On Location
The best itineraries, trips, travel tips and more from around the world.
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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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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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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: 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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Creative Inspiration: Forget the Fish – Sketch the Signs at Pike Place Market in Seattle
There is a reason Pike Place Market is one of the top destinations when visiting Seattle. From discovering the food delicacies and handmade goods to listening to buskers and people watching, a local market is the best place to capture the feel of a locale. Pike Place Market has all that Seattle and the Pacific Northwest is known for – fresh fish (flying overhead!), ripe Rainier cherries, blooming flowers, and even Rachel the Pig. You can spend the better part of a morning just soaking it all in. But one aspect of the market that is frequently overlooked is all the incredible signage. Capture the Signs of Pike Place Market…
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Travel Story – Road Trip Along the Eastern Sierras
The stark landscape along state route 395 in California and Nevada is so incredible inspirational. Here are highlights from my road trip along this route.
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Travel Journal – Charles Bridge, Prague
The Charles Bridge in Prague, Czech Republic is one of the top sites to visit. This historic bridge spans the Vltava river and connects Old Town Prague with Prague Castle. In the summer it is bustling with tourists exploring the city and soaking up the views. It’s the perfect spot to stop and capture in your travel journal. I used a simple layout for each image to help convey the beauty of the landmark. Here are a few of my journal pages. We came to this spot twice to soak up the view of the bridge an Prague Castle, once during the day and once at night to see the…
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Digital Travel Journal: Visiting a Llama Farm in Peru
After we left Cusco, Peru. we headed down into the Sacred Valley and stopped along the way at a the Awana Kancha weaving center to get a glimpse at how the beautiful Peruvian wools are produced. This small spot provides a self guided tour of the different steps it takes to make wool for weaving. In the first area are penned up animals (llamas, alpacas, vicunas and guanacos) where you discover the differences between these camelids and can see how their wool varies. (Vicunas have the most coveted wool, as it is very soft.) All the animals are domesticated and quite friendly, and of course love to be fed. The…
