In Pursuit of Ecstasy- How About You?

Anyone want to join me to go helipainting?!  Talk about being in pursuit of excitement!  You all know that I love to paint and travel.  It's become my favorite way to energize myself as an artist.  It brings me joy. 

Water soluble Pen and gouache

The idea that we are in pursuit of ecstasy as artists is so compelling.  I often maintain that once I'm "in the zone" and painting free, there's a surge of excitement and something akin to joy that overtakes me.  I attribute it to endorphins, but it is definitely euphoric, whatever the source.  

Watercolor, Ink, and Water-soluble crayon on gesso prepared paper

The Oscar Wilde is so descriptive of this phenomenon:

Ink and Water-soluble crayon

"We can have in life but one great experience at best, and the secret of life is to reproduce that experience as often as possible." 

Oscar Wilde- The Picture of Dorian Gray.

I hope today finds you in pursuit of ecstasy.  For those of you who are inclined, perhaps you'll be painting, drawing or creating your way to that kind of experience.  I hope so...

Plein Air painting using transparent and opaque watercolor and ink

"Try it!  You might like it!"

If you're looking for experiences which can light a fire in you, you may want to consider traveling.  Traveling with drawing and painting as an option can help you experience your surroundings more intensely.  It doesn't mean you need to paint or draw on location...although can be a great experience.  It doesn't mean you have to be an artist either.  Simply attempting to capture something about what you visit, or what you see can be a wonderful way of connecting with the places you visit.  

Pen and wash- Watercolor and Ink

Sometimes I take photos and draw or paint them later.  Other times I will search for images of the places I go and paint them.  Somehow, I like to create a visual record which has meaning for me in the places I go.  You might enjoy it as I do.  

I love journaling- this entry in my journal was done with Water-soluble pen and watercolor wash

For me, the record which I create helps me remember the places better...in fact, if I paint or draw it, I will never forget it.  

Pen and Watercolor wash

The photos in this blog are from my travel journal.  It is the best way I have found to prevent my trips from becoming a blur of jumbled memories and places.  If you are like me, you forget the names of the towns you visit and what you did when you got there.  My solution has been these journals.   I would encourage you to try this sort of pictorial journal for yourself and see if it doesn't help you cement the experience in your mind more clearly.  

Transparent watercolor

I would love to give you some suggestions and techniques for journaling your travels.  My class schedule is here on the website calendar.  Your next euphoric moment might just be awaiting you in class...or on my next EAT PAINT COOK tour of Tuscany this fall. I'd love to show you beautiful Tuscany Oct 3-10, 2015.  

Pen and gouache

Painting and journaling will be an OPTION on this trip, as will cooking lessons, but painting or cooking are not requirements.  They are simply additional activities which will be offered to participants.  During relaxation time for non-painters,  we will have a STUDIO for our use, which makes it convenient.  Hauling our art materials with us everywhere we go is unnecessary thanks to the studio.  We can simply do art together when we have some down time..or if we feel the urge.  After all, we don't need pressure on vacation!  Here's a link for the details about my EAT PAINT COOK TOUR OF TUSCANY ...

https://www.ilchiostro.com/index.php?action=workshop-details&item=283

Transparent watercolor

Let me hear from you! I read every comment and it means a lot to know you are out there reading.


Rebecca Zdybel
Artist, Instructor, Art-Travel Instructor
Art Lessons in all media
Myrtle Beach, SC
rebecca@artmyrtlebeach.com

Spread Light, Share Love, DO Art!

