Basilica di Santa Chiara

The steeple on the right is part of the Basilica of Saint Claire.  I took a photo of it last year on a hike up from San Damiano, which is just below Assisi.  (It's where St. Francis heard God speak to him from a cross and Claire and her followers made their home and lived until her death in 1253.)  I was huffing and puffing trying get myself up the hill but still managed to somehow take in the view and photograph it.

Last Saturday I went back for another pastel class in Ojai and as is so often the case, I found inspiration from my memories and photographs of Italy.  It's a pretty dark photo in the foreground with the grove of olive trees but light sort of illuminates the Basilica and gives it an otherworldly quality. Hopefully a bit  of that came through in the drawing.

Basilica di Santa Chaira November 2009

Today was the last day of my memoir class and it was bittersweet.  It's sad when a class ends (if you like the class!) but it was wonderful to hear how far all of our stories had come.  It was so moving hearing each persons' story ... the courageousness and vulnerability was inspiring.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Is it a place on the planet or a place in your mind?