Bullis Blog | Global Studies Trips

We had a fabulous last day on the trip in Florence. We started off taking a drawing class at The Accademia D'Arte , where we experimented with white charcoal on black paper as well as making blind contour continuous line drawings — this ended in a lot of giggles. After lunch and shopping, we moved on to a leather factory, learned the dos and dont's of shopping for leather, and saw the process of authentic leather making. Our next stop was to the Farmacia Santa Maria Novella, the oldest pharmacy in Italy, where we had the great opportunity of smelling the first scent ever made.  We had our final group dinner, followed by our last gelato trip, and shared our favorite memories in Italy.

We started the day with a walking tour of Florence. We learned about the history of the Medici family and their incredible power and wealth. The influential family filled the city with ambitious architecture, beautiful sculptures, and paintings. People travel from all over the world to view the impressive dome at the Cathedral of St. Maria del Fiore. It took 15 years to complete! We visited Michaelangelo's David, the Boboli Garden, and the Piazza de Michaelangelo. Ten miles later; we were filled with culture, gelato, and tired feet!

We said arrivederci to Renzo and Quarceta and boarded the bus for Lucca. In Lucca we went on a bike tour along the historic walls and soaked in the beauty and history of the city. Then we traveled on to Pisa where we explored the historic grounds including the Cathedral, the Baptistery, and some of us even tried to hold up the Leaning Tower of Pisa! Lastly, we returned to Florence, our home base for the rest of our time in Italy. We’re all excited about the remaining adventures in Italy!

Today was our last day at Henraux with Maestro Renzo Maggi. We finished our stone carvings of the eye. The sculptures were difficult to make but they made you appreciate how much time it takes to make these pieces of incredible art. We took a tour of Henraux and saw the many machines that prepare the marble for production. In the evening, we returned to Pietrasanta, a small town with shops, and had time to explore. Lastly, we had dinner with Maestro Renzo Maggi and Ariele thanked them for their guidance and said goodbye.

Today we continued working on our limestone sculptures with Renzo Maggi. We also practiced our charcoal portrait drawing skills using Maestro's sculptures as references. Afterward, we capped off our day by taking a train ride to Pietrasanta where we engaged in fun, food, and frivolity!

We started the morning with a short walk to Henraux, a leader in marble quarrying and processing. Henraux is also home to many artists, including Maestro Renzo Maggi, who has worked with stone since he was 13, and has sculptures displayed in the Boarman Discovery Center at Bullis. With Maestro Maggi, we first looked at the eye and sculpted it in clay. After that, we sketched out our eyes on French Limestone, watched a demonstration from the Maestro, and then started chiseling. Chiseling was difficult and tiring, although the Maestro makes it look easy. We ended the day at a beautiful beach in Forte dei Marmi, surrounded by the same mountains that the marble is cut from.

Today we explored Florence, Italy. We started our day with a three-hour visit to the Uffizi gallery, learning about art while taking pictures along the way. Next, we did a photo tour with a photographer named Gerardo, who taught us techniques and different styles of creating a composition. We traveled to a small town north called Querceta and will spend the next three days sculpting. Tomorrow we will begin a workshop with sculptor, Renzo Maggi. We ended the day with a scrumptious pizza dinner. We are very excited to explore this new medium of art! - Mrs. Alice Shih-Kahn, Upper School Arts Teacher Enjoy today's photos (click on any image to enlarge and view a slideshow)!

Ciao from Florence!  Today, we kicked off the trip by enjoying a masterful cooking class, gelato, and learning about the city! The group got to know each other through our adventures through airports, airplanes, delays, floor naps, bus rides, and a walking tour of the beautiful, historic city of Florence. - Mrs. Alice Shih-Kahn, Upper School Arts Teacher Enjoy today's photos (click on any image to enlarge and view a slideshow)!