Virgin Holidays - USA Winter Breaks with Hilton Hotels

Virgin Holidays have announced a fine range of holidays across the USA in association with the Hilton family of hotels. These holidays represent superb value for money and offer a great choice.

Customers can book a cosmopolitan break in New York, and adventure across California or non-stop entertainment in Las Vegas - all based on a welcoming stay at a Hilton hotel.

Deals include the Waldorf Astoria in New York from £699 per person for 3 nights, room only; the Los Angeles Beverley Hilton from £739 for 5 nights, room only; or 5 nights at the Hilton Grand Vacations in Las Vegas, room only.

All deals include Virgin Atlantic flights, and these prices are for selected November and December departures.

More Virgin Holidays Offers

Hayes & Jarvis - Far East Programme Expansion

Featuring tailor-made, flexible programmes, worldwide tour operator Hayes and Jarvis is expanding in the Far East with a brochure which includes Vietnam and Cambodia for the first time in 3 years.

A Highlights of Vietnam tour covers Hanoi, the world heritage site of Halong Bay, Hoi Nan, Hue, My Son and Ho Chi Minh City. Prices start at £1,495 including flights.

The operator's Cambodia offering is a 3-day tour called the Angkor Circuit, which can be added as an extension to the Highlights of Vietnam itinerary, or can be used in any tailor-made trip to IndoChina.

In addition to these new tours, Hayes and Jarvis is also offering Japan for the first time, with a 7-day Treasures of Japan tour from £1,729 per person.

Also offered are the resorts of Phuket and Pattaya, as well as Bali.

The brochure is valid from now until January 2011.

More at: www.hayesandjarvis.co.uk

Visit www.asiatravel.org for more information on Far East Travel

Art Basics - How to Commission a Sculpture

By Carl L. Wright

A. Before Seeing the Sculptor:

• Find a primary location and one or two backup locations that need sculpture. One location might not be just right and it is good to have another location that would serve just as well.

• Take pictures of where the sculpture is to go: both the primary and backup locations. What is the sculpture to do?
1. Evoke an emotion, mood, or feeling?
2. Symbolize a significant moment for you?
3. Be in the same style as other sculptures that you have seen?

• Check several different sculptors websites or art galleries to see the kind of work they do.
1. After surveying several sculpture websites:
a. Make sure that the sculptor you choose has done several sculptures in the material that you are interested in - stone, welded steel, cast bronze, etc.
b. Regardless if you are interested in a sculpture based on a human or an abstract, make sure they have done more than one or two sculptures in a style that you like.
c. Pick out several sculptures off the sculptors' website that you are particularly drawn to so that you can have a visual way to communicate with the artist. Bring along copies of these sculptures, to the sculptor/client meeting - see below, so that you can point to the sculptures that particularly speaks to you.

• Based on the artist's price of other sculpture, determine the budget you want to spend on the sculpture.

B. Sculptor/Client Meeting

• Show sculptor pictures of possible locations for sculpture, discuss total budget, optimal delivery time for you, and show sculptor examples of sculpture or mention which of his pieces that appeals to you. This can be done in-person or by email.

C. After initial Sculptor/Client Meeting

• If required, Sculptor makes basic scale models and/or computer mockups of proposed sculpture(s) and estimates costs/charges and sends them to you.

D. Client Approval & Agreement

• After your approval, sculptor and client will sign an agreement stating goals, budget, payment schedule and delivery time.

• Sculptor receives deposit.

• If required by agreement and included in price, Sculptor makes a full-sized model in foam for placement at your location for approval.

E. After Contract Approval

• Order Stone and begin sculpture. Send periodic photos if necessary to show progress and keep client involved.

• Half-way preview (if appropriate/provided for in agreement)

• Completion

• Final Payment

• Delivery

This may sound a little involved but it is not truely that complex. In real life a lot of steps are combined and/or eliminated depending on the client/sculptor working relationship.

Carl Wright is a full time abstract stone sculptor who lives and works in the DC metropolitan area. He carves sculptures from table top size up to corporate lobby size. His work can be seen at: http://www.wsggallery.com He is represented by 4 galleries and also has in-stock sculpture as well as taking custom orders.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carl_L._Wright
http://EzineArticles.com/?Art-Basics---How-to-Commission-a-Sculpture&id=1914668

Stone Sculpture, Brighton by Guy Stevens

Somak Holidays - Weddings in Paradise e-Brochure

Somak Holidays has launched a new e-brochure dedicated exclusively to weddings in East Africa; Kenya Safari, Mombasa and Zanzibar.

