Raleigh, North Carolina—or “Rally,” as the Southerners say—is a nice little big city. When I moved here from Portland, Oregon, one of my first thoughts was, “Where is the downtown?” Coming from a larger city, the adjustment took a while, but Raleigh’s charm eventually set in. Downtown itself is fairly compact and very walkable, and…
Visiting Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria Neuschwanstein Castle—the “Disney Castle”—is probably Germany’s most famous castle. Maybe Europe’s. Rising above the Bavarian countryside, it sits high on a hill surrounded by the foothills of the Alps. It is absolutely beautiful and completely deserving of the hype. Purchase the original painting & fine art prints I first visited…
One of the biggest challenges I have when teaching watercolor is convincing students to follow the KISS principle: Keep It Simple, Silly. You don’t need 30 colors, expensive brushes, or three days to make a successful watercolor painting. Some of the best exercises use just a couple of colors and a few layers of paint….
The Outer Banks are one of North Carolina’s biggest tourist draws—and for good reason. Miles and miles of narrow barrier islands, beaches, dunes, little towns and, of course, lighthouses. I’ve vacationed there plenty of times myself. But I also have a problem. I like photographing buildings. A lot. My obsession with architectural photography is pretty…
NCSU Bell Tower Watercolor Paintings, Art Prints & Graduation Gifts I’ve lived in Raleigh for years, so I’ve probably driven past the NCSU Bell Tower thousands of times. I teach watercolor classes at Pullen Arts Center, which means I also have the pleasure of regularly navigating the traffic circle next to the Bell Tower—a traffic…
North Carolina has a lot going for it. Beautiful forests. Beaches. Great universities. And mountains—although I lived in Denver for 12 years, so I have a hard time calling the Blue Ridge Mountains actual mountains. Hills, maybe. Very pretty hills. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of my favorite places in…
Duke University Art, Graduation Gifts & Alumni Prints For generations of Duke students and alumni, Duke Chapel represents more than architecture — it represents late nights studying, friendships, traditions, and memories created on campus I’ve lived in the Raleigh-Durham area for nearly 17 years, and few landmarks in the Triangle are as recognizable as Duke…
Medellín is one of Colombia’s most visually interesting cities, surrounded by the steep green mountains of the Aburrá Valley. I spent two days photographing Medellín from El Poblado rooftop bars, Pueblito Paisa, Plaza Botero and downtown, while learning when carrying professional camera equipment was—and wasn’t—worth the risk. Day One — Exploring Medellín and El Poblado…
Previous: Jardin & Colombian Landscapes Original painting and fine art prints available Guatapé is one of the most colorful towns in Colombia, known for its decorative zócalos, enormous reservoir and the towering Piedra del Peñol. While many travelers visit on a day trip from Medellín, I spent the night so I could photograph Guatapé at…
Jardín is one of Colombia’s most colorful mountain towns, surrounded by lush scenery, waterfalls, hiking trails and exceptional birdlife. I spent two days exploring and photographing Jardín, riding the wonderfully questionable La Garrucha cable car, hiking to mountain viewpoints and searching for Andean cock-of-the-rocks. From Medellín to Jardín I really enjoyed my two days in…
