30 Day Drawing Challenge Day 29- Draw Flowers

30 Day Drawing Challenge Day 29- Draw flowers

Elegant Writer and Watercolor 

Tombow 947 and Watercolor

Congratulations! Tomorrow you will be able to say you committed and completed 30 Days of Drawing!  I was discussing the joy and the zen of drawing yesterday.  I paint, and of course I love painting.  I also love to draw and sketch, and surprisingly I sketch for a little different reason.  When I draw, I am very present wherever I am.  I am seeing intently and noticing my surroundings.  When I paint, I tend to be transported and the process is more "otherworldly".  I'm not sure if anyone else can relate to that, but there it is. If you have thoughts on this I'd love you to comment and hear your opinions.

That's why I love to draw and paint on location.  Art journaling is incredibly fun and almost my preferred way to make art when I travel...it forges an incredible bond with wherever I am.  I hope you'll pardon me taking a moment to encourage you to join me for my EAT, PAINT, COOK Tour of Tuscany Oct. 3-10, 2015.  It is art travel at it's finest.  It's incredible...and I'm not just saying that!  Drawing, Painting, Eating chef prepared meals, seeing gorgeous Tuscan hill towns and vineyards, sampling local wines, cooking lessons, drivers to all our destinations, and music in the evenings...ahhh, I can't wait to get back there and would love to have you join me!  See the brochure on my home page in desktop view, or follow this link:  Eat Paint Cook Tour of Tuscany 10-3 to 10-10-2015

Misty Morning in Tuscany ©Rebecca Zdybel
The view from one of our little hill towns is panoramic
and lends itself to paintings like this little watercolor sketch.
Join me and I'll take you there and show you how...

During our 30 Day Challenge, you've processed a truckload of information, so I'm going to keep it simple today and let you get right to it.  Let's celebrate spring and the glorious beauty of flowers!  

Today's Drawing challenge: 

• Take some real flowers, or real artificial flowers and draw from life, OR find a photo reference and use that for your drawing.  You may use any materials you'd like
• When finished you can send me a photo!

Here are a few sketches from fellow artists and past days of the Challenge:

So much fun to see what you do with these challenges!

Special Notice: 
My website will be changing to become more mobile friendly and add some new features.  If you are a subscriber, you will need to update your subscription.  A new notification will soon arrive in your inbox and ask for you to confirm your subscription.  It will be from my website server.  Just click that confirmation and you will continue to receive updates to this blog directly to your email inbox.  There is a button on my home page that allows you to subscribe, but if you'd like to subscribe and have not been able to do so, please email me and I will send you that link.   My email address is rebecca@artmyrtlebeach.com.  I have lots of new ideas and lessons I plan to share over the next few months.  I also will be traveling extensively during September and October and will be blogging about my adventures and my art along the way.  If you subscribe today you'll be kept up to date and share the all the fun!  I hope you do... <3

Rebecca Zdybel

Artist, Instructor, Art-Travel Instructor

Art Lessons: Drawing, Watercolor, Acrylic, Collage, Mixed 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 give attribution and 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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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/

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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/

Art on the Fly- Thoughts on being an Art Adventurer

I'm off on another adventure!  Once again I'll be trying to make art on the road...or in this case, on the fly.  I've just arrived in Greece after an overnight flight.  I'm sitting in the cafe' enjoying a few minutes of free WiFi and a cappuccino.  I'm again reminded of how great a cup of cappuccino can taste!  Europeans have got the formula, or perhaps the right machines for great coffee.  I'm feeling pretty rested despite light sleep on the plane.

I had almost an entire day to kill prior to meeting my group in Athens at the Aegean Airlines counter.  I'm thinking I may use today as a time to do some drawing and perhaps just try to capture quick sketches here at the airport.  There are a lot of interesting faces here...

I've decided to not expect myself to create a lot of finished work while here.  I am going to try to capture moments through sketches and quick studies.  I hope loosening up will allow me to be more free and less inhibited.  That pressure to do "great things" can be stifling, and I had a bit of that feeling on my last trip.

Waiting to begin until you can do something great is a sure way to never get anywhere...

Those of us with perfectionist instincts can fall prey to that kind of trap if we're not careful.  When I first began doing art, I wouldn't start a painting until I knew where I was going to hang it!  How silly that seems now, but I'm sure someone out there can relate.  Thankfully, I've moved past that kind of mindset, but every once in a while I have to fight for the right to just jump in and do something simply for the fun of it.

We all have to begin somewhere...

