Our last day in Northern Ireland started out at a magical place called The Dark Hedges. Out in the countryside of Country Antrim, this wonderful hidden gem of a place is an allée of 300 year old beech trees that originally led to a manor house, but now simply connects two small county roads. It […]
Category: Travel
Ireland 2011 – Chapter 1 – The Adventure Begins
Well, I’ve had a chance to catch my breath and begin to sort through all the photos I took during my trip to Ireland. If you’ve ever been there, I hope this photo tour will bring to mind good times and happy memories. If you’ve always dreamed of going, as I did for the past […]
A Wish Come True
I’ve dreamed about it for more than twenty years. I’ve hoped and longed for it, wished for it, and planned for it… and it’s finally happening! Tomorrow is the day I’m flying off to Ireland!! Ring of Kerry It seems like I’ve spent at least half of my life yearning to see those deep green […]
Sketches Along the Way
We made our annual trek to Oak Island, North Carolina, two weeks ago, and the day we drove down there just happened to be the date of the 32nd Worldwide Sketchcrawl. Artists from all over the globe were holding sketching marathons in their hometowns, getting together in groups to draw and paint their local scene. […]
Sketchbook Journeys – Colorado: Page 7
The final page of this vacation sketchbook is probably my favorite. It brings back memories of one perfect day filled with glorious scenery, sunshine, laughter, and fun. 9″ x 12″ I love, love, love this painting! The colors, the subject matter, the light and shadows. It says “Colorado” to me: aspen and pine trees, mountains, […]
Sketchbook Journeys – Colorado: Page 6
One of the highlights of our week in Colorado was the day we spent hiking at Mueller State Park. There were wildflowers everywhere! I sketched just a sampling of what we saw. 9″ x 12″ Even though there were 5 or 6 wildflower books at the house where we were staying, and I searched through […]
Sketchbook Journeys – Colorado: Page 5
This page features another sketch from our visit to Garden of the Gods, near Manitou Springs, Colorado. An afternoon thunderstorm had blown through, leaving a spectacular sunset in its wake. I captured it in my sketch, with the “Kissing Camels” rock formation in the foreground. A closer view of the sketch … One of my […]
Sketchbook Journeys – Colorado: Page 4
I really enjoyed painting this sketch of Garden of the Gods. It’s such a spectacular place, and no painting could ever do it justice, but this page reminds me of how I felt, being there in that awesome place. This page is a little different than the others. I didn’t use my ink pen for […]
Sketchbook Journeys – Colorado: Page 3
The farmer’s market in Woodland Park is fantastic! Held every Friday morning during the summer, there must have been over 50 vendors set up the day we were there, selling everything from silk skirts to tamales. (I bought a skirt and skipped the tamales.) Everyone was so friendly! It was one of the highlights of […]
Sketchbook Journeys – Colorado: Page 2
Woodland Park, where we stayed during our vacation, is a funky little town with some nice historical buildings on the main street. It’s up in the mountains west of Colorado Springs, and there are beautiful views in every direction. It was a good base camp from which to see the area. 9″ x 12″ I […]