Venice, Italy

Venice is one of the few magical places on earth that lure me time and again without disappointment. It is a unique jewel that captures the heart and imagination of every visitor and never lets go. Bringing people to Venice for their first experience is a thrill for me. There is an audible gasp as…

Lake Garda, Italy

Malcesine is the small city at the top end of Lake Garda. It served as the perfect plein air studio for our watercolor sketching tour. We stayed at the Hotel Benacus, just a short, beautiful walk from town and sketched lakeside each day. The sunrises were mostly obscured by the tall mountains behind us, but…

The Daintree Rainforest

Up to the wet tropics in the northeast corner of Australia, we trekked into the Daintree Rainforest in search of exotic landscapes and creatures of imagination. This steamy place grows amazing plants and trees, some dating back to the age of dinosaurs. The Daintree is the oldest rainforest on planet earth. It is home to…

Tasmania!

Tasmania is a beautiful surprise for those who dare adventure to the southeast corner of Australia. Home to Platypus, Echidna, wallabies and the infamous Tasmanian Devil, this incredible place is a paradise for anyone seeking the extraordinary. Every corner I turned offered a new a spectacular view. We landed in Launceston, in the north central…

Tokyo Meandering

Walking the streets of Tokyo this past week has been a dream. It is much like New York City, but larger, cleaner and more crowded. The other differences are quite noticeable as well. Fashion seems to lean toward the bizarre “Lolita” trend for teenagers and twenty-somethings. I saw no homeless, no panhandlers, no rudeness or…

Bright Lights of Bangkok

Until this week we have avoided big cities on this adventure, but Bangkok beckoned, and our next flight departs from their big airport. I only scheduled four days here, which was not enough to really see much, but I did my best. Khaosan Road is the backpackers haven and location of the cheapest hotel rooms…

Up Close with Elephants

Elephants are awesome! I’ve always liked them from a distance, and had enough respect for their giant size to admire from afar. At over three tons, they can easily squash a human being, so you definitely want to stay on their good side! I have always wanted to get a closer look at one of…

Just Phuket

When Nantucket is under a bucket of snow, head to Phuket. (pronounced Poo-ket) The beach is sunny and hot in Thailand this time of year, and all has been beautifully rebuilt since the 2004 tsunami. We came over on the ferry from Phi Phi this afternoon. (pronounced Pee-pee). Both islands are fun, but Phi Phi…

Drawing in the Sand

It began simply as a thank-you note to good friends at sunset. I was going to email them a photo…(sorry Hallmark, it’s a different era). A very small girl from the Sea Gypsy fishing village watched me write in the sand with a stick, then came over to show me how it’s really done! She…

Artist friends

I met Ismail Kadir in China in 2008 during the International Watercolor Masters Invitational. He is the best watercolorist in Malaysia, that is… when he’s home. I’ve never seen him at home though. I’m in southern Thailand now, probably a four hour drive from Ismail’s studio, and somehow couldn’t coordinate my schedule to drop in…