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Travel Journal: My Favorite Corner in New York City
New York City is like a second home to me. Although I only lived there a short time in my life, the experience was like no other. Here’s a travel journal of my favorite corner in New York City.
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Travel Journal: Wandering San Francisco’s Chinatown
Whether you are a tourist or a tried and true local, a day in San Francisco’s Chinatown is always an adventure. No matter how many times I’ve explored this neighborhood, I’m always surprised at how many more details I can see. We spent half a day wandering Chinatown, not nearly enough time but still was able to capture some classic scenes of the area. One might find themselves in Chinatown from any number of streets, but the grand entrance is on Grant Avenue at Bush. As soon as you pass the Dragon’s Gate, you see how different the neighborhood feels, from the ornate street lamps, to the festive red lanterns…
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Creative Inspiration from Sara Midda
I’ve been a huge fan of Sara Midda and her gorgeous art for many years. I first came across her work when my parents lived in St. Remy de Provence, France in the mid-90’s. Her book, South of France, A Sketchbook, is dreamy journal of her own experience of living a year in Provence. Her journal is filled with tiny thumbnail drawings of her moments. She has a spread of postage stamp sized loose watercolor paintings of mas’ (Provencal farm houses) and typical Provençal buildings in golden hues. She paints snapshots of everyday activities like an evening in the park playing pétanque. She discusses (and paints) the fruits and vegetables…
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Travel Journal: Meandering on Miyajima, Japan
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Travel Journal: An Afternoon in Woodside, CA
One afternoon I was in desperate need for an outing and headed to the quaint town of Woodside, CA. Just 10 minutes from my house, Woodside feels like a whole other place. Hilly, wooded and rural, yet minutes from Silicon Valley, it’s no wonder it’s a haven for high tech magnets. Yet, even with the mansions, there’s a down-home feel to the town. The windy roads are dotted with horse back riders, bikers and hikers enjoying their area. The first site that greets you as you drive into Woodside is the historic Pioneer Hotel (c. 1885), a classic saloon from the straight out of a Western movie. We headed to…
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The Benefits of Keeping a Travel Journal and Taking Your Art on the Go
I’ve been keeping a travel journal of some sort for as long as I can remember. Some of my journals are purely a diary, a written account of what I did on the trip. Some are filled with simple doodles and some are even conversations between the people I traveled with. But by far, my most favorite travel journals are the ones with art in them. It may be a tiny postage sized stamp drawing, or a watercolor that fills the entire spread. I’ve made some with colored pencil and others with only a black pen. There are even a few that are collaged with found ephemera. Regardless of how…
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Art on the Go: Art School – Line Weight
Experimenting with line weights in your sketching can open up a world of possibilities to your drawings. There’s something quite clean and straightforward about a line drawing that is created using one single line weight. It’s one of my favorite go-to styles when creating a travel sketch. But playing with different line weights can also allow for a whole host of effects (subtle or bold) to enhance that same sketch. So, how does one achieve a varied line weight in a drawing. Well, it’s quite simple. You can use varied weight pens, or a brush pen. Just as pencils have many different types of lead that vary in softness (that change…
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Art on the Go: Photo a Day Travel Journal Using Over App
On a recent trip to Lake Tahoe, I wanted to try a new travel journal technique. Writing a travel journal can sometimes be so time consuming. I love the look of text on top of a photograph, so I decided to use this approach for my trip journal. I chose one photo from the day, and put some short highlights of that day’s activities on it. I used an app (for iPhone and iPad) called Over. It has a simple to use interface, and within minutes I had created a great memory of the day. If you want to share your trip with family and friends, after you’ve created the…
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Art on the Go: Sketching en Plein Air in the Country, Sebastopol, California
I love it that my daughter loves art as much as I do! Ever since my kids were little, I’ve always tried to do some art project or another with them– making salt dough, collaging with paper scraps, painting on big paper. Whatever the outcome, they both have loved the experience. So, when I went on a weekend trip to the country with my daughter, we of course had to incorporate an art outing to our plan. We stayed at a lovely Bed and Breakfast in Sebastopol, a small artsy town in Sonoma County. The B&B was located 3 miles out of town, so we definitely got the country experience…
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Art on the Go: Free Printable Venice Journal and Sketch Page
Gondolas gracefully gliding up the canals, palaces glimmering in Italian splendor, a crowded St. Mark’s Square, a boutique mask shop… capture your memories of Venice with my latest free printable Venice journal page and Venice sketch page. Head to the Rialto bridge and make a quick sketch, or jot down a few notes about the delicious gelato you ate while people watching. Keeping a journal and making some sketches will make your trip to Venice one-of-a-kind. Free Printable City Pages: Venice Journal and Sketch Page Below are my Venice printable Journal and Sketch pages. To use, just select the link below the image and print out from your browser. Use…
