I’ve been fascinated with New Orleans corner store buildings since I was old enough to realize that most other cities didn’t have them—at least not in this traditional configuration dating to the 1850s. They’ve been a focus of my attention this week. This one’s on Magazine St.

Parasol’s Bar in New Orleans’ Irish Channel has a long history as a neighborhood bar and gathering place with great po-boys and a legendary St. Patrick’s Day block party. Feels like a home away from home.

Title page for Rome sketches, which share an Adult X-Large A4 sketchbook with the Morocco collection. I’ll do a flip through post of the whole sketchbook soon.

This is what a distributed pre-approved PR package looks like. Stock phrases…three points to cover. Demonstrates at the very least that these three people couldn’t be bothered to read the memo and then think of something personal and original to say. Too busy.

Drawing Waikiki Beach with Diamondhead as backdrop has been on my “sketching bucket list” for decades. Many of my heroes—Ronald Searle and Dong Kingman among them—painted this view over the years. I’m really jazzed to add my humble contribution to the stack. #urbansketchers

Sketching one of my favorite little piazzas in Lucca. The gentleman in the reel who is drawing on my sketch was a local professor of medieval studies; he decided I needed a little souvenir on the drawing.

Sketching in Pisa, fortified with cappuccino and chocolate croissant. Meeting onlookers—both local and travelers—is always the sweetest part for me.

Stephanie Bower’s brand new book, The World of Urban Sketching, arrived today. It’s an astounding job of capturing the breadth of the movement, while uncovering and sharing a mind-boggling depth of imagery, insights, tips and personal stories. My 2-page feature is shown here.

Pietrasanta, Italy. 5-minute demonstration sketch for our “Discover Tuscany” workshop.

One brilliant October morning in Viareggio, on Italy’s Ligurian Sea coastline…

Very happy and grateful to be featured with @janeblundellart , Liz Steel and Suma Cm in Plein Air Magazine’s January 2023 feature article, “The Art of Urban Sketching.”

The weather was nice enough a few days ago to park myself on a bench in front of Mojo Risin’ Coffee in Siesta Key Village and do an ink and wash sketch of the view from the sidewalk.

Here’s some favorites from 2022. I think they stand out to me not because of the finished pieces themselves, but because of the memories they evoke from Morocco, Tuscany, Hawaii, Lake Superior and here on Siesta Key. Here’s wishing you a healthy, creative and prosperous 2023!

After wrapping our last Sketch Tuscany workshop in October, Patti and I spent several days exploring and sketching in Florence. This is the lively Piazza Santa Maria Novella, as sketched from a table at a gelato stand. Perfect way to spend an hour? Sì, molto!

A gorgeous October day in dreamy San Gimignano. Here, if we choose, we’re free to experience il dolce far niente, the sweetness of doing nothing. These walls have watched life go by since the Middle Ages, and today we do too, as we leisurely sketch the spectacle before us.

Step by step demo created for our Southwest Urban Sketching Retreat in Santa Fe:

Here’s to MISA’s Southwest Urban Sketching Retreat in Santa Fe. Looking back it feels a bit like a dream. Thanks my dear fellow Rum Runners Shari Blaukopf, Uma Kelkar and Paul Heaston for the laughs, the love and the richest teaching experience I’ve had.

Thanks Watercolor Artist Magazine and Editor-in-Chief Anne Hevener for featuring one of my Lucca, Italy sketches for their Open Book page, which always caps the issue on the last page. Pick up a copy—this spring issue is full of great content! #watercolorartistmagazine

On location, San Gimignano in Tuscany. We’ll be heading back in October…

Silver Springs State Park near Ocala, Florida. The beautiful river headwaters area was the setting for Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movies, The Creature from the Black Lagoon and others. I grabbed a quick sketch of the 1950’s vintage entry gate and its movie-worthy jungly setting.