This watercolor painting of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, the distinctive white-and-red church in the center of Guatapé, Colombia, began as a demonstration during my recent Watercolor Outside the Box workshop in Washington, North Carolina. Watercolor Outside the Box focuses on techniques that move beyond traditional transparent watercolor painting. We experiment with painting on YUPO synthetic…
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…
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…
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…
Previous: Exploring the Colombian Amazon After surviving the Amazon, I thought Cartagena would feel cool. It did not. It is very, very hot in August. So hot that I basically didn’t go outside from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Which, actually, isn’t that far off my normal travel schedule. I get up early to photograph…
Previous: Guatape & El Penol The Colombian Amazon around Leticia and Puerto Nariño offers one of South America’s most extraordinary travel experiences, with tropical rainforest, pink river dolphins, sloths, monkeys, caiman and enormous Amazon waterways. I spent several days traveling from Leticia to Puerto Nariño and Lago Tarapoto, photographing the wildlife, landscapes and communities along…
Sukhothai vs Ayutthaya: Which Should You Visit? Sukhothai Ayutthaya Have you ever stood on the surface of Venus and wondered what it would feel like to slowly melt? The Wicked Witch of the East certainly didn’t enjoy the experience, and trust me, neither will you. Welcome to Thailand. One of the first things you learn…
Tunisia surprised me. Before my first trip, I knew embarrassingly little about the country. I knew it was in North Africa. I knew it had Mediterranean beaches. And, most importantly, I knew they filmed Star Wars there. Honestly, that last fact was probably enough to get me on the plane. What I didn’t realize was…
