Everyday items in Cuba

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I like to do travel journaling in my sketchbooks. This is a page from one of my Cuba sketchbooks that I completed recently with some of the bits and pieces brought home from my trips. I have fun with trying to make the items are realistic as I can within the ink and watercolor format. The coins, bills and card in this sketchbook spread (11"x8.5"/28cm x 21.6cm) are real size. I like to record the memorabilia of receipts, tickets, pamphlets, maps and odds and ends in my sketchbooks. I will usually mix them in with sketches related to the event. What do you like to record?

Fancy carved wooden door in Habana Vieja, Cuba

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This was an amazingly detailed and carved wooden door that I came across on the main shopping street, Calle Obispo, in Habana Vieja, Cuba. Part of the attraction aside from the ornateness, was how tall and incredibly narrow it was. No grand pianos or sofas are going through that!

Nandina in the fall

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Beautiful nandina, or heavenly bamboo, in the fall. Not all of the leaves change color, but the ones that do get this glorious rich red color. Some of these leaves were done wet into wet, others were layers of glazing, paint, let it dry, add another layer of paint. The shadows are always interesting to try to capture especially with double or triple cast shadows. Sometimes, I wonder where exactly is all the the light coming from? Prints will be available soon in the shop.