Rome Drawings

I'm back in London and feeling good! Rome was a lot of fun and totally inspiring.. It's so beautiful and I really was exceptionally lucky to stay at such a wonderful apartment with views of the city to die for!! Unfortunately I missed the first day of my life drawing class back in London but I made up for it by sharpening my crayons, getting out my water colours and trying to capture the view from my terrace. The drama of Rome can be felt on the terrace of this apartment, which is a bit like a stage set. It was hard to know where to start but I decided on the terracotta pots and a few of the architectural details in the near distance. If I'd been really disciplined I would have attempted to draw the Colosseum but I'm saving that up for next time...


Everything about this little trip was made possible by the kindness and generosity of my friends. It can sometimes be a little daunting to head off on my own but also quite exciting. In Rome it was incredibly easy to slip into a social life that was far more spontaneous and lively than my own back in London. I fell into a much more exciting social life there than I have in London and seemingly only had to pick up the phone to announce my arrival and I was whisked off to dinners and parties. On my last evening my new friends and I headed off on a surreal journey to the outskirts of Rome and a party in a TV studio that was somewhere between a Tarantino film and La Dolce Vita. Great! Thanks to the warmth and generosity of my friends I have had a fantastic time in Rome and feel like I have a whole new social life Roman style..


It was good to have some time to myself and I enjoyed my walks through Rome. I liked having the freedom to wander around and explore at my own leisure. I suppose that's one of the perks of just having to please myself. I found a garden centre not far from the apartment and managed to ascertain in my basic Italian which plants would be suitable for the terrace and not require too much watering. I got a nice sense of achievement from placing the plants in their terracotta pots and dotting a few flowers around the apartment. I wanted to add a feminine touch to the place and leave a little mark. Although he wasn't present, my friend Kevin made me feel very welcome in the apartment and I felt very relaxed there. So much nicer than staying in a hotel and I got to cook little meals and feel quite at home...


Now I'm back in London it feels good to have been away and I feel happy and optimistic about life.  Of course there are the same problems and challenges to cope with but the change of scene has done me good and I feel bolder and more cheerful.