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  • Home
  • Art Classes
    • Online Courses & Classes
    • Printable Lessons
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  • Books
    • Book – Illustration on the Go
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        • Textures
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  • Travel Journal: A Day at Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia

    I’ll never forget our perfect day hanging out on famed Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. It was winter time, yet the sunny, mid-seventy degree (fahrenheit) weather would suggest otherwise. We took a metro train from the Circular Quay to a bus and wandered our way to the beach through various neighborhoods and suburbs.* When we arrived I felt like we had been transported far from the CBD, and had landed in beach heaven! It was hard to believe that Sydney’s relaxed, laid back vibe could get any cooler, but in Bondi, it definitely did! After grabbing a bite to eat, we hung out on the beach and dipped our legs…

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    Mexican Floral Surface Design and Illustration Collection by Betsy Beier, Wanderlust Designer

    Wanderlust Patterns: Mexican Florals

    May 17, 2017
    Where in the World No.4 by Wanderlust Designer

    Where in the World: No.4

    April 5, 2013
    Machu Picchu by Wanderlust Designer

    On Location: Machu Picchu After the Tourists Have Gone

    January 7, 2014
  • Inspired by the Cotswolds, England

    I still remember visiting the Cotswolds, England like it was yesterday. We stayed in the most charming hotel in Lower Slaughter, called The Slaughters Country Inn (formerly Washbourne Court Hotel after the family who owned it in 1470.) We stayed in a two story, two bedroom part of the manor that couldn’t have been more delightful with a small living room, dormer windows and plush beds. The first day, we stayed in the small town and wandered through the meadows, the churchyard, and along the streams, soaking in the scene. The low stone fences, the picturesque window boxes and gardens, the sheep grazing in the pastures, it couldn’t have been…

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    County Fair Typography by Wanderlust Designer

    Type+Place: County Fair Rides

    March 1, 2013
    Van Gogh's Provence - Sunflowers by Wanderlust Designer

    Time+Place: Van Gogh’s Provence

    March 19, 2013
    Art on the Go: Create Scribble Sketches to Capture Your Trip

    Art on the Go: Scribble Sketches Capture Your Trip

    April 15, 2013
  • My Favorite Art Supplies

    Often I’m asked what art supplies I use when I illustrate. I won’t lie, I do have quite an arsenal of supplies, as I love to try new products and learn new mediums, but inherently I do fall back on certain brands and tools. Below is a list of some of my favorite, tried and true art supplies. Water Color Sets I love Sakura’s Koi Water Color sets. I love it so much I own several of them! I own the 12 color set, the 24 color set and the 72 color set! The 24 color set is really my go-to kit. It has a wide range of colors that…

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    Chowda-- Best New England Soup

    Culture: Chowda – The Best Soup in New England

    March 8, 2013

    Art School: How to Draw a Mask

    March 5, 2019
    Wanderlust Bookclub: The Year of Living Danishly (illustration by Wanderlust Designer)

    Wanderlust Bookclub: The Secret to Happiness in the Year of Living Danishly

    September 6, 2016
  • Wanderlust Patterns: Exotic India Collection

    I dream of traveling to India one day to soak up the colors, landmarks, symbols, and motifs of this culturally rich and diverse country. From the Pink City of Jaipur to the Taj Mahal in Agra, the visual feast of patterns is incredible. Inspired by stories I’ve heard, I created this Exotic India collection to celebrate this beautiful place in the world. If you are interested in licensing my illustrations or patterns in this collection, please contact me for details. For more licensing information, feel free to browse my portfolio.

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    Art on the Go: Map Sketch of My Visit to Paris by Wanderlust Designer

    Art on the Go: Make a Map of Your Stay

    February 15, 2014
    Brazilian Churrasco in Rio de Janeiro by Wanderlust Designer

    Culture: Churrasco in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    March 13, 2014
    Vintage Neon Signs at the Neon Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada (photo credit: The Neon Museum)

    On Location: Neon Heaven at the Neon Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada

    February 4, 2014
  • Creative Travel: Capturing the Look of a Neighborhood – A Walk Down Grand Ave, South San Francisco (incl Free Printable Coloring Page)

    Trying to capture a neighborhood or location with a few simple drawings can sometimes feel like a daunting task! Take any given neighborhood, from residential to downtown and it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the many things to see; different building styles, different colors, different types of nature, etc. In a recent online class I hosted with South San Francisco Library, I boiled down this problem and created a simple recipe to help you capture your own neighborhood! Recipe to Capture a Neighborhood = Common Elements + Nature + Unique Elements + Oddities Using this recipe, I headed to downtown South San Francisco’s Grand Avenue to see what I could…

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    Gas Works Park, Seattle, Washington by Wanderlust Designer

    On Location: Gas Works Park, Seattle, Washington

    October 16, 2013
    Colorful Havana Cuba (Drawings and Story by Wanderlust Designer)

