In the 2024 Winter break, Lilly participated in a UQ Short Term Global Experience, travelling to Florence for a three-week intensive - July in Florence – at The Florence University of the Arts.
Lilly reflects on her experience here, sharing some products of her beautiful plein air painting experience.
Lilly Van Gilst
Liveris Academy Undergraduate Scholar
Bachelor of Engineering/Arts
Italy Reflection: When visiting Florence’s Museo degli Uffizi, I was among the crowds of people enjoying Sandro Botticelli’s painting Birth of Venus. It depicts the fully formed goddess Venus as she emerges from the sea in a shell, blown by the winds of spring – Zephyrus – and greeted by Flora to wrap her in a cloak. Out of all the paintings in the gallery this one resonated with me most, and I bought a small journal with it’s copy on the cover to write the reflections from my time in Florence. I have to say that this feels particularly symbolic as the trip allowed me to grow in confidence and feel ‘fully formed’ as an adult living in and impacting upon our world.
During my studies of chemical engineering and international relations over the past few years, I’ve noticed my creativity and passion for fine art becoming less organic and visceral. Particularly as art has formed a source of income for me, I have found it losing it’s joyful and meditative quality. During my three weeks in Florence studying Painting en Plein Air, not only did it reignite my love for art, but it taught me invaluable lessons about observing the world and being present in the moment. To paint en plein air means to paint outside, on location. There is an emphasis on capturing the transitory qualities of light and atmosphere. You must work quickly to form an accurate sketch of the scene before adding the details to finish off the piece. In some ways it can form a metaphor for leadership, wherein the breadth and context of a situation must be taken in before providing and vision and strategy to arrive at a fully formed solution or outcome.
Each morning we gathered on campus and then walked between 15-25 minutes to a new location within Florence. Our teacher taught us about the significance and history of the area before going through some painting techniques to focus on for the day. Sometimes we had to narrow our understanding of the scene by utilising a limited colour palette. Sometimes we had to analyse and measure our surrounds to accurately capture interesting perspectives. Sometimes we had to focus on the moving human forms around us and depict their likeness even as they walked by fleetingly. Within the 3 hours of class we had to produce at least two to three paintings. As a diagnosed perfectionist who usually spends at least eight hours on a painting, producing work at this pace was certainly challenging. It forced me to hone my technique, prioritising the most impactful brushstrokes and washes to make the scene come together.
Another unique experience was the interest of passers-by, considering that we were painting in public squares and parks. In the past, I have been unable to paint if someone was watching me, however in forcing myself to have confidence in my process and abilities I managed to overcome this barrier and even enjoy the interactions with curious strangers. One day I painted a hotel concierge standing outside his building, and when he realised what I was doing he was so excited and took pictures to show his friends. He disappeared inside before bringing me water and chocolates, and although we didn’t speak the same language, plenty of understanding and joy passed between us in that interaction.
The reflective practice of painting, as well as documenting my travels and learnings in my journal, really forced me to slow down and appreciate the moment. I started to feel like I had extra hours in the day and was calmer and more relaxed. It is something I’ve finally learned to tap into as I’ve always been a very busy person and preferred to be forever on the go. I will be incorporating this reflective and creative time in my daily life here at university and into the future.
Beyond the appreciation for the artistic practice, what was most life-changing about this trip was the renewed self confidence and independence it instilled within me. I was actually all set to complete the experience the year prior, before having to cancel at the last minute due to unexpected health issues. At the time my world was undoubtedly turned on its head and I had to take a semester off university, work and all my usual activities in order to recover my health. I became very reliant on the support and guidance of those around me and I am certainly grateful to the Liveris Academy for being so understanding and accommodating in this time. Being able to resume my studies and still participate in this short-term exchange was a crucial return to normality and helped regain my sense of self.
Booking and organising my trip as well as traveling solo and living in a new city helped prove to myself that the confident, independent and resourceful version of myself I’ve known my whole life is well and truly back.
It’s given me trust in my ability to adapt and overcome intense and unexpected challenges in life, without losing sight of the importance of career and leadership ambitions.
Whilst fine art may not be what typically comes to mind when you think of leadership, incorporating all my passions into my life has always afforded me the ability to connect with a wide range of people and convey information in a variety of formats. I’m so grateful for the Liveris Academy for supporting my existing interests and encouraging new ones to emerge through a variety of opportunities such as this. As I graduate my dual degree of engineering and arts at the end of the year, I’ll take so many important lessons with me from my 5 years in the academy.
