: colors (red, blues, greens, oranges, purples!), trash, organic lines in stone, a bicycle, old posters, pipes, brooms (?), moss, debris, MORE hair...the possibilities were endless and forthcoming. i sat and just drew what i felt and saw, trying to absorb and apply some of Julia's and Regan's discussions on absorbing and communicating a space.

it was really amazing what i came up with just drawing lines- what i came up with was (is) very absract, and even mappish (without trying to be mappish, it's subliminal i think), and shows my interest in the pipes, cracks, and lines that are so dynamic, organic and intertwined. i realize there is a lot more to my courtyard in the sense that there is quite a combination of elements to be found/explored, and i am really glad i stuck with it through my initial doubt, even though julia was open to my potentially needing a change in space.