And So It Begins....

“There's a race of men that don't fit in, 

A race that can't sit still;          

So they break the hearts of kith and kin, 

And they roam the world at will.

They range the field and rove the flood, 

And they climb the mountain's crest; 

Their's is the curse of the gypsy blood, 

And they don't know how to rest.” 

-- Robert Service

If, like me, you're a Mac user you're probably aware that Apple is set to discontinue their web hosting at the end of June. So, those of us with .mac and .me websites and blogs are scrambling to put the finishing touches on our new cyber-homes. I've already launched my new website (and you can check it out here.)

Now it's time to launch the new blog -- which will combine my previous travel/carnet de voyage blogs and will offer tips and recommendations for those of you who may be venturing into sketchbooking, nature journaling, or travel journaling for the first time.

For those of you who don't already know me, or who aren't familiar with my work, an introduction is in order. I was born into a family of intrepid travelers. Every summer, growing up, my folks would pack us into the car and we would camp our way across whichever continent we were living on at the time. And, by the time I graduated from high school I'd lived in Britain (twice), Germany, and Taiwan, and visited numerous other countries. Along the way I discovered a passion for recording the world about me in drawings, paintings, and printmaking -- but most of all in sketchbooks and journals.

Like many of you, I sketch because it makes my travels more personal, more intimate, and more memorable. (No detail goes into a sketch unless the artist first becomes consciously aware of it. The same can't be said of photography or video.) And my voyages of discovery continue to take me to all sorts of wondrous places -- both near and far.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that my wife (and soulmate) is also a wonderer at heart, or that we have shared our wanderlust with our children. In fact, we have explored our backyard (a river run through it) together, criss-crossed the US, done a two-month "slow travel" sketch crawl of Europe, and served as Artists-in-Residence for North Cascades National Park. (That's us in the front of the "Sketchers' Digs" -- first photo above.) Along the way I study the cultural and natural history of the places I visit and attempt to capture a sense of the people, geography, flora, fauna, art, and architecture. (The world really is an AMAZING place!)

So, I hope you've found something of interest on your first visit and hope you'll come back regularly to share this adventure we call "life" with me (and feel free to bring your friends!) As I get the hang of the new host I'll try to improve the design. In the meantime I'll be focusing on content.

Peace on Earth and good will to all!

"All good things come by Grace, and Grace comes by Art, and Art does not come easy."                                                                     -- Norman Maclean