After seeing pictures of the Leaning Tower all my life and reading about it in guidebooks, I was expecting it to be nothing more than a gaudy tourist trap. Suzie and I felt obligated to see it. After all, we were in Pisa, and our hotel was only two blocks away from it. So in […]
Category: Travel
Sketchbook Journeys – Italy: Day 15 (From Cinque Terre to Pisa)
I squeezed in one last sketch of the harbor at Manarola on our last morning in Cinque Terre… 10″ x 7″, ink & watercolor in Stillman & Birn Beta series sketchbook I used the angled fence of the pedestrian walkway to create a unique lower border on the sketch, and extended the fishing boats out […]
Some Things I Learned…
I had saved a blank page in my travel journal to add another sketch of Cinque Terre after I returned home, but later changed my mind and decided to do a page about all the things I learned about Italy during my trip. I had read lots of guidebooks before the trip and watched videos […]
Sketchbook Journeys – Italy: Day 14 (Sunset in Cinque Terre)
Sunset in Cinque Terre…one of the most amazing scenes of the entire trip. 10″ x 7″ ink & watercolor in Stillman & Birn Beta series sketchbook. Sketched on location with Pigma Micron pen, black, and painted later at home. It seemed almost too beautiful and perfect to be real. The picture postcard village of Manarola […]
Sketchbook Journeys – Italy: Day 14 (Cinque Terre)
Our stay in Lucca was much too short. I’d love to go back there some day and have more time to explore the town. It’s always a challenge choosing where to go and what to see when vacation time is limited. I want to go everywhere and see everything! But you have to pick and […]
Sketchbook Journeys – Italy: Day 13 (Lovely Lucca)
The wide city walls surrounding the Tuscan city of Lucca date to Renaissance times and are one of best reasons to visit. They’re perfect for walking a dog, riding a bike, or strolling hand-in-hand. When Suzy and I arrived in Lucca, it was late afternoon, and as soon as we dropped our bags at our […]
Sketchbook Journeys – Italy: Day 13 (Tuscan Wildflowers)
Springtime in Tuscany…what could be prettier? 10″ x 7″, ink & watercolor in Stillman & Birn Beta series sketchbook As we drove through the countryside on our way from San Gimignano to Lucca, the scenes we passed were enough to keep a constant smile on my face. Olive groves, vineyards, villas, and bright green hillsides […]
Sketchbook Journeys – Italy: Day 13 (San Gimignano)
On Day 13, we said goodbye to Siena and headed north toward Lucca, meandering through the countryside on narrow, two-lane roads, enjoying a perfect spring day in Tuscany. 10″ x 7″, ink, watercolor pencil, and watercolor in Stillman & Birn Beta series sketchbook Our first stop was the medieval walled city of San Gimignano, famous […]
Sketchbook Journeys – Italy: Day 12 (Siena & Casale Virgili)
Casale Virgili was the perfect place to use as a home base to explore Tuscany. The B & B owner, Roberto, was a sweetheart. He spoke English, gave us great advice on restaurants and sites to see, and even fixed my hair dryer for me! The seventeenth-century farmhouse and outbuildings were beautifully maintained and made […]
Sketchbook Journeys – Italy: Day 11 (Yummy Tuscan Food)
Every time I paint a page that I really like, I get all excited and think, “Oooooh! This one is my favorite!” But then a few days later, I finish up another one that turns out better than I ever expected it to, and I think, “No, really, I think this one is my favorite!” […]
