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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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How to Make a Mini-Journal or Sketchbook
I’m a huge fan of mini things– especially sketchbooks and journals. The big blank page staring in front of you becomes much less intimidating when it is smaller! Below is one of the most simple methods to creating your own mini-journal or sketchbook. The creative uses of these mini-wonders are endless, they can be used for art or journaling or if you are a budding story teller, you can even write your own book! Below is a printable worksheet you can use to create your own mini-journal or sketchbook. Here is a process video to show the details! Below are just a few samples of mini-journal/sketchbooks I have created. Be…
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At Home Creative Adventures: Take Out Sushi Collage
Celebrate your favorite take out food with this creative collage exercise! This may look a lot more complicated than it actually is, but don’t panic, it’s actually quite simple! First find a take out menu (or print one out from online if you don’t have any) and lay it out on a table. Use a variety of watercolors and place color blocks around the menu. Once dry begin to cut the shapes. For instance, for the nigiri, I first cut a “white” oblong shape, then cut a colored shape (salmon, or tuna perhaps?) Lastly I placed a green “seaweed” wrapper on top. Glue the shapes down on a piece of…
Illustrating Experiences & Inspiring Adventures
