Showing posts with label art teacher travels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art teacher travels. Show all posts

Sunday, July 2, 2017

Art Teacher Travels: Rome

If y'all follow me on Insta, then you know I recently returned from a 9 day adventure to Italy with my mama. Before leaving, I shared my Top Five Tips for the Traveling Art Teacher. And since I've been back, I posted my needle felted postcards inspired by my trip (more to come!). Now I thought I'd share my trip with y'all! 
While in Italy, mom and I hit Rome, Florence and Venice. Many folks have asked me how I went about planning such a trip: what online travel services we used, hotels we stayed in and city tours we took. I tell you, planning a trip like this can be super stressful and expensive. There were times I honestly wanted to throw in the towel. But once I found the online travel service that worked best for us, everything else fell into place. So I thought I'd not only share my adventures in these three amazing cities with you but also my recommendations. Please feel free to share yours as well, we can all learn about traveling to this beautiful country together!
After doing some serious online shopping for flights, hotels and more, I felt overwhelmed. It was then I started investigating online travel agencies. Having read the reviews of many (and calling them to make sure I could actually talk to a human...which didn't happen often), I settled on Costco Travel. YES, that Costco. You do have to become a member to book your trip. With Costco Travel, I booked our roundtrip tickets from Nashville, our hotels (there are a dozen to choose from depending on what is important to you: location, cost and/or fanciness. I always booked the ones with the best location), our train tickets from city to city and a car service to and from the airport. When I did the side-by-side financial comparison between what I could book versus Costco, it was no contest. Not to mention that Costco was continuously getting me the best rate. At one point, when they were able to get my train tickets cheaper, they refunded my credit card nearly $200. Needless to say, I was thrilled with this travel service and cannot recommend them enough.
Rome, Day 1: When we arrived in Rome, it was 8am. We did our very best to sleep on the plane so we could hit the ground running. It is super important to get yourself acclimated to the timezone you are in to avoid jet lag. Our driver was waiting for us at baggage claim and took us on a wild ride into the old city of Rome. Word to the wise: do NOT rent a car in Rome. Romans drive crazy! Our funny driver told us that stop signs and red lights are just a suggestion and pedestrians stand a very good chance of being run over by a car, motorcycle, Vespa or bike if they are not careful. An hour later, we were in the center of Rome at Hotel delle Nazioni which is just a half a block from Trevi Fountain and a short walk from the Spanish Steps. We couldn't have asked for a better location. 
Our room was not glamorous by any means but it was nice. I was impressed that we were allowed to check in right away. This gave us a hot minute to unload our stuff, glance at the map and take in our living quarters for the next three nights. We had comfy-ish beds, free breakfast and air conditioning...which came in super handy as the temps soared. We were surprised to find a bidet in every hotel (I just assumed that was a French thing). After freshening up, we were read to explore Rome!
It was so incredible to have Trevi Fountain just down the block from our hotel. What an incredible sight to see right away! I had previously been to Italy when I traveled abroad in college (I did my student teaching in Ireland and traveled a bit afterward) but I had never been in Rome. And my mom had never been out of the country! So you can imagine just how thrilled we were to be there. Doesn't the fountain look amazing? Here's what they don't show you on the postcards of Rome:
The herds of people! When mom and I arrived in mid-June, we were at the front end of tourist season. Apparently July and August are the real tourist times...so if you can go at a different time, not only will you be able to travel cheaper but you also won't have to deal with such crowds. 
Before leaving on our trip, I poured over my Rick Steves travel book. Laugh if you wanna but I have been a fan of Rick Steves for a long time. I remember watching his travels on PBS and being fascinated. From him, I learned that the best way to see the history of Rome is to learn from a local. There are a ton of tour groups and guides (almost all are Italian) to choose from. So, how did I pick? I hopped on over to TripAdvisor. I decided what I wanted to see with the time that I had and knew that a tour of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum were in order. Before booking, read the reviews! This will help you decide if a tour is the right one for you.
I booked a tour for mom and myself at 1:30pm. This gave us plenty of time to hop off the plane, get to our hotel, unload and walk our way down to the Colosseum. Another reason to love the location of our hotel: we were able to walk to everything! This also made for guilt-free gelato consumption...which we gobbled up daily. 
Mama soakin' up the sun and history of Rome. A benefit to booking a tour: you are able to get to jump the lines. We were able to scoot right into the Colosseum and learn all about the rich history during out hour and a half tour. Here's a one minute video I created of the Colosseum...
From that tour, we explored Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. I knew so little about this rich history...I was thrilled to learn about it from a local guide. 
Now at this point, the moms and I were getting mighty hot and starting to fade. One thing that really helped us was to stay hydrated. Rome made this easy for us: there are fountains and water spigots everywhere! The water is cold and delicious. What a gift. 
I have neck issues that only start to drive me bonkers when I carry a purse on my shoulder. Knowing that, I always carried a lightweight cross body purse. In that, I had my phone, our passports and my cash. I wore my camera around my neck in true tourist fashion. Thankfully, mom does not have these issues so she carried a bigger bag with our water bottles. 
We wrapped up our day with an amazing dinner and a million of our friends on the Spanish Steps. Speaking of dinner, let's talk food, shall we? You absolutely CAN go wrong with food in Italy, despite what everyone says. Some tips we learned from a local: don't eat at places that have photos of the food posted outside the restaurant as they are catering to tourists who are easily fooled; skip the joints that have menus out front in every language on the planet or ones that have a fast-talkin' dude standing outside. Don't let his cute looks, accent and slicked-back hair fool you, keep walking. Instead, get off the beaten path and hit up those quiet places. That is where the locals go...and the food will be amazing. 
Rome, Day 2: Before leaving the states, I found out about Kelly Medford's Sketching Rome. I was so excited about the idea to actually sit and draw (something I rarely do) in ROME of all places that I immediately signed up. You can follow Kelly and her tours here for more inspiration. I cannot even tell you how much fun it was to spend time with folks of all walks of artistic life and draw this beautiful city. 
I must admit: whenever I go to workshops, classes or professional development, I suffer from performance anxiety. I know I'm not alone in this. But I feel that one way to work through something like that is to keep on pushing yourself which is another reason I signed on for the class. 