    On Location: The Dilapidated Grandeur of Old Havana

    June 8, 2016
    Illustrated Travel Bucket List volume 2 by Wanderlust Designer

    On Location: Dream Trips – Illustrated Travel Bucket List vol. 2

    October 21, 2016
  • Travel Story – Cabins of Lake Tahoe

    One of my favorite things to do when I’m in Tahoe is to take long walks. Walks along the lakeside are amazing, but I also love to wander in and out of the neighborhoods on the North Shore and up into the mountains. My favorite part of wandering in the neighborhoods is playing the childhood game of “I Spy” and finding the sweet old cabins that once filled these neighborhoods. Many of them were built as summer cabins, with very little in the way of insulation (fine for summer in Tahoe), yet completely ill equipped for living in during the snowy winters. Trust me, I lived in one through two…

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    Sands of Hawaii: Textures by Wanderlust Designer

    Textures+Place: The Sands of Hawaii and a Free Download

    March 1, 2013
    Vintage Neon Signs at the Neon Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada (photo credit: The Neon Museum)

    On Location: Neon Heaven at the Neon Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada

    February 4, 2014
    Delicious Delis Across the United States (story and illustration by Wanderlust Designer)

    Culture: Food – Delicious Delis Across the United States

    July 15, 2016
  • At Home Creative Adventures: Be a Naturalist for a Day (plus Free Printable Journal)

    Nature is all around us, whether it is in your backyard, in a park, in the country, or even on your balcony in the city! Be a naturalist for a day and head outside to observe the world around you. Draw sketches and color them in if you’d like. Make sure to jot notes down as you go along and record your findings. Below is the free printable journal. Click the image and print it out. Fold it into a journal and head out the door! Here is a process video of my morning being a naturalist in my garden. As always, I’d love to see what you create! Feel…

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    Discovering the Traditions at the Shrines of Japan by Wanderlust Designer

    Culture: Spiritual – Discovering Traditions at a Shinto Shrine in Japan

    July 9, 2015
    Summer Creative Adventure No. 1 - Picnic Time

    Summer Creative Adventure No.1 – It’s Picnic Time

    June 3, 2019
    Sites and Signs of Redwood City, California

    On Location: Redwood City, California

    February 14, 2013
  • At Home Creative Adventures: Create a Landscape Painting Inspired by Van Gogh

    Needing some culture or creative inspiration, but not wanting to leave the house? Museums around the world offer virtual tours of their collection to offer you colorful inspiration for days! Today, I virtually traveled to Amsterdam, Netherlands and visited the Van Gogh Museum. I have always admired Van Gogh’s work. His bright colors and exuberant brush strokes just bring me joy! In this creative exercise, head to the the Van Gogh Museum online and browse the amazing work. Find a painting that resonates with you and get inspired! Inspiration vs. Copying Painting from inspiration does not mean copying. I encourage you to make the painting your own. Perhaps you use…

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    Delicious Delis Across the United States (story and illustration by Wanderlust Designer)

    Culture: Food – Delicious Delis Across the United States

    July 15, 2016

    Finding Inspiration: Tips for Using Pinterest Effectively

    March 9, 2019
    City Pages: San Francisco Journal and Sketch Pages from Wanderlust Designer

    Art on the Go: Free Printable San Francisco Journal and Sketch Page

    May 6, 2013
  • The Only Art on the Go Supply You Need

    The simplest art on the go supply you really need is a pen and a small sketchbook! It can be a black pen, ballpoint pen, or even a marker! Why a black pen and not a pencil? I encourage people to start with a pen vs. a pencil so there’s no desire to erase, or “fix” a sketch you are working on. The goal of taking your art on the go for me is not about the final outcome as it is about the overall experience and act of creation! The moments or time spent sitting down and capturing a scene– whether it be a full building, a crowded market,…

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    4D Cityscape Time Puzzles - Maps of Cities Through Time

    Time+Place: Map Puzzles of Famous Cities Through Time

    April 11, 2013
    June Packing List: Trek through Thailand by Wanderlust Designer

    On Location: June Packing List – Trekking through Thailand and Free June 2017 Wallpaper

    June 2, 2017
    Art Tutorial: How to Draw a Prickly Pear Cactus by Betsy Beier

    Art School: How to Draw a Prickly Pear Cactus

    January 29, 2019
  • At Home Creative Adventures: Learn French and Make a Doodle Word Book

    Doodle your way to learning a new language by making a mini-book filled with foreign words to learn. Think of all the possibilities! You could make one of these before each trip to familiarize yourself with foreign phrases. Or if you’ve always wanted to speak french, say, make a whole collection of these doodle word books. To start, follow the Make Your Own Mini-Journal/Sketchbook lesson to create a booklet. Next, pick a topic (say, around the house like this example) and start doodling! Below is a video to show the process of drawing the doodles. Here are some pictures of the final book. I added a border around each spread…

