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Creative Wanderlust Prompt List: Suitcase
Pack your bags! This week we are going to creatively explore the word suitcase! A suitcase can mean so many things beyond just the obvious! Just watch a family’s dog when the suitcases come out of the closet and start to get packed! (The dogs in my life have all not enjoyed the site of suitcases! 😂) For me, a suitcase obviously means travel!! Whether an overnight or an international trip. Just think other things suitcases mean- what type of “suitcase” would one use for a trek in the Himalayas vs. a suitcase packed for a long weekend in NYC? And the other interesting thing- have you ever thought of…
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Travel Journal: Wandering through Le Marché aux Puces de Saint Ouen Paris, France
There is something so romantic about going to the flea market in Paris– oh the treasures you might find! Here is a travel story about visiting the famed markets in Paris, France.
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Digital Travel Journal: A Trip to the Coast
I feel so lucky to live so close to the coast yet don’t seem to get there nearly enough. In only 10 minutes, I can be on a rural road heading over the hills that separate the SF Bay Area with the Pacific Ocean. The 2 lane highway starts along serene Crystal Springs Reservoir, the water source for San Francisco and much of the Bay Area. It’s only a short way up the winding road through a magical cypress grove until you hit the summit at Skyline Boulevard. A large cemetery is at the top, where one can see heavenly views to the ocean on a clear day! Heading down…
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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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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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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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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…
