The Game - Part 5

I could barely wait for our game to continue, so I was right pleased when I went to our secret place and found a note:

My dear, I must confess I am enjoying our little game... For you my dear, I am leaving another of Dante's poems. This one holds special meaning for me on a very personal level. 

Sincerely,

M. Marcus

As always, I was intrigued by this mysterious man.  I was definitely curious about the meaning of whichever poem he was sending me to read.

Following his instructions, I found the book and opened it to the appropriate page:

WHATEVER WHILE THE THOUGHT COMES OVER ME

by: Dante Alighieri (1265-1321)

WHATEVER while the thought comes over me

That I may not again

Behold that lady whom I mourn for now,

About my heart my mind brings constantly

So much of extreme pain

That I say, Soul of mine, who stayest thou?

Truly the anguish, soul, that we must bow

Beneath, until we win out of this life,

Gives me full oft a fear that trembleth:

So that I call on Death

Even as on Sleep one calleth after strife,

Saying, Come unto me. Life showeth grim

And bare; and if one dies, I envy him,

For ever, among all my sighs which burn,

There is a piteous speech

That clamors upon death continually:

Yea, unto him doth my whole spirit turn

Since first his hand did reach

My lady's life with most foul cruelty.

But from the height of woman's fairness she,

Going up from us with the joy we had,

Grew perfectly and spiritually fair;

That so she treads even there

A light of Love which makes the Angels glad,

And even unto their subtle minds can bring

A certain awe of profound marveling.

I read it three times, tears trailing down my face. He must have lost someone. A relative, a friend, a wife? My heart ached for him.  Wiping my tears, I took the book with me to my room.  

The Game - Part 4

The passage that Marcus had directed me to made me want to learn more about the author and his works.  I spent some time in town at a small internet café doing some research and forming a ‘game plan’. 

With an idea in mind, I went to the Acropolis and pulled out my sketchpad to draw for a while and admire the view.

It took a while to write his letter.  I wrote and re-wrote it a few times before I was happy with it.  When it was finally complete, I made my way to our secret place and left the items for him.

Dear Master Marcus: 

Merci beaucoup for Dante and the blossom, cher.  The flower sits in my room and Dante was inspiring.  I even sat myself down in front of a computer today and did a little research.  Here are your gifts:

First, I was quite taken by the inscription on the door of the ninth gate.  So, I tried out my best calligraphy for you on one of the sheets attached.

"Through me the way into the suffering city,
Through me the way to the eternal pain,
Through me the way that runs among the lost.
Justice urged on my high artificer;
My maker was divine authority,
The highest wisdom, and the primal love.
Before me nothing but eternal things were made,
And I endure eternally.
Abandon every hope, ye who enter here."

Second, while I was on that computer earlier I came across this site that asks you some questions and tells you which level of hell you’ll end up in.  Apparently I’m in level 2, but you’ll have to discover what that mean for yourself.

Which level will you end up in?

http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-test.mv

And finally, your sketch.  Considerin’ it was Dante and dealing with heaven and hell, I thought you might like your own fallen angel.

I do hope you enjoy this round.  Next ones on you and I can’t wait to see what you come up with…

Love,

Sera

The Game - Part 3

I wasn’t sure what to expect after leaving him the blossom.  But sure enough, that night I found a flower on my desk, the same type as I had drawn for him, and a slip of paper marked with a simple X.

I sniffed the sweet scent of the blossom, then rushed to our secret place to find another note:

Your lovely sketch of the exquisite blossom left me wanting more & in return I will share one of my favorites.  

Sincerely, 

M. Marcus

Attached to the letter were instructions to go to a specific novel, Dante’s De Vulgari Eloquenlia and read Chapter 1-1:

Since I find that no one, before myself, has dealt in any way with the theory of eloquence in the vernacular, and since we can plainly see that such eloquence is necessary to everyone - for not only men, but also women and children strive to acquire it, as far as nature allows - I shall try, inspired by the Word that comes from above, to say something useful about the language of people who speak the vulgar tongue, hoping thereby to enlighten somewhat the understanding of those who walk the streets like the blind, ever thinking that what lies ahead is behind them. Yet, in so doing, I shall not bring to so large a cup only the water of my own thinking, but shall add to it more potent ingredients, taken or extracted from elsewhere, so that from these I may concoct the sweetest possible mead. 

Curling in the chair by the windows, I read through the passage numerous times.  Three thoughts drifted through my head in regards to Dante’s words here:

We are born with the water of our own thinking. Life, its experiences and interactions with others, help to flavor that water.

I know for myself that I can be influenced by knowledge and by those whom I admire.