In all, the e-brochure features 24 wedding venues including a traditional Masai village. A description of each venue is included, with details of location and facilities. Prices of standard wedding packages are clearly itemised with other packages and optional extras outlined if applicable. Legal requirements are also covered.

As an example, a standard wedding package at Hemingways in Watamu Bay, Mombasa costs £715 during 2010. It includes venue decorated with fresh flowers, toast with sparkling wine at ceremony, registrar's fees, licence and certificate, one-tier wedding cake, photographer and 24 prints, bridal bouquet and buttonhole of fresh roses, best man/witness (if required) and room upgrade after Dubai could prove a popular destination for family holidays this year following the launch of a 'kids go free' offer.

View/Download at: www.somak.com

Music Photography in London - Exhibition

A fine new exhibition opens at the Roundhouse in London on August 2nd. This is the PopView Lex van Rossen Award Exhibition 2009, featuring work by this year's winner of the coveted Lex van Rossen Award: young Belgian photographer Tom Verbruggen. The accolade, which was awarded earlier in the year at The Eurosonic/Noorderslag Festival in Groningen, recognised Verbruggen's talent for capturing impressive live silhouettes and atmospheric backstage portraits.

Amongst the highlights on display will be images taken by NME photographer Danny North, representing UK talent with his portfolio of shots on the road, at music festivals and in the studio. The work of other commended finalists include, the unobtrusive imagery of Belgian photographer Charlie de Keersmaecker; quirky journalistic shots taken by Dutch photographer Jordi Huisman and striking portraitures captured by Frenchman Julien Bourgeois. Also included are Finnish photographer Kalle Bjorklid's riveting images of audience interaction and Danish photographer, Patrick Ryming's documentation of the highs and lows of life on tour.

The European character of this award is underlined by the support of Rockarchive, the international collective for music photographers.

Port Eliot Festival

WIth the summer festival season now well under way, why not consider the amazing Port Eliot Festival in Cornwall?

Port Eliot Festival is this summer’s most original, inspirational and downright decadent garden party. It features a host of top authors, cabaret turns, comedians and more live music and DJs than ever before.

At Port Eliot you can also swim, moonwatch, enjoy tree walks and dance – in fact this year’s festival is shaping up to be the best yet, offering you an experience like no other.

With less than a month to go, yet more great additions to the Port Eliot line-up are still being announced - from a scorching Saturday night set by the full Magic Numbers band to actor Dominic West (aka Jimmy McNulty in The Wire) gracing Port Eliot's stages to bring a slice of Baltimore to the fabulous Cornwall litfest that is Port Eliot , St Germans.

Vist the Port Eliot website for this years best Cornwall Festival

Classic Collection - New Turkey programme

Classic Collection Holidays has introduced a brand new mini-brochure featuring hand-picked luxury hotels in Turkey.

The programme is based around six five-star hotels (two of which are all-inclusive) and two boutique-style properties in Bodrum, Marmaris, Icmeler, Fethiye, Gocek and Dalaman.

Holidays can be tailor-made to include flights from local airports in the UK with private transfers from either Dalaman or Bodrum airport to the hotel automatically included.

Seven night holidays start from £651 per person at the Acqua Hotel in Icmeler which is situated on a sandy beach in the secluded blue-flag Icmeler bay. All-inclusive prices start from £890 per person at the Hilton Dalaman Golf Resort & Spa, an ultra-modern beachside resort hotel enjoying splendid views and a fantastic array of facilities.

The sophisticated boutique Swissotel Marina & Spa Resort in Gocek is set amidst lush, tranquil gardens and boasts attentive service and luxuriously stylish guest rooms. Prices start from £841 per person for seven nights on a bed and breakfast basis. The contemporary, chic and secluded Club Resort Select Marmaris, 35 kilometres from Marmaris, enjoying spectacular bay views, huge free-form swimming-pool and numerous private beaches, offers full-board holidays from £919 per person.

All prices based on two people sharing and include return flights and private transfers.

Visit http://www.classic-collection.co.uk/ for more .