Doin' the Hood
I have constrained my drawing to my hotel's neighborhood which in Rome is not much of a liability. One could spend the rest of one's life drawing this city — the architecture is so rich and organic, the light is wonderful, the juxtapositions are endlessly diverse. I did this first piece during an exorbitant
pasta lunch (more than $50 for a handful of pasta and a cappuccino) at the hotel's rooftop restaurant. Slumped low, my hoof propped up on another chair, I strained to see the view over the parapet.
A few blocks away on the Via Veneto, I discovered this marvelous church. Beneath is a wonderfully macabre series of crypts, room after room of Benedictine monks' dismembered skeletons arranged into sculptures and decorations — piles of skulls, chandeliers made of tailbones, shoulder blade rosettes and baldacchinos made of pelvises. Long lines of teenaged American girls file in and out, squealing "Ew, gross!" and "Creeeeepy!". I found it quite beautiful and touching, so many 17th century bones committed to remind one of the temporary nature of life on this planet, "As you were so once was I ; as I am so shall you be."
It was impossible to draw down there among the crowds so I retired to the Church of the Immaculate above and drew its back room as the light slowly faded and my watercolor box disappeared into the gloom. At one point, a nut brown monk came over and wished me "Pace" but I was already suffused with peace.
On the Piazza Barberini, I started to draw an old cinema surrounded by lovely crumbling facades when a big white panel van pulled right up in front of me and blocked my view. Instead I worked on another building, listening with one ear to two slurring Englishwomen at the next table who were drinking huge vasefuls of lager and snapping pix of each other and emailing them to pals back home. Eventually my friends, the Pratts, came and joined me and I laid down my pen.
Annie Pratt is a believer in homeopathic medicine and prescribed some Arnica to me. The next morning my ankle was a lot less swollen and, after various meetings on casting and production, we headed off to visit the Colosseum and the rest of ruined Rome. It was blazing hot and crowded and I couldn't bring myself to tackle drawings of the broken columns. En route, my pocket was picked on the subway; the bastards made off with about $100. Sprained ankle, thieving gypsies, John Roberts ... I wonder what sort of bad luck I'll face today.
A record of my exploration into all aspects of drawing, illustrated journaling, creativity, and the inspiring aspects of art. By the author of "Everyday Matters," "The Creative License", and "An Illustrated Life" and other books.
Comments
WOWEE-KAZOWEE!! Danny these drawings/paintings are incredible!! They are so rich. What you can do is simply amazing.
The church seems so fascinating. Your painting of it really pulls me in and makes me want to explore it in detail. I've heard about churches like that with the bones on PBS..never been in one tho.
Homeopathy is good stuff:-) I hope you don't have anymore bad luck. Time for the bad luck to be moving on. Here's hoping you enjoy the rest of your trip in good health. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Posted by: Pat | July 20, 2005 09:25 AM
What a pleasure to see Rome through your drawings! It's clearly a tough neighborhood to pass through, given your injuries and losses. But you're making something beautiful out of it! (Ignore John Roberts for now.)
Posted by: Nita | July 20, 2005 09:51 AM
If you can manage it, try to get to the Chiesa Della Jesu. There's an amazing altarpiece inside.
Trastevere is great too.
Thanks for the drawings. My eyes feel happy and rested now.
Posted by: Lisa Williams | July 20, 2005 10:28 AM
Beautiful drawings. Really amazing work. Thanks for bringing Italy to us.
P.S. I've been to that crypt with the skeletons (I guess before it was such a tourist attraction). I wish you could do some sketching down there. It is an amazing place.
Posted by: Amanda | July 20, 2005 11:05 AM
I admire your ability to take on detailed subject matter and just go for it on the page. I tend to sit and gaze and see intricacies and talk my self out of beginning for fear the complexity will overwhelm me. Geesh! Rome full of tourists in the hot summer baiting the pick pockets....I'm opting for Italy in March and leaving Rome off the itinery, so please keep your drawings coming because I don't plan on seeing Rome any other way but through your drawings. Ciao!!!! ~Sharon
Posted by: Sharon | July 20, 2005 12:25 PM
Great site and great drawings! Just a technical question, but how are you posting your sketches? Do you travel with a scanner? Keep doing what you're doing - very inspiring!
Posted by: Clay | July 20, 2005 12:47 PM
Very nice work, Danny! Sorry to hear that you were forced off your feet for a few days. I'm thinking that need some old and interesting buildings to draw.
Posted by: Trish | July 20, 2005 01:10 PM
Lovely drawings. I also visited the same crypt with the bone creations. Those images have stuck with me for a long time.
Posted by: David | July 20, 2005 03:35 PM
Hey Danny. Great illustrations and paintings! I love your style! I just ran across your site from a link on the Seward Street blog and will definitely check back to see more of your work. One thing that threw me for a loop though was your reference to John Roberts! I was like, "Why's this guy talking about me in his blog???" then I realized what the context was. LOL Anyway, great stuff!
John Roberts
(the animator with CMT, not the one currently in the news)
Posted by: John Roberts | July 20, 2005 05:59 PM
You're drawings are amazing! So beautiful to see Rome through them...
Will be back more often!
Posted by: Thaleia | July 22, 2005 04:26 AM
Dear Danny
Thank you for your wonderful drawings, they make my lunch time better.
I'm italian, from Turin, a town in the north west of Italy. Rome is the most beautiful town in the world. The whole story of the world is inside his walls... but 50$ for your lunch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You should have paid drawing a note on the napkin!
Posted by: giovanni coletta | July 22, 2005 07:32 AM
Hi Danny,
I'll join in admiring your wonderful drawings. They're wonderful. I'll keep checking back and following the trip through your eyes. Have a great time.
Best wishes,
Kate
Posted by: Kate | July 24, 2005 08:46 PM