Anyone who travels to Italy invariably comes home telling tales of how wonderful the gelato is, and I’m no exception. It’s smooth, sweet, creamy, and intensely flavored, but lighter and not as rich as American ice cream. 10″ x 7″, ink & watercolor in Stillman & Birn Beta Series sketchbook My goal on this trip […]
Category: Sketching
Sketchbook Journeys – Italy: Day 5 (Villa Monteleone & San Giorgio)
We ventured farther afield on day five of our Italian adventure and headed west to explore the area around Verona and Lake Garda. We weren’t exactly sure where we were going and didn’t have a firm plan for what we wanted to see, but my friend Ann had suggested we visit a small winery, Villa […]
Sketchbook Journeys: Italy – Day 4 (Marostica & Poianella)
Coming from a relatively young country like the US, I was continually impressed with how old everything is in Italy. The historic buildings have a look and feel to them that only comes with the passage of time. 10″ x 7″, watercolor & ink (black Pigma Micron pen), Stillman & Birn Beta sketchbook Everywhere you […]
Sketchbook Journeys: Italy – Day 3 (Sandrigo)
The little town of Sandrigo was just a short drive from where we were staying in northern Italy, and it was filled with picturesque scenes just begging to be painted. 10″ x 7″, ink & watercolor, Stillman & Birn Beta series sketchbook I drew this adorable gourmet shop as I perched on my three-legged stool […]
Sketchbook Journeys: Italy – Days 2 & 3 (Mmm – Italian food!)
The food in Italy is AMAZING! (That’s the understatement of the year!) Everything is prepared with extra care and attention to detail. The ingredients are fresh, the flavors are incredible, and everything is beautifully arranged and served. 10″ x 7″, ink & watercolor, Stillman & Birn Beta series sketchbook Even though I have to follow […]
Sketchbook Journeys: Italy – Days 1 & 2 (The flight over + our canine companions)
A sketching trip to Italy – what a dream come true! I left Pittsburgh, PA, at 4:00 in the afternoon on April 2 and watched the sun rise the next morning over the Swiss Alps. I’d wished for this for years, and I almost had to pinch myself to believe I was actually on my […]
Sketchbook Journeys: Italy – Page 1 Travel Map
When I returned recently from a wonderful two-week vacation in Italy, I mentioned here that I had brought home a travel journal filled with lots of unfinished sketches from my trip. Well, I’m happy to say that, little by little, the drawings are being brought to life with watercolor. I’ve been managing to snatch a […]
Redbud Sketch
The two redbud trees on the south side of our house have been blooming for weeks, and they give my heart a little lift every time I glance out the window and see them. The colors change depending on what time of day it is, and I can never decide if I like the rich, […]
The Realities of a Sketching Vacation
Italy was wonderful, beautiful, art-filled, exciting, and endlessly interesting. There’s so much to tell, and it’s difficult to even know where to start. I’ll be posting lots of photos and notes about the trip over the coming weeks, but I’m guessing a lot of you are wondering if I actually did any sketching while I […]
New! Watercolor Prints
I am happy to announce the opening of a new online shop for my watercolors. Many of the sketches you see on this blog are now available online as fine art giclee prints (digital ink jet reproductions.) I’m partnering with Fine Art America, a print-on-demand service which offers an amazing array of possibilities for art […]