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    On Location: Photos from Sayulita, Mexico by Wanderlust Designer

    On Location: Sayulita, Mexico

    February 19, 2013

    Travel Journal: Wandering through Le Marché aux Puces de Saint Ouen Paris, France

    April 5, 2019

    Creative Inspiration: Go on a Rainbow Hunt in the Castro, San Francisco

    February 18, 2020
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To this magical place called Earth, Thank you for To this magical place called Earth, Thank you for always inspiring me with your beauty! #earthday
59 years ago today, the 1962 World’s Fair called 59 years ago today, the 1962 World’s Fair called the Century 21 Exposition opened in Seattle. The goal was to showcase science and technology of the United States in a Jet Age world, and Seattle being the center of airplane and jet innovation was the natural host. The fair sported futuristic designs, most notable being Seattle’s famed symbol, the Space Needle. Like all great designs, the original proposal for the structure was first drawn on a placemat. The crude drawing was then taken by architect John Graham, Jr. and his team and was significantly revised into the 605’ needle seen today. It was built in less than a year and remains one of the top attractions to see in the city. For more information about the Space Needle, Seattle Center and the Century 21 Expo, check out my Wanderlust Guide Seattle book! @westmarginpress @spaceneedle #seattle #spaceneedle #funfacts #history #century21expo
A new book and a cup of coffee... perfection! Can’t wait to dive into this new release #worldtravel #anthonybourdain #irreverentguide #newbook #coffeetime #sketchbook #minisketch
somewhere on 1-80 in the middle of Nevada... Some somewhere on 1-80 in the middle of Nevada... Some may find this stretch of highway incredibly tedious-  but for some reason I find it bubbling with wonder. The puffy clouds, the dancing tumble weed, the stark mountains, the long ribbon of highway, and the the subtle color palette that slowly changes as the sun moves across the sky-  Driving through northern Nevada really gives a perspective of just how empty, vast and wild the west really is. Have you driven this stretch of road before? What did you think? #roadtrip #wanderlust #wildwest #nevada #nevadadesert #painterlypainting #roadtripmemories
My monthly free online art class starts in an hour My monthly free online art class starts in an hour!!! Join me to have fun celebrating spring and let’s paint whimsical birds and blossoms. Sign up now with link in my profile to get zoom details! #freeonlineartclass #artclass #birds #watercolorclass #blossom #celebratespring #everydaycreativeadventures
It’s tracked down to the day, even hour when it It’s tracked down to the day, even hour when it is at its absolute peak. People travel for miles, if not around the world to see them. There are live webcams, parties, picnics and milestone events planned for this event. What am I talking about, you ask? Cherry blossom season of course!

There is something quite charming that in this day and age people can work up such a fevor for something as simple and natural as cherry blossom trees in bloom. It’s not as if it won’t happen… every year… it is guaranteed! Yet, I find this enthusiasm is so refreshing! 

Washington D.C. and Japan are definitely top of mind when I think of cherry blossoms, but did you know that on the University of Washington’s campus in Seattle, there is the same celebration going on? 30 Yoshino cherry trees were brought to UW in 1939 and initially planted in Washington Park Arboretum. They were moved to the Quad on campus in 1962. The number of trees in the quad has more than doubled since then, and truly is a spectacular site up against the gothic-style architecture.

Be sure to head to the internet and google one of the live webcams so you can see the show! And, of course, make sure you have a copy of my Wanderlust Guide Seattle book to tell you more creative details about the beautiful UW campus and U District in Seattle. @westmarginpress
@uofwa 
#cherryblossoms #inbloom #washington #seattle #universityofwashington #UW #thequad #wanderlustguide
I miss creating daily art. Not sure why this habit I miss creating daily art. Not sure why this habit I love has disappeared for awhile but going to start to work on bringing it back- even if it’s just a 5 min sketch! I found this site called randomstreetview.com that basically just shows exactly that - a random street in the world. Here’s a quick painterly landscape I created of Ordino, Andorra! Do you know of other sites like this that give different glimpses of the world? #dailyartpractice #painterlypractice #wanderlust #streetsoftheworld #andorra
Join me this Saturday, Mar 20 @11am Pacific Time a Join me this Saturday, Mar 20 @11am Pacific Time as we head to Ireland and paint a layered landscape of the Wild Atlantic Way!!! Link to sign up in my profile. #ireland #irelandtravel #wildatlanticway #dinglepeninsula #virtualtravel #artclass #landscapepainting #layeredlandscape #takemetoireland #inspiredbytravel #wanderlust
It was so fun to create a rainy day story in my on It was so fun to create a rainy day story in my online art class today. I loved seeing everyone~ and of course creating art together. Definitely the perfect way to kick off the weekend! If you missed the class- you can catch up anytime at your own pace by watching the videos. See link in my profile to sign up and gain access. #artclass #freeartclass #storytelling #rainyday #illustration #selfpacedclass #yellowslicker #rainboots #rainbow

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