We had come to lose the distance, to seek connections between this side of the family tree and our own. Just as we were able to view a star cluster three million light years away, so will we leave the Czech Republic calling strangers family.
I think about how we had planned to visit here earlier in the day, about how my own sketch had set us back a few hours, and can only marvel at this sudden twist of serendipity. What if we’d missed Ivo? What if our paths hadn’t crossed?
As I finish my first sketch of Prague in the dark – of elegant buildings and the cobblestoned way – our waiter brings over a candle and sets it down by my paint box. I’m surprised by how much light it casts across my sketchbook, and moved by his kind gesture.
I’m fascinated by how different the sketches in this Summer’s Sketchbook are. I’ve always loved that about art – how we each draw with our own “voice.” How boring would it be if we all sketched the world exactly the same?
Although i’s hard to believe that six weeks have officially passed since the launch of Beneath the Lantern’s Glow, I still want to take a moment and say thank you to everyone who has ordered it – it’s thrilling to now see the book in your hands!
My absolute favorite part of sketching around Southeast Asia and Japan was sharing the journey with you, so I’d like to invite you to join me on this next sketching adventure from Prague to Petra – I have a feeling it’s going to be good.
It’s been almost two months now since I first got the email, asking if I’d like to chat about my sketches for a story on travel blogging. I was not only ridiculously excited to head to New York for the interview, but also immensely honored.
She soon leaves us as we sketch the Bay Bridge, but Suzanne’s words remain with me throughout the rest of the day. Whether I’ve been in a place for thirty seconds or thirty years, I never want to stop sketching – and more importantly, stop seeing.
Through it all, I’m so grateful for the gift of these last two months – for not only have I been able to be present with my family, but I’ve also had the time to put together and publish my first book of travel sketches, Beneath the Lantern’s Glow.
I got to that point of failure on Saturday afternoon. The point where your faith feels as shriveled and dry as a fallen leaf in autumn; the point where a steady paycheck sounds as appealing as pizza and peanut butter to Survivor contestants.