Feel free to share any of this blog post on your own blog or website, but I ask that you you include:

Rebecca Zdybel is an artist and instructor in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Follow her and see her work at http://www.artmyrtlebeach.com/

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PS-  I love this newsletter and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in thoughtful art oriented musings.  This latest example is why I love reading what Sara writes.  

rgenn@saraphina.com

Robert & Sara Genn Twice-Weekly Letter Click to read this letter online and share your valuable insights. Ecstasy July 11, 2014 In his 1964 book, Religions, Values and Peak Experiences, psychologist Abraham Maslow broadened the definition and understanding of ecstasy. Instead of crediting solely the supernatural for our human moments of inspiration and interconnectedness, Maslow believed that the essential experience attributed to religion could be seen as a private revelation. A sacred consciousness is brought on by awareness, personal action and participation and is illuminated from within. I once saw Swan Lake at the American Ballet Theatre at Lincoln Centre in New York City. Settling in as the lights dimmed and the chandeliers ascended, organza tutus appeared on the stage like soft, floating objects of meditation, gradating from pale pink to apricot, then an effervescent custard and dove -- a rainbow in slow motion of tertiary greys. A universal, intoxicating, multi-sensory eye massage hushed the audience into a state of breathlessness. After the ballet, I stepped out into the Lincoln Center Plaza. Her central fountain skipped and splashed under a rosy moon and reflected the golden interior lights of the adjoining houses of worship: the Philharmonic, the Juilliard, the City Opera. I floated down Columbus Avenue in a state of euphoric appreciation -- a tumbling illumination and recalibrated artistic vision harmonized with the universe -- in innocence and wonder, in possibilities and understanding. The meaning of life and beauty appeared to me while bearing witness to the sweat and conviction of generations of fellow travellers in art. "We can have in life but one great experience at best, and the secret of life is to reproduce that experience as often as possible," wrote Oscar Wilde in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Despite Wilde's sarcasm, as artists, we might build and multiply our highs to harness the awe, the growth, and the feelings of empowerment. Here are a few ideas: Identify moments of ecstasy and when they occur. Seek out and create experiences that can be identified as "peak aesthetic moments." Recognize when you "switch on." Go for a variety of triggers: simple, extravagant, strange, alone, comforting, challenging, shared. Work the lingering creative edge gained from your revelations. Make it count. Do it regularly. Sincerely, Sara PS: "The person in peak-experiences feels himself, more than other times, to be the responsible, active, creating center of his activities and of his perceptions. He feels more like a prime-mover, more self-determined (rather than caused, determined, helpless, dependent, passive, weak, bossed). He feels himself to be his own boss, fully responsible, fully volitional, with more 'free-will' than at other times, master of his fate, an agent." (Abraham Maslow) "I must create a system or be enslaved by another man's; I will not reason and compare: my business is to create." (William Blake) Esoterica: Ecstasy is worth chasing when the results are your own personal boom of productivity. Possibilities may be close by or they wait in other worlds. Last August Dad and I joined plein-air painter and hiking guide Liz Wiltzen in the Canadian Rockies for an encounter with ecstasy called "heli-painting." This September 4 - 7, Liz carries the torch with American watercolourist and colour master Stephen Quiller. A few spots are still available for this plein-air experience of a lifetime. If you'd like to find out more, we've posted some heli-footage and information at the top of this letter online.

Colosseum- Colossal Surprises!

Rome is magnificent and the buildings and architecture are incredible.  Both the scale and number of gorgeously intact buildings and ancient ruins boggles the mind.  They are everywhere!  Go around any corner, and you stumble on yet another architectural beauty. Of course, the most notable of these architectural wonders is the Colosseum.  We went on a tour today and found out a few fun facts...

Fact:  The Colosseum was not always called the Colosseum.  It's original name was the 'Flavian Amphitheater'.  The Colosseum derived it's current name from being adjacent to the "Colossus"- a huge bronze statue of Nero that has since been melted down and destroyed.  This is what it may have looked like:  

Did you know that the Colosseum had assigned seating and gates like a modern stadium? There was also fabric sheltering the spectators from above, supported by beams which protected all but the center of the Arena.  Sailors used drums to work together and haul the sailcloth into place. 

Fact:  "Arena" means "sand" and that very substance covered the floor of the Colosseum.  Sand acted as an absorbent surface for all the blood and gore which took place upon the arena floor and gave better footing to the combatants.  

