Sara Ringler’s Sabbatical Blog

The title of this should be a couple of days in Florence, however I was too excited to get this out to you……the first photo is shot from my open kitchen windows, then my front door and taking a walk around the block…..join me in this first walk and climb to the top of the Campanile for a breathtaking view of Florence…………

The difference between visiting a place and living there is I have spent the first three days getting a phone, paying rent, trying to get internet, food shopping, and getting lost.  I feel really healthy I have probably walked five miles each day just finding my way,  this morning I did a wonderful thing, I climbed to the top of the Campanile and experienced the panaramic view of Firenze.  I am here, in this beautiful city of art and history.  My apartment is centrally located between San Lorenzo and Santa Marie dei Fiore.  I am overwhelmed that when I wake up for the next three months I can walk in two minutes to the Duomo.

I have been welcomed by Santa Reparata International School of Art.  They have just moved to their new facility, it is spacious and well equiped for prinmaking, photography and painting.  I am setting up, and learning where to find the art stores.  I wish I had taken more supplies with me, however my bags were full.

Next week I will begin Italian and the book arts class and by that time the press will be set up in my studio.  I did buy some pastels and started drawing, hung up a few things in my studio so the white walls would not be so bare.  I will be filling them up I am sure.

Karen Kunc Reduction Woodcut Workshop at Cape Cod Community College.  This workshop was sponsored by the Printmakers of Cape Cod.  It was organized by Mildred Smith and Alice Galick under the leadership of the President of the Printmakers of Cape Cod Robert Cunniff.  It was held in the fully equipped printmaking studio at CCCC. This movie is a short summary of three full days of learning the techniques of reduction woodcut.  All participants came away with successful editions of their prints, many ideas to try and an increased appreciation of Karen Kunc’s process and exquisite woodcut prints. For more information about Karen Kunc visit her website at www.karenkunc.com.  This video has been created by Sara Ringler, a member of the Printmakers of Cape Cod and Visual Arts Coordinator at CCCC.

It has been a very exciting summer for making art and having new experiences.  I attended a workshop at Carriage House Paper given by Donna Koretsky snf Shannon Brock.  Carriage House Paper, located in Brookline Massachusetts is a fully equipped paper making studio adjancent to the house of Elaine and Sidney Koretsky which houses the Paper Museum.  The Paper Museum exhibits the field research and artifacts collected by the Koretskys on hand papermaking throughout the world.

For three glorious days inside the studio and out in the sunshine (which helped the paper sculptures and paper to dry) we couched and pressed, created three dimensional armatures and explored the intricacies of shrinking translucent flax combined with abaca.

Paper making is all about water, a tactile fluid medium to explore.  I loved the added aspect of how the fiber contorts as it shrinks while drying.  I had not anticipated how much I would enjoy creating 3-dimensional pieces, it took me back to when I was a potter working with clay.