This is the entryway that leads to who knows how many apartments inside, but from the number of wires, it looks like a lot. I love this picture for the brightly painted column and post, the fancy grillwork for the bannister, the tiles on the path in, and the mass confusion of wires.

A journal page from trips to Cuba of some of the important things to know as a new visitor with regard to money, how to connect to the internet and the Cuban flag.

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!

This was a horse who graciously allowed me to ride her on a trip up to see a waterfall in Trinidad, Cuba. She knew what she was doing. I didn't.

This is black and white version of an entryway that leads to who knows how many apartments inside, but from the number of wires, it looks like a lot. I love this picture for the fancy grillwork for the bannister, the tiles on the path in, and the mass confusion of wires.

This was the regular spot for this man to sell fruit from his bicycle fruit cart in Habana Vieja, or Old Havana.

A pineapple is good, and a bag of pineapples is better, especially if there is fresh juice being made with them. The only problem is the needing to carry them up four or five flights of stairs daily. This is part of daily life in Havana, Cuba.

This is one of the buildings at Plaza Vieja in Habana Vieja. It looks like it has been restored as there is none of the decay and look of crumbling architectural details that are so common throughout Havana. There is a camera obscura on the top floor, a gift from Spain. I am not sure what the rest of the building is for. It looks like it could be a hotel, but there is no traffic in and out the main door to suggest that. What's harder to believe is that the Plaza itself used to be an underground parking garage, until it was taken out and the Plaza and its buildings restored around the present square.

An ordinary street scene in Habana Vieja often has so much to look at in just one image. Here there is interesting architecture, laundry hanging on the line, an old car, a person doing a chore, color, decay, beauty. So much to see in one small glimpse of a city.

This is inside the Castillo de la Real Fuerza in Habana Vieja, Cuba. The light coming down made this inner courtyard and stairway lovely. The stonework was gorgeous and the woman who was one of the workers there looked happy just soaking up the sun.

Cosmos in Cuba? Not what I would have imagined. But there they were happily thriving in a rooftop garden near Plaza Vieja. I watched them being buffeted by the wind before an afternoon rain storm came through. Lovely, happy flowers!

This view is from one of the benches in Parque Cristo in Habana Vieja looking out at the street. There was a fruit seller on the corner and many, many bici-taxis and people coming and going. There were school kids playing, singing and dancing. I talked for a while to a grandfather who was out with his one year old grandson. It is a lovely pace just to sit and people watch at.

This old car was a taxi that took my friend and me from the Havana airport into Habana Vieja. The horn on the hood of the car was ostentatious and fabulous. I didn't see any other cars with a hood ornament as extravagant as that during my week in Havana.

This is a drawing of a man I saw sitting in front of his house, a normal enough thing. But the building had lots of scaffolding set up supporting the second story balcony. A scene of regular people just living side by side with urban decay. 

This was one of the views from the balcony of the Casa Alta Habana. This building was originally a hotel but it has been in this state for over twenty years. Beautiful urban decay. Lovely but sad.

This is the opening spread of a sketchbook for my first trip to Cuba in 2017.  

I started sketching and painting this landscape of the Valley of Viñales on site and finished it up later at home.

One of the views across the Plaza Vieja looking towards a brewery and cafe. There's usually live music here and dancing outside in the evening.

A papaya cut in a star shape and a view of the beach at Varadero. Bright vivid colors!

An ink sketch of the landscape of the Viñales Valley and its Pincushion Mountains, or mohotes.

These were some Calla lilies I saw in the garden of a farm in Viñales.

A typical breakfast served at the casa particular I stayed at included tea or coffee, freshly made pineapple juice, a plate of fresh fruit (here is banana, guava, papaya, watermelon and pineapple), and a plate of scrambled eggs with ham and cheese.

This was a baby pineapple I saw on an organic farm in Viñales. I don't know if the pineapple stayed that reddish-pink as it matures, but it really was that vivid of a color at this stage.

I had some time on a very hot, humid day and was able to find a shady spot with benches in the Plaza de Armas. I spent some time sketching and painting the main statute there.