Now that I'm in my old age, moving to Firenze and becoming a student again was a humbling experience and it required that I "dig deep" and use all my focus, determination and "inner strength"!  Everything changed in Florence.  It was one of the most rigorous and powerful bootcamps of my life, especially at my age!  After working for hours a day at the academy, I'd come home and often work into 1-2AM to complete my next day's drawings.  In terms of classical art, it is particularly time consuming because completing an accurate drawing in terms of lights, shadows, perspective, and values are some of the most important aspects of classical art.  I've always loved drawing but studying in Florence made me aware about the importance of having a solid foundation, not only in drawing and painting but also in history art, culture, and especially "anatomy".  One of the consequences of taking a leadership role as "arts professional" is that I often ended  hiring other specialized artists to complete diverse art projects.  My drawing and painting skills were placed on the back burner.  So now that I'm recently semi-retired, I'm happy to have the time to myself to draw and paint and recommit to my craft.  

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