The eloquence of man is something I'm not so familiar with. I express a lot about myself through my art more than words. Without my art, I do my best to enjoy myself and will always do so. But to put into words certain feelings in the way of the poets and great authors such as Dante? I shook my head. No, I can't do that. 

I close the book and hold it against my chest as I look out the window, my thoughts on the man who had directed me here as my eyes closed and I drifted off…

The Game - Part 2

The next morning I had another note on my desk:

Please forgive me for my forwardness.  You are most correct about my chambers.  I was merely thinking of it as the most private place.  No matter though.  You hit upon a lovely idea so, I drew you a map that I hope you’re able to follow.

Sincerely

M. Marcus

PS. I would appreciate it if we can keep this between just us my dear. 

I took my sketchpad and some colored pencils to the garden for inspiration.  Finding a bloom that was just too beautiful to deny, I sat and sketched it.

The beauty of a flower isn't truly seen until it's in bloom.

Once finished, I followed the instructions on the map which lead me to a shelf in a secluded section of the library.  Finding the large tome he noted on the map, I pulled it down and placed it on the table.  Carefully, I placed the sketch inside before closing and replacing the heavy book on the shelf.

Leaving the library, I wondered if he’d like the sketch I drew him… 

The Game - Part 1

Life for me has certainly gotten interesting, that’s for sure.  It all started about two weeks ago when Marcus, I mean Master Marcus, took one of my sketches I’d left on the reception desk.  The next day, I had another note from him:

Please excuse my previous intrusion but I find your sketches delightfully intriguing & I am extremely interested in viewing your collection further. If this request is acceptable to you please leave the sketches you choose in my chambers.

Sincerely,

Master Marcus

I was floored again!  I racked my brain for a while thinkin’ what could I give him?  Then I remembered the note said to leave them in his chambers.  I wasn’t allowed in private quarters, at least that’s what Pia said.  But here he was one of the Masters, so does that override Pia’s orders?  It was too much to consider, so I wrote him a note and put it in his box at reception, hoping he would understand:

Dear Master Marcus,

I can't say just how honoured I am that you like a few sketches by lil ole me. I'm sure I can come up with something to tickle your fancy, yeah? But I dunno where your room is, cher, and I thought I wasn't allowed to visit them? I guess you could leave me a map with a big X and I can go on a treasure hunt for ya! So if you like that idea, just leave me another note. I do so enjoy them.

Love,

Sera <3

Something so strange...

I awoke this morning to the sunlight streaming into my room. Hail to a new day! Grinning, I bounced out of bed and into the bathroom to run through my morning routine.

Emerging half an hour later, I went to my closet to pick out an outfit. Tossing it on the bed, I quickly changed and finished getting ready.

On my way out, I stopped to pick up my iPod and sketchpad. I found the iPod, but the pad was nowhere to be seen. After a few minutes of searching, I figured I had misplaced it and would look again later.

I made my way down to reception, humming my favorite tune, Say Hey by Michael Franti and Spearhead. When I reached the desk, I noticed my sketchpad laying on it and smiled. I picked it up as I sat down, then frowned, seeing there was a note sitting on top of it.

"Hello My dear I found You sketch very intriguing so much so I wanted it for my personal collection. Master Marcus"

My jaw dropped a bit in surprise. He liked my sketch? Looking at the sketchbook, I quickly flipped through to see which one he took. My eyes widen as I realize the one he took was of me. I sat there a bit incredulous, staring at the note.

My eyes traveled over the elegant script. Following the old world style writing with my finger, I wondered about the man who wrote it. I was also intrigued now, not only about the note, but also about the man. What was it about my sketch that he liked? Perhaps when I meet him, I could ask....

What a Week!

This has been the craziest and best week! *grins wide*

It started when I got to Volterra. I was here last month and fell in love with the little town and the countryside. It was awe inspiring, not to mention art inspiring. *chuckles* Ever since, I've been working on some landscaping pieces. It's been interesting, but I'm not sure yet if I like it. Hmm...

Anyway, moving along...

I was in at Piazza dei Priori the other day. I really love that lil square. So anyway, I was sketching by the fountain when this woman with weird dark eyes that look red comes up to me and starts talking. Doesn't introduce herself or anything, just being chatty. I reckon she was just wantin to talk to someone. But then after a few minutes talkin, she started telling about how all the people in the castle are vampires. Now, me, I'm thinking she's motier foux, right? (half crazy) She kinda started to freak me out, so I left quickly.