Those of us who come to art later in life have to sometimes be willing to set aside the sense of competence and accomplishment we have achieved in other realms of our life.  There's almost a need to surrender our egos to the process of exploring something new and very challenging.  If we are going to learn new things as adults, we have to be willing to play around and perhaps fail occasionally.  Ironically, I've found that some of my best work has resulted from just giving myself permission to play around and have fun.  When I have joy in the process it tends to show up in the painting.  As a result, I'm all about encouraging my students to HAVE FUN and paint what interests them.  It's a formula that has worked for me, and I'd predict it would work for you too.


You may or may not know about my recent trip to Tuscany May 2013.  While there, I painted and drew my way around Tuscany and Cinque Terre with an art group led by my friend and mentor, Karlyn Holman.  I had lots of fun, sketching here and there, and painting when possible.  I loved what I did, but didn't have a lot of "finished" work upon coming home.  Prior to leaving on this trip, I did some work on a few of those sketches and had fun bringing a few of them across the finish line.

Here are a few of the watercolors and paintings which have resulted from my adventure in Tuscany.


In the painting I call “Bubble Boys”  I tried to capture a sense of light from the left and use it to shine a spotlight on the main characters of the drama I was trying to create.  The scene was a quiet corner in Castellina.  The young boy and the old man were in a separate location in the same town.  I had been charmed by their interaction and took some photos of them.   Later, I decided to merge them as characters into my scene after I’d drawn the location as I’d found it.  The scene was originally without people.  After assessing the drawing, it felt lifeless and so I placed the exchange between these two into the scene.  The result is this painting.  

Sketch done on location with figures inserted later

Bubble Boys
Watercolor and Ink on Paper
11X15

The villa pictured in this scene was very near San Fedele.  By pure chance, I ended up perched atop a ruin of a celtic altar in order to capture the scene.  The whole experience was magical...on a Tuscan hillside by myself and in the midst of all this greenery.  This painting begs the question:  when is the painting complete?  Sometimes the answer is, “when I’ve said all I have to say on the subject”.  I’m not sure if this one is complete...I still am tempted to inject an image of the fawn that visited me at the end of my time there, but for now, this painting is at least a remembrance of my magical moment at Villa Casa Nova.

Villa Casa Nova, Chianti

 The rooftops of Siena were not altogether evident in walking around town, but after photographing my way through the city I found that some cropping and zooming allowed me to focus in on some of the abstract patterns found above the rooflines.  There is a lot going on above the street level as you can see...wires, dishes, balconies, terraces, antennae, and more.  It was fun to treat them as patterns and make that the focus of this painting.

Rooftops of Siena

I was able to gain permission from the photographer to paint this aerial view of Porto Venere in Cinque Terre pictured below.  We met while on a ferry boat shuttling between the towns which form the Cinque Terre.  She and her book of photographs were lovely.  In painting it, I used a bit of collage to create a sense of the texture in the hills.  What I was really going after was the sense of the dramatic setting for the church at the entrance to the harbor and the steep incline on these precipitous cliffs.  I think the perspective of the composition helps get my point across.  It’s incredible that people have lived their lives for so many centuries perched on the sides of these cliffs. I’m hoping this piece conveys  some of my sense of wonder at the beauty and the ruggedness of the area.

Birds Eye View- Porto Venere, Cinque Terre

Our home base in Tuscany was the restored former monastery of San Fedele.  Such a romantic place!  That was the intention of this painting...to capture the romance of the location there.  I decided to give the wrought iron fence some prominence and push the lighting to create a sense of warmth.  I hope these paintings give you an idea of how wonderful it can be to augment your travels by capturing your memories through photography, drawing  and painting. That's why I'm on another art oriented trip...I can't get enough!

San Fedele, Chianti

As for Tuscany, I can’t wait to go back!  Showing San Fedele and the Chianti area to friends and students who may want to join me is next on my bucket list!  Let me know if you’d like to be part of our adventure in Sept 2014!!!  Cost is $2695 per person and includes art and cooking lessons, double occupancy room, two meals per day and all transportation from the airport and around the area to local sites I feel l will be conducive to painting, drawing, and photography.   

Please contact me if you're interested and I'll fill you in on all the fun details!  rebecca@artmyrtlebeach.com

My Greek Adventure will continue for the next couple of weeks.  

Our First Stop:  the Island of Lesbos!  I can't wait to learn more and paint my way around this ancient and beautiful country!  Here's a taste of one of my first Greek photos...lots more to come!  Stay tuned...

Molyvos: on the Island of Lesbos, Greece

Rebecca Zdybel

Artist/ Art Instructor

Myrtle Beach, SC

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