I took a scooter ride out to Munggu on the island of Bali,  to watch the sunset with my son. It's not far from Canggu.... Canggu is a resort village on the south coast of the Indonesian island of Bali. It's surrounded by terraced rice paddies and known for beaches like Canggu and Echo, with strong surf. The nearby Seminyak resort area has high-end shops and restaurants. Just south of Seminyak, the beachside town of Kuta is known for its nightlife. North of Canggu, Tanah Lot is a Hindu temple that sits just offshore on a rocky outcrop.

​ It was so great to be riding thru the rice paddies, hair blowing, the sunset coming. Bali is just an amazing place. One steeped in a rich history and culture. I took this photograph to then at a later date do a pen and ink. Below you will see what I came up with. The great thing about urban sketching is that you are the editor, you can alter the pic in any way you'd like. I left out bikes, I alter here and there.
On this drawing I used pen and ink first, it's in my sketchbook, a Stillman and Birn. I love these books because they are heavy enough 180 lb. paper to take just about anything you want to put in there. I have used watercolor, markers, Gouache, and nothing bleeds thru. They are the best I've found. I have a thing for sketchbooks....I have funky fool-around books that are thin, I usually use just ball point pen and pencil on those. The Stillman & Birn books are my all time favorites for serious urban sketching, that you intend to keep.

What I love about sketching in Bali is the lovely little surprises you find. If you're looking for exotic places this fits the bill, there are temples everywhere, shrines, and the colorful people and locations make it an urban sketchers dream come true. Keeping a journal of your trip makes it a personal glimpse into your very own travel experience. You can also do it by keeping paper goods like a ticket receipt, a napkin from a favorite restaurant, or maybe a map. You can use these to cut up and paste into your sketchbook for your kept memories of the experience. It's so fun looking for goodies to include and to work into your book. It's scrapbooking on the run. I like to grab what I can and then add to my pages at a later date.

Sometimes I'll sketch something quick, just the bare bones of something, to add to it at a later date. That's what I did with the above, I sketched quickly in black Micron pen, and then added color, markers, and gouache, when I had the time. There are times when you sit and sketch forever, but other times when you might just have a moment you grab a quick photo. I love sitting going thru pics of a trip when I get home and have plenty of time, to draw, to edit, and go over pics to keep and add to my books. Keeping a travel sketchbook is joy to me. http://www.craftours.com/trips/?page=bali_crafts_1020
#sketchbooks #Stiiman&Birns #Micronpens #Travel #urbansketch #debhaugen #Craftours #Bali #travelers #scrapbooking #Canggu #Indonesia
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I'm going to Bali once again this year, and you really need to treat yourself. Come and go with us. This trip, this trip what to say....It's an explosion of color, of sites, and sounds you have never heard before. It's a step back into an exotic time,  it's gorgeous Indonesia! Here's a memory off of our last trip in 2018.

Stepping off of the long flight from the U.S. you feel relieved to be off that darn plane, filled with anticipation on what's to come. You are hit by the warmth, the humidity,  the sounds and smells. Bali is rich, it's rich in history, and culture, it's rich in exotic green growth. The people are amazing. I was picked up at midnight by one of our group guides, as we went thru the night air, I was so glad to be in this strange land. It's one of those moments when you really are so happy to be alive. I feel alive when I travel, the newness of a place, the excitement of discovery, that's why we all travel right?  

After a good nights sleep I meet the group, what a lovely group of people I have to join me on this journey. The Hotel in Ubud is amazing, and right away you can tell the quality of this travel will be fantastic. LOOK at that pool!
This is an Arts & Crafts tour of Bali, a land rich in history.
We take off in our thankfully, air conditioned deluxe motor coach to drive thru the beautiful layered green rice paddies,  banana trees, and palms lead the way through this gorgeous country. The scooters zip by us, and our guide tells us that they are like Mosquitos. Haaaa they really do look like busy little bugs going every which way, I am impressed by their scooter skills for sure.
We are so fortunate to be "hands on" with many of the experiences. We see just how difficult it is to hold a hunk of wood with your 2 feet, while you chisel the face of your wooden mask. We have found a new appreciation for these skilled artists as we walk thru the workshops and showrooms we are privy to visit.!
We get to see them using techniques they have used for hundreds of years, passed down through a family. Grandfather's always sitting near by as supervisors.
The batik teachers are wonderful. We stand and watch his demonstration before attempting our own designs, and watch as the dye men dip our fabrics into the dark dye vats full of rich color. The steam from the warm washings to remove the wax, fills the air, and we marvel at the beautiful pieces that emerge before our very eyes!
On to the Elephant Sanctuary, a beautiful locale that these Sumatran elephants are so lucky to have. They are tended to and nurtured, fed, and exercised, they seem very content. I'm leaving so much out but I think you can get the drift of this fabulous trip. It is an amazing opportunity to get behind the scenes into crafts peoples workshops, and explore a rich cultured nation.

