This is the last part of the series. If you want to start from the beginning, page 1 is here.
That’s it! I hope you enjoyed accompanying me on my trip to Florence.
I’m pretty sure it’s going to be my last sketch diary for a while. While I love to make them, and am pleased to have them as mementoes of our family holidays, as my ambitions grow in terms of how much detail I want to include, so they take more and more time.
I’m still only able to dedicate around 90 minutes a day to artwork, on top of the dayjob, household duties, etc. This Diary took six months (pretty much – the time was interrupted by a couple of other deadlined comic projects which I recorded here) to draw, followed by a further month or more cleaning it up, and there’s still tons I’d redraw or tidy if it was headed for publication anywhere more formal than my own blog. That doesn’t leave much time in a year for any other kind of work. I’ve even been on another three trips since Florence (including an eminently diarisable and puffin-heavy trip to Berwick and surrounds) which I can’t record with this amount of detail. And that’s what I’d want to do. One solution would be to pull out small strands or record less, I suppose, but I don’t feel massively inclined to do that.
So unless someone can find a way to conjure up more hours in every day, that’s it for this particular artform, for now at least. Hopefully that will mean more smaller projects and in turn that will mean more frequent updates on this blog, so it’s not all bad!
Myfanwy Tristram 
I’ve enjoyed this – thank you – but appreciate the time commitment. Hope you find ways to do s much as you want without being overburdened
Thanks – glad you enjoyed!
I can’t believe I implied in the comment I left yesterday that I thought you must have stayed up all night every night while you were there in Florence to work on this – obviously I realised it was a post-trip project – I still can’t get over how you manage 90 minutes a day of art-practice on top of day-job and everything else. It’s breathtaking! Thanks for posting it all, it’s been SO enjoyable – I’ve literally been waiting for the next installment every day!
That’s really nice to hear, thank you! Yes, I think my very first sketch diary was started on the spot but I soon learned that it’s far easier to take notes and then work on it later.
I am so disappointed it is over. I’ve really enjoyed your Firenze sketch diary, not just because it is one of my favourite places ever, and I was just there, but because it is fabulous. In fact, i am surprised you got it done so quickly! 90 min a day is a lot for someone who has a ‘real’ job! Complimenti! Ciao, Cristina
Ah thank you! It’s a very special city, isn’t it! I’m lucky in that my daughter catches a very early bus to school, so I have up to 90 minutes after that before I start my job. Seems like a good way to fill it.
I really enjoyed your diary and updates and drawings, you are very clever! It made me hunger for the streets of Italy again, and all that yummy gelato! Thanks again for sharing! :) xx
Thanks- I’m glad you enjoyed it! Was just telling my father how much I would like to revisit that gelato right now :)
Haha! Tell me about it!!
I can see the time and commitment it must have been for you! Perhaps you could do a quicker, shorter version next time? I love vicariously traveling to Italy with you!!
Just so beautiful and detailed, love it!