Italy Art Army 2007

We had a great trip with a new batch of the "Art Army" in the spring of 2007.  The group shot is from the cloisters of Santa Maria Novella in Florence.  It was an incredibly "with it" group.

Pete and Bill are enjoying a calizone gigante from the Grotto di Leo.   They were celebrating Bob's 50th birthday, though he was in Colorado.

Marcello is showing the group how much he likes his old friend Jenna.

Early Bukowski Art Army in Florence

One of the ways to enter the Bukowski Art Army is to go on a Bethany Lutheran College Art Trip.  This group is from 2003, at the Piazza Michelangelo in Florence.  The idea of the art army is to bring a lot of energy, enthusiasm, and joy to the pilgrimage of seeing masterpieces of art and architecture.  Bill Bukowski is the professor in charge of the trip that usually travels over spring break of the college. 

Members of this group actually coined the phrase "Bukowski Art Army" after the rigors of seeing and experiencing as much as possible in a limited time.

Luke with the Isenheim Altarpiece model

Luke Ulrich explains the model of the Isenheim Altarpiece in Colmar, France. Going to see this painting in the spring of 2004 was a significant pilgrimage of the Bukowski Art Army. There will be more film coming later of the actual paintings by Mattias Grunewald and the city of Colmar. Consider this a teaser. 

 

Bill and Jeff at the Kariye Camii in Istanbul.

Bill and Jeff at the Kariye Camii in Istanbul. 

 In the spring of 2006, Jeff and I went to Istanbul.  Here we are having tea after touring the Church of the Savior in the Chora Monastery.  This is one if the truly magical art spaces in the world.  I believe it is also one of the most Christ centered in imagery in mosaic and fresco in all of Christianity.  

What a blessing that it has survived the fall of Constantinople.

View of Florence from Fiesole

I first came to Florence in 1973.  Once you come to Florence it stays with you for the rest of your life.

As long as you are tuned in to the aura of art, culture, beauty, light (and can block out the heat, crowds, prices and confusion).

This is a view from a park in Fiesole.  This particular image was from a sabbatical in 2003.  I did a painting here, looking  a little more to the west.