Sketching the Nature of Umbria
I had an exceptional week teaching in the Italian countryside in Umbria with Winslow Art Center, and I couldn’t have asked for a more enthusiastic group of participants. There is a quote that I shared with them from Italian painter Cennino Cennini (c.1360 to 1427), “Now then, you of noble mind, who love this profession, come at once to art and accept these precepts: enthusiasm, reverence, obedience, and perseverance.” Obedience aside, it exemplified the way in which they approached the lessons and techniques I shared throughout the week. As you can see,… Read More
An Auspicious Beginning
I’m heading to the foothills of the Italy’s Apennine mountains this week to teach a watercolor workshop with Winslow Art Center. It’s a privilege and a pleasure to have this opportunity and I can’t wait to be back at Castello di Petroia. This authentic medieval fortress turned boutique hotel is perched on a hilltop between the towns of Perugia and Gubbio, with inspiring views of the surrounding landscape. The castle, birthplace of Federico da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino (b.1422), is surrounded by a 600-acre traditional Umbrian farm with beautiful olive groves, hiking and horse-riding… Read More
Vinalhaven Sketchbook 2025
Ah…the rocky coast of Maine…and the island of Vinalhaven, specifically! Visiting once a year for a week hardly feels like enough. But I’ll take it, and I’m happy to share some of the magic with you through my vacation sketches. Beloved by many, the Lane’s Island Preserve is simply one of the most beautiful places on the island. A large meadow and bayberry thickets ring a tidal cove and lead to an extensive rocky shoreline. With a bit of scrambling over granite boulders and rockweed, you can reach numerous tidepools, which I… Read More
Unexpected Detour
Well, I can now say with confidence, never again. Our planned 400-mile cycling tour (see previous post) was a combination of great cycling, good people, sleepless nights, extremely hot temperatures, and unexpected detours when my husband got sick. These pages aren’t beautiful, but they are an honest snapshot. I found it nearly impossible to record much along the way, but I thought I’d share this anyway to give you an idea of the trip and what a simple travel journal can look like. As always, thanks for following along!
Never again?
The first time I cycled 400 miles across New York along the Erie Canal, I swore I’d never do it again. Too hot, too long, too exhausting. It was 2010 and we brought our sons, then 13 and 15, on the highly organized and supported 8-day Cycle the Erie Canal tour. It seemed like a good idea when we signed up, but by the time we started, my older son was in the throes of being a miserable teenager and much of the ride was a slog. In 2012, I agreed to… Read More
Spark Your Creativity!
If you are an artist, or an aspiring one, you already know the value of practice—there’s no substitute for making marks on paper. But sometimes, you need more than that to jumpstart your creativity or to take your artwork to the next level. I’m excited to announce several new classes and workshops designed to offer techniques, ideas, support, and inspiration. I hope you’ll consider joining me! Fun Farmer’s Market: Creative Layouts & Lettering Online at Winslow Art CenterThursdays July 10, 24, August 7, August 21; 3:00-5:00 PM Pacific /6:00-8:00 PM EasternAdd some… Read More
It’s all about water
On our recent trip to California, we visited the Pacific coast near San Diego and the desert at Anza Borrego Desert State Park. In both places, adapting to life with and without water influences everything. On the coast, we explored tide pools, where twice a day species that live on the margin between ocean and land showcase a myriad ways of staying moist when the tide goes out. The area we explored is a designated marine reserve which helps protect the rocky and sandy intertidal areas these species rely on. In the… Read More
Vacation Sketching
I’m back from a week on the island of Vinalhaven, which lies 15 miles off the coast of Rockland, Maine. While I’m incredibly grateful for the time away, I’m also longing for more. My week was full of exploring tidal coves, hiking through moss carpeted spruce forests, swimming in the island’s former granite quarries, sinking into new books, and sketching. I could have easily kept going and, as the week wound down, I realized too late that I didn’t schedule quite enough time for painting. Alas, it’s all good. I’m happily thinking… Read More
What lies ahead
A map and a blank page—what better way to start a vacation? Tips and Techniques– Making a map often requires careful drawing, so you may find it helpful to do it in advance of your travels. You can add elements as you go right on the map or make sketches in the margins surrounding it. You can also decide how much of the place to include—you may want to zoom in on a particular area or tackle something larger. I’m thinking about including a series of maps for this trip but we’ll… Read More
King Tide
While visiting southern California last month we took time to explore the tide pools at Cabrillo National Monument. This is one of the best protected rocky intertidal areas in California and our timing was perfect. Sun, moon, and Earth aligned during our visit to create a King Tide, a twice-yearly occurrence in which the low tide is nearly two feet lower than normal. This exposes far more of the rocky shore and reveals a greater diversity of the fascinating creatures that live at the edge of the sea. Tips and Techniques– I… Read More
Drawn In 