Sand also disguised about 60 trap doors which served as "stage entrances" for actors in the various dramatic battles and events.  Animals and people would make their entrance onto the floor of the arena using elevators raised by slave-powered winches.  A diagram is pictured below. 

Did you know that Jewish Slaves built the Colosseum?  Rome destroyed the Jewish Temple and defeated the Jews in 70AD and then brought back 50,000 Jewish slaves and plunder from the Temple in order to construct the Colosseum?  It was begun in 72 AD finished in 8 years.  This Triumphal Arch of Titus commemorates the Roman victory and shows the plunder of Jerusalem being brought back to Rome by the slaves and soldiers. 

Triumphal Arch of Titus in the Forum which depicts the victory over the Jews in 70 AD. 

Did you know that most gladiatorial battles were man to man?  They did not always end in death, and there was quite a bit of incentive not to kill them, since their training and skill was very expensive to cultivate.  They trained just across the street in a private arena which was connected to the Colosseum by underground tunnel.  During games at the Colosseum, the gladiators generally fought in the afternoons, animals fought in the mornings, and executions took place around the noon hour.  A couple of tour guides maintain that it is unlikely that Christians were ever tortured there...but I haven't checked that fact out for historical truth. I know the Pope makes a pilgrimage there as a holy site every Lent, and I doubt he would do that because animals were killed there. 

Fact:  The exterior of the Colosseum is made of white Travertine?  It's a local stone which was very durable and easily available. Though it's original color was white, and it has only become the terra-cotta color we associate with it due to weather and age.  Can you imagine?  It's currently undergoing a 60 million Euro restoration, thanks to donations by a wealthy Italian businessman who owns Tods shoe company.  Its already partially restored to its original color.  

The Colosseum was decorated with painted statues and may have looked something like this in it's heyday (except it would have been white, right?).  Other amphitheaters were in operation throughout the empire, but in Rome, the Colosseum continued to function as a major center for these Roman games for around 500 years. 

Fact:  The Grand Opening Games of the Colosseum involved 100 days of games and overall they were responsible for the slaughter of over 10,000 animals?   Any small animals which were left, were often given to the people.  Every kind of animal was included in the games, because the goal was to thrill and entertain.  The Roman people did not have zoos or the ability to travel with ease, so bringing exotic animals out for display provided that shock and awe experience which the Emperors wished to provide.  Animals included everything from Tigers, lions, Elephants and Bulls, to Crocodiles, snakes, and small animals.    So many lions were killed during the games of the Roman Empire, that some believe these types of spectacles contributed to the eventual extinction of the European Lion.  

Were you surprised by any of these facts? We were fascinated.  If you're wondering which tour of Rome to take:  Our City Wonders tour was great, but 4 hours of climbing and walking on the rough stone surfaces of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Palatine Hill were quite demanding in the heat.  If you go, be sure to drink water, dress for the weather and wear good walking shoes! 

Let me hear from you! I read every comment and it means a lot to know you are out there traveling along with me.


Rebecca Zdybel
Artist, Instructor, Art-Travel Instructor
Art Lessons in all media
Myrtle Beach, SC
rebecca@artmyrtlebeach.com

Spread Light, Share Love, DO Art!

Feel free to share any of this blog post on your own blog or website, but I ask that you you include:

Rebecca Zdybel is an artist and instructor in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Follow her and see her work at http://www.artmyrtlebeach.com/

"Like" my facebook page: Rebecca Zdybel- Artist
Join me on Google+ Rebecca Zdybel Google+ Profile

Arriving in Rome- How to Travel From Airport to City Center

I arrived today for a few days in Rome prior to hosting my Artfully Tasteful Tour of Tuscany.  I was reminded again that getting off the plane in Europe can be disorienting. Interpreting foreign signs and languages while sleep deprived and groggy can be a challenge. If you're not with a group, here are a few things I have learned which might help you navigate your way to town from the Rome Airport.   