With Kelly's guidance, we explored blind contour, contour, shading, crosshatching, watercolor and more...in just two hours. 
 Not only that, but she provided us with hand bound sketchbooks (that she created!) and all the supplies we would need. 
These are the sweet folks I got to sketch with. I was thrilled to then have the supplies to sketch for the rest of my trip!
My sketching class was in the Borghese Gardens. When it was over, mom and I grabbed some gelato and made our way to the Vatican for our tour of the Vatican Museums, St. Peter's and the Sistine Chapel. 
 Lemme just restate: booking a tour not only gives you inside info but also gets you to the front of the line. Folks in line were looking at a two hour wait in the hot Roman sun while we skipped right ahead. Our tour began with a walk through the Vatican Museums which is equal parts insanely crowded and beautiful. You aren't allowed to stop for more than a moment to grab a quick photo. You honestly feel like a herd of cattle moving in front of priceless masterpieces. 
 And it was in the Vatican Museums that we promptly lost my mom. She paused for just a moment too long to snap a photo while our group moved ahead...and she vanished. Of course, I had no cell service. Thankfully, a sweet Irish couple lent me their phone to text her. It wasn't until hours later, when our tour was near it's end, that a woman in our group spotted her in St. Peter's Square. 

But let me back track to the Sistine Chapel. There are no photos of that amazingness as you are not allowed to take any. The Chapel itself, despite it's soaring ceiling, is actually very small. It's strange to think that Michelangelo spent 9 years of his life in that chapel: 4 painting the ceiling and 5 painting the second coming on the wall. It is absolutely INCREDIBLE to stand in the Sistine Chapel. I cried. The history, the beauty, the skill of such an artist. Despite popular belief, Michelangelo did not lay down on his back to paint the ceiling, he stood on scaffolding with his neck bent backward. Can you imagine? He must has suffered so much pain throughout the course of his life from that experience. What an incredible gift that chapel is. 
And then there's St. Peter's Bascilica. There is absolutely nothing like it that I have ever seen. Compared to the Sistine Chapel, it is a mammoth. Mom and I toured the Bascilica twice. Little known fact: you can get into the Bascilica for free, just like all churches in Rome. Just approach the Vatican from St. Peter's Square and you are in. It's worth it just to see the Pieta. 
This has always been one of my favorite sculptures by Michelangelo. Sadly, it is incased behind a sheet of thick glass. Several years ago, a man claiming to be Jesus attacked the sculpture with a hammer and did some damage before being stopped by guards. Since then, the Pieta has been protected by glass. 
 I believe I took one million trillion photos of the Vatican Museum and St. Peter's Bascilica...I'll spare you all of those. Trust me when I tell you, it was a breathtaking sight. 
 Rome, Day 3: On our final day in Rome, I made a point not to have any tours planned. I wanted us to have time to go back and revisit any places we had seen and to explore those we'd missed. I also just wanted us to ditch the map and get lost. I will say, out of the three cities we visited, Rome was the easiest to navigate. The roads were (kinda) well marked and the map I purchased from a street vendor for a couple of euro did me alright. 
We are also two ladies who love to shop! So it was fun to pop in and out of any stores that caught our eye and not have to worry about keeping a schedule. The Pinocchio store was my absolute fave. 
 In addition to my lightweight purse and camera as must-haves when traveling, I also packed one pair of sandals (Chacos were my shoes of choice ) and sneakers for our bike adventure (more to come about that!). I only took 5 dresses on my trip, a hat and a pair of sunglasses. I packed surprisingly light...knowing that I might have to fit a Pinocchio in my suitcase!
We also took in the Pantheon (one of the oldest pieces of architecture from ancient times), the Fonte Acqua Paola as well as the fun surrounding area of Trastevere. 
 And, of course, gelato. Had to squeeze in that daily gelato. 
 One important thing we had to figure out everyday while in Italy: where are we going to see the sunset? The sun sets around 9pm. On our final day in Rome, we decided to see it from the top of the Altar of the Fatherland. For a handful of euro, you can go to the top and catch this view of the city:
