Made it safely to Heathrow! More later! Kids are GREAT! ;)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Newark!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Express Rd,Newark,United States

The Adventure Begins!

Monday June 21st 2011

We are just about packed! Cameron is in the shower, I am finishing up throwing the small things in the bags. I'll be meeting everyone at RDU tomorrow at 12:30. We fly to Newark, then will wait for the Virgin Atlantic flight at 9:20pm. The weather here in NC is in the 90's, and feels like the 100's. The weather in Ireland right now is in the 60's! What a drastic change. I am very excited about driving the ring of Kerry again and being in Killarney. I always enjoy seeing the reactions of the people I travel with.

Tuesday June 22nd

We have arrived in Newark after an uneventful ride from Raleigh. It was a bit bumpy which Cameron loved! We were spread out all over the plane, but most were near someone or sitting by someone. We got to Newark and took the train to Terminal B, grabbed something to eat in the food court, and are now sitting at Gate 55 waiting for our Virgin flight, which departs at 9:20. The girls are all playing cards on the floor, it's great seeing them all get along! Sean is jamming to music....Jayne is journaling, and Tracy is relaxing. We are READY!!! After the week long tour of Ireland, Wales and England, Cameron and I will be heading to East Anglia to see my Mum and Dad.....woo-hoo!!

I'll post some pics from my phone and then I'll post from Heathrow when we've landed!

Sara


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Express Rd,Newark,United States

Painting Links

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/optg/hd_optg.htm 
Painting in Oil in the Low Countries and Its Spread to Southern Europe

Drawing and Painting Using a Grid

http://drawsketch.about.com/cs/mechanicalaids/a/grid_drawing.htm
Drawing Using a Grid

Why Portrait Drawing Using a Grid is the Best Practice?
http://photoportraitpainting.com/why-portrait-drawing-using-grid-lines-is-the-best-practice/

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/optg/hd_optg.htm
Painting in Oil in the Low Countries

NHS Art Video

I was searching for some photos a while ago and discovered that I had an odd collection of old photo's that hadn't been sorted.  Many I hadn't seen in a while, so I decided to throw them all together in a quick video.  I posted it on Facebook in my Art Edventures group.  Here are some of the comments from former students.....  hope you enjoy....  here's to the next ten years.  If I last that long.

*Alycia Kniskern It was so sweet and I teared up a tiny bit...I loved it
*Kyle Puff goodness a lot of that stuff seems so longggggg ago haha
*Brittany Fantau fantastic, beautiful, amazing.
:)
*Bethany Fulford Ahhhhh I'm gonna cryyyy! I want some of those pictures! haha  
*Sarah Bayless Aw this was really sweet! So many memorieeees! I can't believe that picture of me with the looooooong RED hair :D
*Justin Mitchell AWESOoOoME! Too many great memories lol. I'm glad I got to see even more great work from my peers and past and present students :]
Thanks Mrs Gant ♥
*Chanel Lee Man....I had tears!!! But I LOVED IT! 
*Chris Thomas The fine arts department at NHS is a grand tradition in the making; and I'm so proud to have played a part in it.    

Rick Steves Travel Philosophy

My thoughts, exactly.

www.ricksteves.com (Used with permission.)

Travel is freedom... one of the last great sources of legal adventure. Travel is intensified living, with maximum thrills per minute. It's recess, and we need it. Experiencing the real Europe requires catching it by surprise, going casual... Through the Back Door.

Affording travel is a matter of priorities. (Make do with the old sofa.) You can travel simply, safely, and comfortably anywhere in Europe for $100 a day plus transportation costs. In many ways, spending more money only builds a thicker wall between you and what you came to see. Europe is a cultural carnival, and time after time, you'll find that its best acts are free and the best seats are the cheap ones.

A tight budget forces you to travel close to the ground, meeting and communicating with the people. Never sacrifice sleep, nutrition, safety, or cleanliness in the name of budget. Simply enjoy the local-style alternatives to expensive hotels and restaurants.

Extroverts have more fun. If your trip is low on magic moments, kick yourself and make things happen. If you don't enjoy a place, maybe you don't know enough about it. Seek the truth. Recognize tourist traps. Give a culture the benefit of your open mind. See things as different but not better or worse. Any culture has much to share.

Of course, travel, like the world, is a series of hills and valleys. Be fanatically positive and militantly optimistic. If something's not to your liking, change your liking. Travel is addicting. It can make you a happier American, as well as a citizen of the world.

Our Earth is home to nearly 6 billion equally important people. It's humbling to travel and find that people don't envy Americans. Europeans like us, but with all due respect, they wouldn't trade passports.

Globetrotting destroys ethnocentricity. It helps you understand and appreciate different cultures. Travel changes people. It broadens perspectives and teaches new ways to measure quality of life. Many travelers toss aside their hometown blinders. Their prized souvenirs are the strands of different cultures they decide to knit into their own character. The world is a cultural yarn shop. Back Door Travelers are weaving the ultimate tapestry.

Join in!

–Rick Steves

Used with permission from Rick Steves, www.ricksteves.com