Passport Control and Customs: 

Wherever your first point of entry into the EU happens to be, it is there you must go through passport control.  If you fly direct and enter the EU by landing in Rome, then you must to through passport control there.  From there you follow the "Bagliali" Signs to claim your luggage.  There is essentially no luggage inspection after that, so you merely need to follow signs to the "Uscita" or exit.  

Car Service:
It can be a real convenience to be met by a car, rather than look for a Train.  If you want to plan ahead, you can think about calling a car service to take you one way from the airport into town.  Just check the price ahead of time in order to avoid surprises.  You may want to try this Car service which is well rated by Trip Advisor: 
http://www.romeairporttransportation.com


Taking the Train into Rome: 

Once you claim your luggage, you can hop on the train into Rome's Termini Station (for central Rome).  Finding your way to the train gets a little confusing at the airport.  Once you exit the baggage claim, you will need to go UP to the train departure area.  The elevators are not clear on this point.  Today we witnessed many a tourist walking around in a jet-lagged daze, riding the elevators up and down, trying to figure out where to go to get to the trains. 

Once you get to the train station, you need to purchase a ticket.  After purchasing a ticket, you run it through the ticket stamper at the edge of the entrance to the train platforms.  You slide it in order to stamp it, and then get on your train.  This is important, as we found out later that you can be fined if you don't stamp your ticket prior to getting on the train. 

If you have a lot of luggage, riding the trains can be a challenge, but not impossible.  You may need to leave your large bags near the entrance to the car, and then take your seat.  As much as possible, you will want to make it difficult to run off easily with your baggage.  I might suggest placing a locked bike safety cord through the handles of your luggage.  That way they are secured as a group and not easily moved.  

Once you arrive at Rome's Termini station, make sure you are prepared to be on your toes for opportunistic crime.  

Here are a few hints:

• Don't leave your phone or wallet on the tabletop while you have a cappuccino.  
• Put your purse or your pack over your head and across the front of your body.  
• Have your money and passport in your money belt.  
• Don't hang your purse on the back of your chair.

Catching a Cab at Termini Station:  Official Taxi Stands at the Termini are clearly marked with a sign and details of fare stipulations.  If you don't see a line and a sign with detailed fare information, then look for another official taxi location.  

We learned this the hard way. After wandering up to an official looking Taxi sign, we spoke to a man who represented himself as the taxi director, and he sent us to a small white SUV.  Once he began loading our luggage, we noted that he did not have a "TAXI" sign on the top of his car.  We asked him "Quanta costo?" or "How Much?" and his quote was an outrageous 35 Euros for a 5 minute cab ride.  We declined the ride and found the real taxi line across the Termini Train Platform and outside another exit door.  In the end, we paid 13 Euros, plus 3 Euros for extra bags.  This story is reminiscent of NYC, and so just be aware that unofficial taxis are a potential rip-off. 

Even real taxis, may try to pull a fast one...possibly starting the meter or not starting the meter.  Be cautious, and your radar should probably go off if the cabbie doesn't want to bring you to the door of your hotel, or flips the seat forward to cover the meter.  Watch out for funny business, and make sure they are official taxi's with a lit white sign on the top of the car.  

If you come to Rome, I hope these suggestions make it a bit easier for you to get into town and avoid getting into trouble along the way.  If you have any other ideas that might be helpful to travelers coming into Rome, feel free to leave your comments here.  

 Tomorrow we visit the Colosseum with a private guide! Stay tuned!



Rebecca Zdybel
Artist, Instructor, Art-Travel Instructor
Art Lessons in all media
Myrtle Beach, SC
rebecca@artmyrtlebeach.com

Spread Light, Share Love, DO Art!

Feel free to share any of this blog post on your own blog or website, but I ask that you you include:

Rebecca Zdybel is an artist and instructor in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Follow her and see her work at http://www.artmyrtlebeach.com/

"Like" my facebook page: Rebecca Zdybel- Artist
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Le Vieux Couvent- Frayssinet, France

Le Vieux Couvent- Where Artists Come to Play (and enjoy good food!)