Another thing we always did was make sure we caught a view of the cities from above. It really put Rome in perspective. 
Mom absolutely loved Rome. I think it would have been her favorite city if Venice hadn't won her over by being on the water. Me, I liked Rome a lot...but it was not my favorite spot out of the three we visited. It had just a little too much of a big city vibe for me. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED Rome...but Florence and Venice truly have my heart. You'll have to tell me what you think. I'll be sharing them in up coming blog posts, so stay tuned. 
Until then, I'll leave you with our final view of Trevi Fountain on our last night's stay. This time, I'll leave out the crowd of tourists! 
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Thursday, June 29, 2017

DIY: Needle Felted Postcards

Ciao! Last Thursday, my mama and I returned from a whirlwind trip to Italy...photo and video heavy blog post to come. Over the past weekend, as I was scrolling through my endless photos of Rome, Florence and Venice, I decided to recreate some of my favorite memories in the form of postcard-sized needle felt. It was super simple to do...although, like all needle felting projects, it is time consuming. However, I love to sit, relax, watch something that doesn't require too much focus (anyone else watching Glow right now and having 80's flashbacks?!) and create. So needle felted postcards it is! 
After sharing these on my IG, I got handful of questions about how these were made. So I filmed the process and slapped it together in this video. I hope it answers your questions...but if not, feel free to drop me a line in the comments!
The hardest part about creating these postcards...was not having a drawing of the image created beforehand. I didn't draw on the felt or work from a sketch, I just went for it. Sometimes this was frustrating as I had to (gently) tear out what I didn't like. For the most part, working without a script, so to speak, was pretty dang freeing. It felt like painting. I think that's why I enjoy felting so much. It takes me back to my painting days...but it is a medium that I find much easier to work with than watercolor or oil paint. 
I asked mom many times what her favorite part of our trip was. We both have had a hard time answering that question! For me, one of my fave days was our bike ride thru Tuscany to visit a couple of vineyards and stop for a traditional Tuscan lunch. It was magical and a day I definitely wanted to capture on a needle felted postcard.
To give the sunflowers a more 3-dimensional look, I didn't needle felt them entirely so they were raised up a pinch. 
One daily question while in Italy was, "Where should we watch the sunset tonight?" The sunset it late, close to 9pm so we usually tried to be somewhere magical every evening to catch a breathtaking view. On our last night in Rome, that meant the top of the Alter of the Fatherland. I loved the silhouette of the statues even more than the view!
For a couple of Euro, we took a glass elevator that was packed with tired tourists toting bottles of wine and cameras. 
With paint, colors tend to mix...with roving, you can layer many colors and it takes on an atmospheric look that I love. 
I have never worked this small with needle felting before...it can be tedious. I have a tendency to over work images (which is what I think I was doing with the image of Venice below) so I always have to take a break, step back and look at what I'm creating from a distance. Anyone else like this?
Gondola man just about did me in. At first I was hesitant to put a gondola in the image as it seemed rather cliche...but there are literally gondolas EVERYWHERE in Venice, it's no exaggeration. And the light between the buildings really is that beautiful. 
Venice has this magical ability to be "postcard ready" everywhere you look. One person I met referred to it as being like Disney. She's right. Except Disney would charge you a small fortune to get on the island and require you to have a magical tracking band to get to the front of the line at St. Mark's Basilica...which is actually a really great idea. But I digress. 
 I've already started on a fourth postcard...I just can't stop. I'll be certain to share those with you when they are complete. 
 Until then, I need to figure out how to display these bad boys. Small frames? Large frame/large mat? A frame that can hold multiple images? 
Until I get that figured out, y'all have a wonderful day and we'll chat real soon!

