Burano and Murano- A Colorful Surprise

Yes, places like this really exist!  Visit beautiful Burano!

A Colorful Surprise- Murano and Burano

After wandering around Venice for a few days, we decided to take a day trip out to the adjacent islands of Murano and Burano. 

A canal in Murano

Murano is known for it’s glass manufacturing and famous for its craftsmanship.  It's everywhere on the island.  It was even embedded into the toilet seat at our restaurant- ;-)  

Murano glass vase

A few of the factory galleries and some of the hotels have an arrangement which allows you to get free transportation out to the island.  The deal includes free water-taxi ride and a short demonstration of some glass sculpting once you arrive.  The water taxi ride is nice and gives you cruising time in the smaller canals of Venice on the way out of the city. The only other way to see the smaller canals is to ride in a gondola. 

Murano has wide open canals which can help with photographs

The price you pay for the free ride is the supervised tour of their showroom.  It’s a little bit like the time-share luncheons in our area.  You put up with a bit of hard sell, for the perk of a free ride.  It’s kind of amusing really…they even corral you in the gallery with a velvet rope, so that you essentially have to ask to leave.  

If you’re interested in browsing the gallery, the free ride out is not such a bad deal.  The salesmen are very knowledgeable about the merchandise, but you can pretty much be assured that you will be paying top dollar if you decide to buy something. 

Murano 

Once you leave the glass showroom, wandering around Murano is actually easy and charming.  We had a very inexpensive luncheon at a sandwich shop and took photos.  The island is quaint.  The canals are wide and the buildings are not too tall, so that makes it easier to photograph.    

Don't you just love an old door? This beautifully decrepit door is in Murano.

Burano was the island we were really excited to see.  It was highly recommended by Lester Lefkowitz, another program leader with his own Il Chiostro program in Venice. He encouraged us not to miss the colors to be found on Burano. Getting there involved hopping on board another Vaporetto boat after our an initial stop in Murano.  

Burano is an explosion of technicolor!

Finding our way to the correct Vaporetto stop sounded easy.  It was not.  There are very few signs to follow on Murano (as usual), which probably helps the merchants on the island keep you there and spending money a bit longer.  Once you find the Vaporetto stop, the diagrams at the stations are not easy to read. Discerning which line to follow is also maddeningly difficult.  I was missing my GPS again, and found that almost every other tourist felt as confused as we did...even the ones using guide books.  We got used to simply asking the ticket officer at the Vaporetto station for directions.  They were the only ones who seemed to know where to go.  We also learned to double check with the boat hands as we got onboard any vessel (just to be sure we were going where we thought we were going). 

Despite our difficulties, we eventually boarded the correct boat for Burano (it leaves about every ½ hr. from Murano).  This little gem was definitely worth the effort!  We heard that going early in the day is best since there are fewer crowds. We didn't make it there early, and we did deal with lots of people.  However, late in the day we were blessed with better lighting and everything came across in technicolor!

Reflections of Burano, Italy

Love these complementary colors next to one another!

Wow!  It’s as if you hit the “Boost” button on your photo-editing program and turned the color up to full volume!  

surreal color is everywhere

These photos are edited, but the buildings are actually this bright.   After our day trip there, I would definitely recommend taking the time to go for your own visit…but unless you want to make a day of it, you may want to study the route first. 

Burano is full of colorful canals like this one

I can't wait to work some of these photos into paintings!  If you're interested in taking art classes with me and learning how to paint what you photograph, think about indulging yourself with art classes.  Watercolor, acrylic, sketching, or mixed media...any and all can be a fun way to record your life and your travels.  

Really?!  Did they just set this up for me?

Whether journaling or doing more serious paintings, the artwork you can create is personal and forever records your connection to places and moments in your life.  In future blogs I will share some of our more art related experiences on the trip. 

Breakfast on the Terrace overlooking the lily pond at San Fedele

If you're interested in traveling to some of these beautiful places in Italy, think about joining me next year for another Cooking and Art Tour of Tuscany.  Whether or not you're an artist, you can enjoy spending time in these visually exciting destinations.  If you're new and want to try painting with us, I'll make it easy for you. 

Just another beautiful morning at Borgo San Fedele...sigh

Whether or not you are a cook, you can enjoy eating and even observing what our personable chef has going on in his kitchen. There's always the option of taking a hike, reading a book, or getting a massage while others are doing the organized activities.  Space will be limited to keep the group friendly, so sign up early and bring your friends along!

San Gimignano- one of my favorite places to visit in 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!

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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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Awake and Dreaming and Writing Poetry

Have you ever daydreamed your way into a great idea?  Have you ever paused before waking in the morning and had creative revelations come your way as you laid there...somewhere between sleeping and waking...in that pleasant and relaxed realm?  

 "Beyond Imagining"-  Acrylic on Canvas      16X20     $350

If you have kids and jump out of bed at the last minute with a million things to do, you may not get too many of these moments (I sure didn't while I was raising my family).  These days, I've come to love the morning hours when I'm by myself and before the day begins.  I like to keep it quiet.  I like to let my mind wander.  Maybe it's meditation.  Sometimes it turns into a prayer, but often its just quiet.  

I have found these times to be especially subject to creative thoughts...ideas for new work, new classes, new themes.  So much so in fact, that I've taken to keeping a journal next to my bed.  As with dreams (or honestly, most things I want to remember), I've found that unless I write it down, I tend to forget it.  

