Submitted by Quinn Wichert the 2024 Spring program in Madrid, Spain…
This week was pretty relaxed compared to the last couple weeks. I had returned from traveling to Vienna, Brno, and Bratislava on Sunday and Monday I resumed classes at SLU Madrid. I spent a lot of time this week working on 2 different art projects, one for drawing and one for painting.
I used my time this semester to take art classes because I knew I wouldn’t be able to back at Delaware. I’ve always had a passion for art but hadn’t gotten the opportunity to have formal training on it. I think the funny thing about art is that so many people assume that it’s all about natural ability. We say things like “I could never do that” or “I can barely draw a stick figure.” However, If I’ve learned one thing it’s that it takes a lot of patience and practice just like anything else. Of course you can’t be expected to paint like Monet if you’ve never done it before.
This week I had to finish a large ink drawing for my class which took far longer than I anticipated. I think I spent upwards of 15 hours on this project. I’d never before spent time like that on one singular drawing but It taught me a lot about patience. You have to be willing to put in a considerable amount of time and apply the skills you learn in class. Overall I’m very proud of myself for what I was able to create. Even more so, I’m proud that I’m taking the time to explore a passion of mine on a more profound level. I think that studying abroad is the perfect time to explore different passions and I’d highly recommend it to my friends looking to do a semester abroad. (Submitted on March 25, 2024)