Come with us to explore the Arts & Crafts of Bali Nov. 2-10 2019
http://www.craftours.com/trips/?page=bali_crafts_1119

  If you all have not heard of Craftours, you are really missing out on something. Their Arts and Crafts tours are amazing. I know because I teach Art for them....and I'm NOT biased I'd tell you if they were horrible.

If you are a "fabric" person this is definitely for you. A lot of the travelers are quilters, and love to buy fabric! LOL no its true. I've actually been on a tour bus and had them scream...STOP, there's a fabric store" !!!

I gotta say, these people are GREAT! Craftours knows what they love and creates such an amazing experience for all. The best thing about being an art teacher abroad? I get to meet fantastic people, that by the way are on holiday, are happy, and there to have fun, learn, and get their creative groove on. I have made great friends from the wonderful people in my classes, they are the best! I feel so grateful every trip I make, knowing what's in store. The life experiences, all of it, the joys, and downfalls of travel, everything makes my life richer, and I am so excited to announce I will be going back this Nov. click on these links and check the trips...OMG they are so much fun.

First I love Ireland, and never in all my travels had I been there. If you are a "foodie" like me....oh jeez...... the Bread and Irish butter, paired with an Irish stew in a cool little tavern with a great Irish band playing, does it get any better? Ireland is mysterious, and foggy, green, and glorious. I loved it. The people are amazing, warm, funny, and full of life. I am so happy to be returning and look forward to the new friends I will make along the way. Oh , I almost forgot.....the soups, and Irish breakfast!....holy moly! The only saving grace that while in Europe you usually walk a lot, so I did burn off those donuts...

Italy...you have a piece of my heart. We had some very talented people on the Italian trip in Spring. The class was fabric design, showing the basics that goes into the background patterns. The quilters in the group were accustomed to thinking in patterns, so it was wonderful to see what they turned out art wise.. How fantastic to be able to quilt with designed fabric that YOU made yourself? and what to say about the food...I'm still working on the parmesan cheese brick that I brought back, but they did confiscate my 5 little salami rolls. All in all, it was a fantastic trip, at a world famous, gorgeous hotel, but the company proved to be even richer than our surroundings....
alla prossima...Italia

Dive into the menu on the links below, and you will see a tour that is cost effective, put together with a lot of expertise, wonderful care from the incredible tour escorts, these journeys are rich and diverse, just like the people you meet in any of the groups. Hope you can join us. Put a smile on and join us! 

First to Ireland on Nov 2-10 http://www.craftours.com/trips/?page=ireland_crafts_1118

Then onto Italy on Nov. 11-19 http://www.craftours.com/trips/?page=tuscany_crafts_1118

fino a quando ci incontriamo di nuovo...

Our trip to Tuscany was wonderful to say the least. I teach art, and no one really knows the prep work that goes into that. First I'm trying to stay on a budget, AND I'm trying to bring the best to my traveling students I can bring. I gear each class to the people and location we are going.

This trip I wanted to show people how to make their own stamps for printing, and eventually turn their art into fabric for quilting or? So I head over to Salvation Army...haaaa, no really! I found a great yoga mat that I cut into 4 inch squares. Then I stopped at Walmart to get a pool noodle, you know those long floats that kids hold onto in the pool or ocean. I handed the noodle to my husband with my bread knife and told him I needed slices....He always looks at me like I'm nuts, but honestly he's never surprised. We're making our own stamps! We are cutting the pool noodles and sticking them on the yoga squares to print texture in the backgrounds of our art. ..........here's our fab classroom, a teachers paradise.

My students are so great, eager to learn, and with open minds and hearts we dive in. The room got quiet as everyone had their own ideas, and the creativity was flowing. I just love these people. We used sticky foam, paint, glitter, ink, pens, and passion.

As you can see we had a happy bunch of campers. They got right to work. The last 2 pics are of a piece of art I made and then had fabric samples made to show them the capabilities available. I even got a sample box of fabric to show the different weights available for printing, Thank YOU Spoonflower....you are the best. We all know the fabric ladies can be very touchey feelie right.

What a great group of travelers we had, I make friends from all over the world. Can life get any better?  #Craftours #ArtinTuscany #Paintingteachers #artistsinItaly #travelingartteachers