Reykjavik Iceland 2018. One of the best family vacations we have ever taken. Everything about Iceland is beautiful. Love this red building. The buildings there were all so colorful. A visual feast😊 my sketchbook is filling up!

I remember this day so clearly. One of the rare times when I convinced my kids that going outside for a hike would be a fun thing to do! We heard old rag mountain (Shenandoah National park) is cool so we did it! With no idea what the hike would entail 👀 this was the part of the hike when I was sure one of us would fall to our deaths and also when it became abundantly clear that I am officially the old lady in the family. They all looked after me and made sure I got to the other side in one piece. How the roles have flipped.. my kids are now the ones taking care of me.. hmmm… guess I will just enjoy and embrace it! Sketching my way down memory lane…

I rarely show my ugly pieces. Like this one. Wanted to share how art is a process…Scroll to see how this piece evolved. Art is truly a journey… this is a classic example….

This started as a drawing one evening. I wasn’t that happy with it but soldiered on.

Added some ink on it. And made it worse😱 when that happens, I throw all caution to the wind. I have nothing to lose. Started scribbling everything that stressed me out onto the page. It was cathartic to do that by the way.

Then I covered all the scribbles with paint and strips of book pages.

Then more paint, stamping, stenciling… softening the overall piece and she is finally at peace. So am I…

So, don’t worry if you mess up. Just let go and see what happens… you may be surprised to see where you end up…

Catania Sicily. 2018. I remembered climbing up the dome just in time to enjoy the gorgeous sunset. Truly beautiful up there. And I am loving this new form of art. Had no idea I would enjoy drawing all the details in a building. I find it therapeutic and relaxing. And I get to really appreciate the details that I missed the first time around. And I get to choose whatever color I want!!!!

Joined a group of urban sketchers during this quarantined time period on a zoom meeting and went down a memory lane. This time to the Biltmore estate grounds. A lovely sunset with the family.

Just when I think 2020 cannot get any crazier, it did. This past week has been intense and the hate and anger is spreading across the country. Sometimes I just feel I can’t handle anymore of this craziness. Playing in my journal helps. At least for the few minutes when I am in my bubble of art joy. I hope you have a way to channel your emotions too. We need it to stay sane and survive through this. My journal is filling up fast…