Le Vieux Couvent welcomes all artists

Walk in the gates and expect to be transported... immediately you have a sense of walking into a "Secret Garden".  Every corner is seemingly composed as if to be painted or photographed.  Corinne Campbell and her partner Bill Boychuk, have transformed a compound of historic houses within the small French village of Frayssinet, and formed an artists' retreat.   

This lovely place was conceived as a destination for artists by the warm and welcoming hostess Corrinne. Her husband Bill, and their son also help to manage things. A small and friendly staff helps cook and clean.  

Le Vieux Couvent gardens

Check out a few of my photos from the grounds...Don't you see a potential painting in every one!

Le Vieux Couvent lilies

And have I mentioned the food??  With greens often picked fresh from the garden, Corinne has a mediterranean slant on her French cuisine.  Our breakfast was included each day, with lunch prepared for us most days.  

Prosciutto and Melon with Port wine reduction

The food at Le Vieux Couvent is beautiful and delicious

The bridge at Cahors
The staff even prepared a classic picnic with linens and wine for our market day.  Our picnic was on the shore of the river in Cahors.  Such fun! 

Enjoying a picnic on the riverbank after a morning at the market.

At 6PM we always enjoyed aperitifs to accompany our critique of paintings from the day.  Somehow we were always ready!

Joel arrives with our aperitifs as the bells in the church chime 6PM

Our celebration supper- isn't it beautiful?!

  

Lunch and dinners were always inclusive of local wines.  And I have to mention the French cheese course and dessert.  Yummmmm! 

The cheese course is a regular part of ending our meals...just before dessert!

We actually do more than just eat here too...The art studio is spacious and well lit for artists to set up and leave their materials at their work tables. The room is great for both daytime and nighttime painting (important for night-owls like me!) They also have portable chairs to take with you on location, as well as extra umbrellas and boards for use as supports.  There are lots of large tables, a heater and a sink in the studio.   It makes working in the studio very comfortable.  The extra supplies can lighten your packing requirements too.  

Located in the village of Frayssinet, Le Vieux Couvent is well located for day-trips to many beautiful and authentic French villages in their region of the Dordogne.  This time of year, the poppies are beginning to blossom, but we did not see fields full of them.  However, the iris and jacaranda trees are in their full glory.   Enjoy these photos and let me know if you are interested in joining me for a future trip to Le Vieux Couvent!  I can't wait to return...

These flowers are from "the neighbors garden" at Le Vieux Couvent.  If you're  lucky, your group will get an invitation to take a tour!

Let me hear from you! I read every comment and it means a lot to know you are out there reading.


Rebecca Zdybel
Artist, Instructor, Art-Travel Instructor
Art Lessons in all media
Myrtle Beach, SC
rebecca@artmyrtlebeach.com

Spread Light, Share Love, DO Art!

Feel free to share any of this blog post on your own blog or website, but I ask that you you include:

Rebecca Zdybel is an artist and instructor in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Follow her and see her work at http://www.artmyrtlebeach.com/

"Like" my facebook page: Rebecca Zdybel- Artist
Join me on Google+ Rebecca Zdybel Google+ Profile

Tuscany! Join me for an Artfully Tasteful Tour of Tuscany 9-27 to 10-4-14

Sign up for this exciting trip by following this link! (Numbers are limited so sign up early)
https://www.ilchiostro.com/index.php?action=workshop-details&item=257

Let's slow down and savor life the way they do in Tuscany...

Sometimes we need to distance ourselves from real life in order to gain perspective. After my fourth trip to this region, I have come to the realization that I love the Tuscan lifestyle!  I love focusing on the meal at the end of the day, with an appreciation of the fresh food and great wines that this region has to offer.  

I have a dream...

I am hosting a trip back to Tuscany combining all the things I love: Travel, Great Food, Cooking, Wine, Art, Teaching, Friends, Music…it's a dream fulfilled! 

Let's share the peace and tranquility created by the beautiful scenery.  

Let's share the experience of making art in beautiful settings. Personal and intimate connections occur with locations and people when you take the time to paint or sketch them while traveling.  

