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Culture: A World of Flavors – Moroccan Spice Mix
From the pungent odor of the leather tannery, to a serene mosque decorated with intricate tile work, wandering through the old medina in Fes was a feast for my senses. My trip to Morocco was a whirlwind, but I will never forget the experiences I had that day while exploring this historic area of the city. We dutifully visited a rug shop, and watched leather be dropped into antiquated vats of dye. I peaked into shops and was decorated with a gorgeous henna design on my hand. But like most experiences while traveling, it was the flavorful lunch that is etched so vividly in my mind. After we dined on an aromatic tajine, I…
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On Location: Road Trip – Cruising 395 and the Eastern Sierras
Want to explore a lunar landscape? Discover a Wild West ghost town? Dine at an authentic Basque restaurant? Roll the dice at a craps table and do this all within only a few hours drive? Head to the California/Nevada border, and hop on Interstate 395 for an unforgettable scenic road trip! Road Trip Highlights Reno/Sparks – Nicknamed the Biggest Little City in the World, Reno and the Sparks area has had it’s share of ups and downs with mining, gambling and Wild West history, but it looks as if the booming metropolitan is growing up. Surrounded by beautiful scenery, and less than an hour from major ski resorts and Lake Tahoe adventures, the Reno area has…
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Type + Place: A Free Font Inspired by the Amazon – Amazonía
I’m so glad hand lettering is in fashion these days! I am definitely smitten by the trend. So much so that, as part of my New Years resolution to create something every day, I’ve chosen to devote Wednesdays to typography. Today, as a fun exercise, I chose to make a font inspired by a location. Randomly, I pointed to a world map and landed on the Amazon in Brazil. Imagery of this wild and beautiful location flew through my head – from soaring trees and dense rain forests to tribal tattoos and exotic bird feathers. Using the app (on my iPad) called iFontMaker, I hand drew the upper case letters to this font below.…
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On Location: American Delicacies? Adventures at La Grande Épicerie de Paris
We were off to have a quintessential Parisian summer picnic at Jardin du Luxembourg. I had done my research and had a list of the best places to shop in the 6th arrondissement to find the perfect delicacies for our lunch. First up was Poilâne bakery. Being one of the oldest and most famous bakeries in Paris, it was worth getting lost down a few streets so we could stock up on some bread. Next stop was Le Bon Marché department store, which includes La Grande Épicerie de Paris on the bottom floor. I had read this was one of the best gourmet food markets in all of the city,…
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Culture: New Years Food Traditions from Around the World
New Year’s is a time of resolution and new energy. It’s a time when people from around the world sit down and list their hopes, aspirations and dreams for the upcoming year. To make these hopes come true, many cultures are quite superstitious and eat certain foods. There are foods to eat for good luck, and foods to eat for prosperity. There are foods to eat for progress and foods to eat for longevity. Whether or not you believe in these superstitions, the tradition of serving certain foods on New Year’s are quite ingrained for some. My mom has always been insistent that we eat black eyed peas on New Year’s Day. As a…
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Art on the Go: Art School Line Basics: Contour vs. Gestural vs. Implied
One of my goals this year is to kick off a new Art on the Go series called “Art School.” Although I attended art school many, many years ago, like any profession, it’s always great review to go back to the basics and brush up your skills. I hope in going through my journey I can also inspire you to pick up your pencil, pen, or brush and join in. There are so many wonderful things to draw either at home or on a trip, so time to get started! Today’s “Art School” lesson will be studying 3 basic types of line drawing; contour, gestural and implied. These lines are the basis…
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On Location: Portraits of Tucson, Arizona
With a population of over a half million people, there is definitely no shortage of portraits to be painted in Tucson, Arizona. Even with a burgeoning number of inhabitants, to a non-desert dweller, I was drawn (literally) to create portraits of the other population in Tucson, the cacti! The majestic saguaro cactus is hard to miss around town. Not only are they quite tall (some can grow to be over 70 feet tall), but they also could easily hold the title for most recognizable icon of the Wild West. Ironically they do not grow throughout the West, but Tucson is lucky to be one of the few regions it thrives. In fact, it is so prevalent in…
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On Location: Sketching a Serene Spot in the Middle of Bustling Tokyo
Going on an urban adventure at dawn was definitely something different for me and my family. After we observed sumo training at a local stable, we arrived early to our next stop, the Edo-Tokyo Museum in the Sumida district. Unfortunately, it had not yet opened for the day and we were stuck trying to decide how to cope with the unbearable humidity as we waited. We chose to walk around the block, and amazingly found a little slice of paradise in the middle of sweltering Tokyo, a serene Japanese garden. Our Japanese friend who was taking us around for the day mentioned this garden was privately owned, but free to the public to explore. We…
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Culture: Fresh Dungeness Crab in San Francisco
There are those who methodically create a stock pile and then there are those who dig and devour every morsel they find. There are leg men vs. body people, garlic butter dunkers vs. lemon mayonnaise dippers. Head to most restaurants during the Winter and early Spring months in San Francisco and you are sure to spot this motley group of people. Who are they? They are devoted dungeness crab eaters. Crab is not only a meal, but also a ritual for San Franciscans. Ask most seafood loving locals, and they will tell you a story or two of long nights with friends gathered around a table filled with cooked crab. A dungeness…
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Art on the Go: Sketching in a Cemetery and Creative Projects Beyond Halloween
The other weekend my daughter and I headed to Half Moon Bay for some sketching with my local en plein air art group. Although I live relatively close to this moody seaside town, I have never truly explored it to find out all the great sketching opportunities it provides. Our mission was to sketch around the downtown area. Some members of the group are local residents and they had a whole host of good locations to draw, one suggestion being a cemetery only 2 and 1/2 blocks from Main Street. Given it was October, and Halloween was approaching, I was sold! A cemetery sketch outing is a great way to celebrate the…