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Saturday, March 5, 2016

Top Ten Things You Need to Survive NAEA 2016

Howdy, friends! Who's ready for the NAEA Art Teacherin' Convention in the Windy City?
Y'all. I'm stoked. I've been preparing, packing and gettin' all kinds of ramped up for weeks. This will be something like my fifth convention and I've learned a coupla things along the way. I thought I'd share them with you in this here Top Ten Things You Need to Survive NAEA 2016!
 So let's hit it!
1. Comfortable Kicks, y'all

Lookie here, kids. I'm a girl who loves her shoes. And I can usually spend a good 8 hours in a pair of heels. However, I learned real fast when making the two block hike from my hotel to the convention center in NOLA last year, that such shoes weren't made for walkin'. Thankfully the convention center was next to a mall that provided me with the most fashion-less and flattest of flats known to man. My feets were happy. My sense of fashion cried itself to sleep at night. C'est la vie, baby.

This year, I'm all sorts of prepared. Chicago in March is a total crap shoot when it comes to weather. One thing is for certain: I'll be walking a lot and my feet will prolly be a lovely cocktail of cold, wet and/or tired. For that reason, I decided to invest in a comfy lil lace up boot and a flat stacked-heel golden sneaker (yes, this qualifies as legit comfy shoes in my book). I've spent the last week or so breaking in these bad boys and I do believe they are NAEA ready. 

Trust me on this folks: Get you some comfy footwear (more on the pencil shoes here).


2. Ditch the Shoulder Bag, Use a Pull-Behind

You guyzz. Last year I scooped up the cutest pencil-shaving themed bag from ebay-ville and thought it'd be the perfect thing to schlep around all my stuff. What I didn't realize was just HOW much stuff I'd have to schlep: snacks, water, laptop, wallet, vendors freebies, you get the idea. Throw in that 20 lbs. NAEA catalog and I thought I was gonna need a shoulder replacement by the end of the first day! (Love this Britto-inspired one!)
I noticed that several NAEA veterans were using a wide variety of pull-behind wheelie bag things. From those plastic fold-out carts to the backpack on wheels, these peeps were zipping around the convention without a shoulder/neck/back pain on their minds. Take it from me: get you some wheels. If you love this one, check it here
3. A Coffee Mug/Water Bottle/Flask 

When I don't drink enough water, I get a headache. When I don't drink enough coffee, I get a headache. When I have a flask, all is right with the world.