I was so inspired by my new friends and their poetic creations during my trip to Greece.  Their words were truly beautiful.  I found their poems heartfelt and inspirational. I found myself reminiscing about how I used to write poems as a teenager.  Then I stopped.  I don't know why, but I can imagine that I just got worried about baring my soul too transparently.   I do love words and I do love writing, so I decided to pass the time on the way home from Greece, not only painting, but trying to describe my love of these morning reveries through poetry.  (It was a REALLY long journey home).


I didn't have a personification for inspiration, until I looked up the god of inspiration (it seemed appropriate, having just left Greece- home of both gods and poetry).  It was then that the idea of personifying inspiration came to me.  After that, it all fell into place.  What fun!  

Next on my "to-do List":
I want to let these words inspire a painting...

Victory Song
Giclee Prints available upon request in size of your choice on Canvas or paper. 

Here's my new poem below.  

The Muse  Rebecca Zdybel

In that space of quiet
Rest
Awake and dreaming free 
Abide a while 
Peacefully still 
And linger luxuriantly

Pause and watch the moments slip 
Sense of time now gone
Comes a flow 
of thoughts inspired                                           
Somehow new yet known

Taking shape
Familiar guest
The Muse she beckons me
Her veil aside
Her face revealed
Inspiration now I see

Beckoning 
The siren sings
"Come, linger by my shore..."
Songs of brush and pen and theme
 I hear her Whispering roar!


My heart caressed
In a breath dive deep 
No movement made
Its there...
A promise kept
Her generous heart 
Awaits, and its laid bare

Taking shape 
Thoughts---forward press 
Not urgent, yet a surprise 
My grateful spirit 
an open door for
For what the Muse inspires

Pearlsong revealed
I hear her tune,
The lyrics, every line
I float, I smile
Receive as gift
Her song for now its mine

Currents move
I journey on
Away from siren's shore 
What were those notes? 
They rang so clear 
As if I'd read before


I shift to stay
But force helps not 
So on and on I go,                   
a leaf afloat in currents unknown
I surrender to the flow

Again the notes her song become
Their waters quench my soul
I drink them in
Connection pure
Aware of my new goal

I wake inspired
Our tryst complete
Somehow its now so clear
I smile a lover's gratitude 
So glad I lingered here...

I can tell you that whether or not you relate to this poem, I had a fabulous time constructing it.  Finding just the right meter and just the right word or imagery, was similar to searching for just the right color or value in a painting.  I definitely felt myself shift into Right-Brain mode when trying to compose.  It was the same way I feel when I am painting or drawing.  Perhaps the Muse visited me.  


Let me know if you can relate to the sensation of inspiration coming to you as a gift, perhaps a heavenly one.  I'd love to hear from you...





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/

Out of My Mind Again! Art- My Favorite Drug of Choice

Have you ever had an out of body experience?  I just did.  I passed a very long 9 hour flight without the need to sleep despite getting up at 3 AM in Athens.  I'm a little fatigued, but during the flight I completed a few small watercolor sketches in my travel journal, and did some writing.  So fun! I was really "in the zone".  Either that, or once again,  I was out of my mind!

Athens

Octopus on the line...Scala Sykaminia

Remembering Manh Manh Restaurant in Athens...OHPAH!!

Note to self: sketching is probably best done on smooth paper...

this one done on rough paper is an illustration of why =)

Windmills of Chios- a must see!  You can eat dinner there as the sun sets...just lovely!

If you're as old as I am, you may remember that old Calgon Bath commercial.  The catch phrase was,  "Calgon, take me away....!" Good old Calgon Bath products never had that effect on me, though if I had enjoyed them this way, perhaps they might have!  

If you're old enough to remember that commercial, you may also remember the natural child-birth technique called Lamaze.  Breathing was at the heart of the Lamaze method and I relied on for all 4 of our children's births.  It really worked.  

That was the first time I remember being transported mentally in a remarkable way without chemical assistance.  I always thought of Lamaze as self-hypnosis, and a way of going "somewhere else" in your head while all hell was breaking loose with your body.  

That feeling is not just available through chemicals or hypnosis.  Music can also transport me.  Playing music can be a quick way to lose a few hours once I settle in and get engaged.  

Sports can also take me there.  Being an athlete all my life, I've had times when I've played "out of my mind".  My hand and eye were incredibly connected.  When this happened my entire being was on fire and I was doing things I could not believe possible.  Everything worked and was in sync. I was in the zone.  It was the best!  If you're an athlete, you may have also experienced something similar.  I don't think I'm that special...I just think it's part of the human experience.  

Those times are incredible, and sometimes I feel myself in that same kind of head space while "in the zone" doing art.  Every artist who has seriously spent time focused on their artwork has felt some version of this phenomena.  Time slips away, you're focused and ideas are flowing.  You see more and more clearly, perceive more and more discerningly.  Associations come, ideas flow, and you may even forget to eat, drink, or sleep.  Concentration is keen, and yet you are not on edge.  It's a calm and centered mental place to dwell.  In her book, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, Betty Edwards calls this mental state, Right-Brain Mode.

Having grown up in the generation before the "just say No" era, I confess to having personally had a motto of "just say Yes" to a whole lot of things that would prevent me from running for political office.  Having sampled a few wares of the legal and illegal sort,  I can report to those of you who may have made other choices, that nothing compares to the "high" I feel from art. ART is my new drug of choice.  


I have had conversations with a few of my friends who write as their means of expression.  They report a similar feeling when they are focused and feeling especially creative.  Betty Edwards encourages writers to do a sketch prior to writing as a means of focusing their creative centers and starting up that sense of flow.  The idea is, that once you begin the Right-Brain Mode, you can transition to writing and ride the wave of creativity a little more easily. 

Have any of you had this feeling?  I'd love to hear about your experiences..comment here if you would like to share.

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/