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Art on the Go: Finding Cultural Sketching Experiences Right at Home
Sometimes you don’t have to hop on a plane and travel far to find a culturally rich location to sketch. It’s amazing what may be right near home. For instance, in the Bay Area where I live, within 30 minutes I can be in a Japanese Tea garden, one of the countries largest Chinatowns, and a thriving Pakistani community filled with restaurants and unique supermarkets. With two kids in school, my life doesn’t always offer the freedom to jet off on a whim, but I still crave sketching scenery of far off lands. Just doing a little research on the web has opened my eyes to many of these same experiences in my own backyard. For…
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Culture: Turkish Coffee in Istanbul
It’s no secret. I love coffee. It’s a daily ritual I can’t live without. At home, I tend to stick with my espresso in the morning and drip coffee in the afternoon, but while traveling, anything goes. I’ve enjoyed a steamy bowl of café au lait in Paris, and strong Italian pressed coffee in Venice. I’ve even tasted a good old fashioned percolated cup of Joe in a diner in Tennessee. So naturally, when we traveled to Istanbul, I was very excited to try my first Turkish coffee. Of course I knew the taste would be different (all use different types of coffee grounds) but I also found it interesting how different the tastes could be just based…
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On Location: Sketching at Filoli Country Estate
Filoli is a historic country estate open to the public in Woodside, California, about 25 miles south of San Francisco. Sitting on over 600 acres of pristine California land, in the heart of the Bay Area, it is a true treasure to visit. From the classic European style mansion (built in the early 1900’s and most notably known for the mansion of the 80’s television show Dynasty) to the acres of traditional gardens and grounds, it truly is a paradise setting. Filoli offers estate and garden tours, and also hosts many other exhibits and events including a quarterly Artist access day. Being so close to my home, it’s a wonderful way to get out…
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On Location: 9/11 Reflections
We all know where we were when the planes struck. Some of us were across the country, some across the world, and some right next door. We all know someone who was deeply affected- a loved one killed, a friend who died, a coworker who didn’t make it home, a friend who mourned a loss, a hero who helped saved lives. There will never be a September 11th that passes where we don’t take pause, take time to reflect. On a recent visit to New York City, I toured the 9/11 Memorial site. I was not quite sure what to expect. Could a memorial evoke the intense emotions and feelings…
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On Location: The Playful Personality of the Galápagos Sea Lion
A young pup scoots along the waters edge, chasing my daughter, son and 3 other kids down the beach. The children stop, turn, bend down and giggle with delight as their eyes meet the pups’. The pup nods his head slightly as if to tell the kids to keep playing. They dutifully reply by turning and running into the shallow water. The pup follows excitedly, ready for more fun. This scene played out in front of my eyes within 5 minutes of our first shore landing on San Cristobal island in the Galápagos. I had read about the fearlessness of the animals on this remote island chain some 1,000 miles…
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Type+Place: 35+ Fonts Inspired by Italy
As we wandered through the narrow streets of Venice, Italy, I couldn’t help but notice all the different store signs. Many of them had such quintessential Italian style with the use of typography. The stylized scripts, clean, modern fonts and even the traditional serif fonts all made me think of classic Italian graphic design. To celebrate the look, I decided to compile a list of fonts that celebrate Italian style. Below is a list of the fonts used in the image above. Note: These fonts may be free or may have a charge to download. Be sure to read the usage rights as well, they may vary per font. Mingo…
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Free Travel Inspiration Wallpaper: Everywhere is On My List
“I haven’t been Everywhere, but it’s on my list” – Susan Sontag This is the perfect quote for anyone like myself who suffers from a severe case of wanderlust! Who can create a bucket list, when really it’s every destination in the world. For those with a similar affliction, here’s the perfect travel inspiration to use as wallpaper for your desktop, ipad or iphone– follow the directions below to set the appropriate image below as your wallpaper on your device. It’s a big world out there, so let’s get exploring! Note: I took this photo of this airplane as it was soaring over the bright blue skies of Las Vegas,…
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On Location: 10 Tips for Visiting Death Valley, California
The dry, parched land stretches out before you for miles. The air burns your lungs as you take in a deep breath. There is no water in sight. This is Death Valley, California, a harsh landscape ready to be explored by only the most fearless traveler. Well, not really. Death Valley National Park gets almost 1 million visitors a year, so obviously, it’s not only for the adventure traveler. It can get mighty hot in the summer, though, with an average of 116°F in July. To make the most of your visit, here are 10 tips to enjoying this austere climate and experiencing the beauty Death Valley has to offer.…
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Culture: Churrasco in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
On our last night in Rio we went to one of Brazil’s famous churrasco restaurants for Brazilian BBQ. We came to the conclusion that this type of restaurant would be a vegetarian’s nightmare! We picked a lively spot on the Copacabana, recommended by our hotel. The bright place had a modern interior, filled with tile mirrors and long communal tables. Upbeat dance music played loudly in the background. The place was crowded and it was still early. The instance we sat down, the food started pouring out of the kitchen, plate after plate. First up was some light appetizers – hearts of palm, cheese, olives, bread, and tomatoes. Then came…
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Free Travel Inspiration Wallpaper: Live Each Day NYC
Everyone needs a little inspiration – inspiration to be bold, to travel, to explore, to live! This wonderful wall art graces the side of a building in Chelsea, New York City. It’s in a perfect spot to view from the popular High Line walk way. It’s bright, it’s bold, it’s colorful, and it definitely makes you inspired to live each day to the fullest. Follow the directions below and use this as your desktop or iPad wallpaper and be inspired to live each day like there’s no tomorrow! Free Travel Inspiration Wallpaper Desktop Wallpaper – Free Travel Inspiration: Live Each Day NYC – 1920×1200 iPad Wallpaper – Free Travel Inspiration:…