I've found that for some wild and wacky reason, getting hydrated at conferences isn't always the easiest of tasks. For that reason, might I recommend BYODD (Bring Your Own Drankie-Drink). It don't matter what it is, you know we art teacher's aren't here to judge. Just make sure you are armed with your go-juice of choice. My fave travel mug is this one by former art teacher turned full time artist My Friend Court!
4. A Miniature Drugstore 

I'm married to a boy scout. Which means I'm married to a man that is ALWAYS prepared. I can't find my a## with both hands but that man can tell me exactly where he keeps his altoids, Advil and Aveeno. Sadly, he won't be coming with me to the convention which means I need to (wo)man-up and create my own pocket-sized drugstore. Might I recommend y'all do the same. 

Here's a short list: 
* gum or breath mints (enough to share, it's nice to make friends)
* headache meds (for when the coffee fades)
* hand sanitizer (like, ew. What did I just touch?)
* hand lotion (like, ew. Why are my hands so scratchy?)
* tissue (for that tear-jerker session!)
* dental floss (cuz you got some spinach riiiiiiiight there)
* GLITTER PILLZ (get you some here)
5. Cash, not Credit

If you're like me, you're all about the plastic. However, being in a big city like Chicago, plastic isn't always your friend. Cash is fast, everyone takes it and there's not a chance that someone is gonna swipe your identity. Loading up on singles is always a good idea so that you can tip (or tuck a buck, I'm not one to judge) easily. 
6. Layers

I'm, like, always cold. Except for when I'm hot. And then I'm REALLY hot. Between the Windy City weather and nervous sweats from presenting, my internal thermamertor is completely whack-a-do. Which is why you'll usually find me swaddled in layers. From a sweater to a scarf to jacket layered by another jacket, I almost always look like a colorful art teacherin' onion. And, if you've got that handy dandy pull-behind on hand, you can just keep your rolling closet with you! You can see more of my splatter paint coat here
7. Un-Business Cards

Business cards are a necessity but they're also a dime a dozen. Because you'll be running from one session, museum, dive bar and tourist trap to another, you'll need a quick and easy way to exchange info with new found art teacherin' friends. But let's be honest: unless that buznatch card is something out of the ordinary, it's gonna hit the bottom of your handbag and more than likely be forgotten. So that doesn't happen to you, might I suggest create a lil un-business card?

Instead of the normal sized shape and size of a card, why not go bigger? This will allow you to showcase more images of whatever it is that makes you unique: your blog, your students work, your art. A nice photo of yourself is also a good addition. I'm terrible with names but I don't usually forget a face. I think most folks are the same.

If you are in a pinch, why not create your own card? Use a die cut machine, stamps, collage, ribbon to create a mini-masterpiece. If you someone something you've made, they are likely to save, cherish and remember who it came from. So clear that dining room table, set up an assembly line and get to un-business card making!
8. Cheapo Camera and Sketchbook

Leave that big and expensive camera at home! It will just cause you neck/shoulder pain and stress (cuz if you're anything like me, you'll be uttering the words "where did I put me camera?!" all too often). I always carry my lightweight and dinged up cheapo point and shoot. I wear the lil strap like a bracelet around my wrist and use it like a mad woman. I prefer it over my phone because it doesn't wear the battery down. (Camera fabric found here!)

A pocket sized sketchbook is also a must. I get a new and shiny one for NAEA every year. I've got a lil collection of NAEA sketchbooks with business cards, notes, thoughts and drawings. I have the habit of uploading photos and forgetting about them...but I always go back and flip through my sketchbooks. 
9. Snackage

When I get hungry, things can go downhill real fast if I don't refuel. Finding fast, healthy and inexpensive snackage at the convention is a near impossibility. That's why I always have on me Lara bars (a healthy alternative to PowerBars), nuts, dried fruit and chocolate. Lots of chocolate. Trust me, nothing is worse than a growling belly in the middle of a session. I speak from experience. 


 10. Patience and Positivity
Okay, here's the truth: you might not make it to that session you had your heart set on because of people traffic, shuttle lines, accidental detours (searching for a restroom without a mile long line will take longer than you'd ever imagine) and conversations with long lost/new found friends. Just breathe, y'all. Enjoy the moment. Slap a smile on your face and know that you are with your people. Those that do what you do everyday: have fun teaching and creating with young artists. Be in the moment with these peeps as the convention will go by in a blink! (and if you missed the emoji dress, it's here). 

See y'all real soon!

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