Now imagine my surprise when the next day, I'm sitting in the same place waiting for the sun to hit the spire just so for a photo I wanted, I met another woman, this time from the castle. Long story short, I kinda charmed my way into a job. Apparently their usual girl at reception went walkabout or something and they needed someone to fill in for a few weeks. I'd already been worrying about affording to stay in Italy much longer, so it ended up being a win/win situation. *grins*

Now, we introduce ourselves and do all the niceties. Her name is Pia. She's a sweet lady, even if she does have some freaky red eyes. But hey, who am I to judge. I don't exactly pander to tradition myself. *chuckles*

Anyway, so I find out that this gig comes with a room too. Ca c'est bon, non? I didn't realize just what she meant by 'room'. I thought oh a small bedroom in the servants quarters or something. I was floored when she showed me the room. It wasn't a room, it was an apartment! There was this coquain living area with stairs leading up to a loft bedroom and a bathroom with a tub to die for! I didn't know where my good luck was coming from, but I went with it.

She left me for a while in the room, saying to stay there until she came back. I checked out the place a bit, but after a few hours, I was starving. I had skipped breakfast and was regretting it.

So I wandered out of the room to find Pia. Hearing voices from down by the reception area, I followed them to a door near the desk. I opened it and looked inside, seeing Pia and two others inside. One, a young man on who's lap Pia was sitting, got all tense and glared at me. But the other, a girl with blonde hair, grabbed me and dragged me out of the room. I was surprised, bien sur! She tried explaining something about a strict religion or something, but it's all very odd.

After getting something to eat and chatting for a bit with the girl, Stasha, I returned to my room for the evening.

The next day, I was trying to make my way around when I got hopelessly lost, eventually ending up outside in a beautiful garden. I came across Pia there near a large fountain and she explained to me that I could go pretty much anywhere but the throne room (where I'd walked into the night before), personal rooms, and on the lower levels.

Since then, I've been meeting many interesting people, all who seem to have the strangest coloured eyes. I guess Stasha wasn't kidding about their freaky religious cult. I wondered about that a minute. *shrug* Whatever. Everyone is a little strange. It's what makes us interesting, non?

Granted, these people were more so than most and I had a feeling something was going on I didn't know about. Certain comments make me wonder, but it's not my place to question what people believe or how they live their lives. *chuckles* If I hadn't seen them during the daytime, I'd wonder if that Lydia girl wasn't joking about the vampires...

Art Show by Sera

Well, a Bon Matin to y'all! I was just sitting here, thinking about how I could liven up my beautiful new room, and thought perhaps you'd like a looksee? *grins*

Most the time I tend to paint abstract designs. I like large canvas if possible, at least three feet. I've worked on canvas bigger than me before a time or two, and lemme tell you, chere, it was a dream! I'd love to do that more often, but I never have the space for it - and it tends to get expensive. *grins*

And I love color. Love it. Lots of it. And contrasting abstracts - like all black painted canvas with shots of color through it. Check out my works below here. *points* You'll see what I mean.

This is my latest piece, inspired by our own Miss Pia! I hope she likes it! *crosses fingers and gives a bright smile*

Now, since being in Italy, I've been captivated by the scenery - the countryside, the towns, the little nuances... So I've been branching out, seeing how I like it. I'm enjoying it so far, but we'll see. *winks*

Well, now. I hope y'all enjoyed my mini art show here. I'll see about posting more when inspiration hits me again. For now, I have to get back to daydreaming about redecorating my rooms... *blows a kiss and winks*

Pictures of Sera

Beginnings

Seraphine, or Sera, is a petite woman with long pale blonde hair and sage-colored eyes. You will notice she often notice that she has a bright smile on her face that lights up said green eyes. Hailing from a middle class Cajun family in New Orleans, she is now alone in the world, having lost her mother during childbirth and her father to his nefarious drug habits.

But Sera doesn’t let things get her down for long. She brushes herself off and gets right back on that horse with determination and a smile. This she was taught by her maternal grandmother, Selene LaRue, whom she calls Mamere. She lives my her grandmother’s cardinal rule:

You can still find the joy of life no matter how hard your life may be.

Her personality is expressed in her artwork. She is a painter, very large canvas with very bold color choices. They are abstract like Sera herself, to be sure, and just as beautiful. The colors reflect her nature. So many words can relate to her: outgoing, loud, vivacious, dare devil, confident, bon vivant, down to earth…

Sera tends to be more street smart than book smart but is still quite intelligent. She was awarded a scholarship and has attended New York University for the last few years, including her latest stint doing a semester abroad in Italy.

Now that her schooling is over, however, she wishes to travel and see more of the country than she was able to in the short weekend trips she’d taken. One of her first stops was Volterra. She fell in love with the ancient walled city and has decided to stay and explore. However, she is conscious of her funds and must find employment in some form while she explores her artistic nature in the beautiful city.