Let's learn more about how to cook "Tuscan style"...
and have a good time doing it!  

Then let's relax and enjoy delicious food and great wines! 
With home-prepared breakfasts, and dinners prepared by our excellent chef: 5 course gourmet meals and wine included in your price.  

In the process I hope we can cement new friendships and make some great memories.

Prerequisites if you would like to join us:

1. A positive attitude and a capacity for laughter
2. Willingness to dwell on beautiful things and/or indulge others as they dwell on them
   
3. A taste for farm-to-table organic foods and wines,  
   
4. Willingness to explore incredibly beautiful and wonderfully medievel Tuscan towns.  
   
5. Interest in learning about art, and/or making art through drawing, painting, photography, and/or writing.  
   
   If you aren't an artist, then you can either indulge us when we talk about these things or do your own thing...take a walk, swim in the olympic size pool, grab a nap, read a book, write your novel, make notes in your journal, or take advantage of #6...
6. Have an interest in Optional opportunities to cook with my favorite Tuscan chef, Andrea Anichini?  If you are part of this trip, then you can enjoy some cooking lessons..how fun will it be to learn a few of Andrea's Tuscan Tricks of the Trade?! And yes...he is just as  FUNNY AS CHARMING AS THIS PHOTO IMPLIES! (He is also a sommelier!)

   

   Our Chef -Andrea Anichini

7. Interest in Optional tours of local Tuscan wineries, viewing local art history sites and/or historical sites.  (These might be alternatives for artists and non-artists alike). 
   
   
   
   Act now and hold your spot on this great trip!  A deposit of $500 will hold your spot in this very LIMITED GROUP. This deposit may be made by following the link below.  I will cap the number to keep it manageable and friendly.  

In case you have health concerns, my husband Paul is a physician and is ready to lend medical assistance to our group members.  I always ask him to bring along antibiotics...just in case. 

The dates for this trip are set for Sept. 27-Oct. 4, 2014. I have developed an itinerary with Il Chiostro, who will be handling all the registration. The complete description of the tour is found on their website which you may review via this link.

https://www.ilchiostro.com/index.php?action=workshop-details&item=257

I’d love to hear from you and possibly have you join me for what is sure to be a memorable time in Tuscany Sept. 27-Oct. 4, 2014. If you'd care to come early and/or stay longer, feel free to use this trip as a jumping off point for further travels in Europe...

Comment here or contact me via email. Andiamo!  (let’s go!)

Bubble Boys- Castellina, Italy

San Fedele Awaits- Watercolor by Rebecca Zdybel

Rebecca Zdybel
Artist, Instructor, Art-Travel Instructor
Art Lessons in all media
Myrtle Beach, SC
rebecca@artmyrtlebeach.com

Spread Light, Share Love, DO Art!

Feel free to share this blog post on your own blog or website, but I ask that you you include:

Rebecca Zdybel is an artist and instructor in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Follow her and see her work at http://www.artmyrtlebeach.com/

"Like" my facebook page: Rebecca Zdybel- Artist
Join me on Google+ Rebecca Zdybel Google+ Profile

Michaelino sings at San Fedele Tuscany

This video was typical of our after dinner entertainment from our host and all around great guy, Michaelino.  Il Chiostro did a great job putting our art tour together!

If you're interested in taking a fabulous trip to Tuscany, contact me!  I am planning a get away Sept 27-Oct 4 2014.  We will be doing art, having lessons, cooking together and having instruction from a fabulous Tuscan chef, drinking local preservative free wines and eating authentic farm to table fare, while traveling the small quaint towns of historic and beautiful Tuscany!


Rebecca Zdybel
Artist, Instructor, Art-Travel Instructor
Art Lessons in all media
Myrtle Beach, SC
rebecca@artmyrtlebeach.com

Spread Light, Share Love, DO Art!

Feel free to share this blog post on your own blog or website, but I ask that you you include:

Rebecca Zdybel is an artist and instructor in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Follow her and see her work at http://www.artmyrtlebeach.com/