Blues, Grays, and Viewfinders


Sketching on the bow of our cruise ship at 0700 in the morning I was attempting to capture what was a magnificent panorama. Sweeping vistas dazzle our sight and motivate us to grab our sketchpads. Yet these same landscapes are some of the trickiest to capture. Over the years I have spent hours on them…

Happy Accidents, Sort Of


We left Honningsvag on Saturday, heading for Longyearbyen on the island of Svalbard. It is the most northerly town in the world at 78N latitude. With a day at sea spending time in the spa made sense. After the heat of the sauna, I sat in the relaxation room, with a view from the stern…

Cruise Dining, Part II


We have four days left on our third cruise. This time it is on the Norwegian Star from Tromsø ending up in Iceland by way of Longyearbyen, the northernmost inhabited village. The Star had a few of the same restaurants we saw on the other ships – an Irish Pub, Le Bistro, La Cucina, and…

The Top of Europe, 71 Degrees North


On our last morning in Tromsø I had coffee again at Kaffebønna Stortorget. The Hermes II is moored just a across the street, so a sketch seemed natural. It took me back to summer days a couple years ago when I was sketching at the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle. Then at 12H00 we…

A Weekend in Tromsø


We made it to Tromsø, and we are so glad we came early. We arrived early in the evening on Thursday 8 June. Our hotel is right at the harbor, so, of course, we went for a walk and found food. The next morning I got up early for coffee and a sketch. This is…