Italy

 Summer sure went by quickly this year!!  I am looking forward to seeing everyone next week.  While I am busy getting ready for all of your creativity...I thought I would share a few photo's from my trip to Italy. Yes, I went to Italy this summer.  What an inspirational place to spend the summer! I had so much fun taking in all of the great works of some of the most inspirational and innovative artists.  Below are some pictures from my trip.

This is the view I had as I emerged from the metro underground, the massiveness of the Milan Duomo took my breath away. 

 For a fee you can climb the tower to the top of the Milan Duomo and so this picture is from the top. 

Venice, what w beautiful city. 

Painting a mask in a Venice workshop

My finished mask.

 View of Tuscany from the top of the Gimingnano Tower.

 LOVED the unique beauty of the Siena Duomo 

Siena was such a nice place to relax. 

"Leaning" on the Leaning Tower o Pisa.  ;)

My favorite dome was in the Pantheon in Rome. That whole in the top is open to the sky. 

The Colosseum in Rome was amazing for so many reasons. I wasn't sure weather to smile for a photo in a place where so many people were slaughtered for sport. 

Mom and I in front of the Colosseum in Rome. It's had to believe that it was built in 70-80 a.d!

This is just one of the amazing ceilings in Vatican City.

One of the most beautiful and pristine floor mosaics. It's located in Vatican City.

Another amazing ceiling from Vatican City. 

Very old mosaic. My finger is there to show size. Below is detail so that you can see how small the individual tiles are. 

 Detail to show how tiny the tiles that comprised this mosaic were. My finger is there for scale. 

I saw magnificent works of art and amazing buildings that were built ages ago.  It made me realize just how much of  a baby my country is....we are so young compared to most of the world. I was unable to take photos of Da Vinci's "The Last Supper" or Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel due to regulations prohibiting the photographic  reproduction of those masterpieces, however I was able to enter the rooms where they they were both created in their respective cities of Milan and Rome. I was able to view "The Last Supper" from only feet away and I was able to spend a good deal of time in the Sistine Chapel looking at all of the fantastic fresco's. It was a fabulous trip! I learned so much about the history and culture of Italy as well as about the various artists and their work. If you have a chance to go, it is well worth the trip.