Memories of Germany - Travel Art

 

Blog 5.1

 

Due to the large number of artworks since my last blog post, I decided to publish an additional blog this week with the drawings and paintings from my time in Germany. 

 

 

I returned from Germany in early May. During my visits with relatives and many friends, I received so much generosity and hospitality. I witnessed the frailty of my older relatives and realized even more how precious our time together is. Therefore, I concentrated on connecting with the people I only see once a year. I still created daily drawings, often late at night after my parents went to bed, but only started one watercolour and one needle-felted painting.

 

 

.

 

Many spring flowers were already blooming during my visit. My drawings reflect the blossoming nature. I was extremely fortunate with the weather and experienced only three rainy days during my entire stay, with temperatures rising up to 27 degrees in the last week of my stay.

 

 

 

 

Except for trips with my parents and friends, I only relied on public transportation. Therefore, I have some sketches of fellow passengers. For the first time, someone talked to me about drawing people on the train, asking me if I had asked the person’s permission, which is not necessary as long as you don’t create a drawing that clearly identifies the person. I am more interested in the posture and how it affects the body's perspective and proportions. I struggle immensely with glasses. The person concluded the conversation with a dismissive comment about my drawing abilities. I consider it all a good way to practice, whether it turns out the way I envisioned it or not, but someone who hasn’t tried creating art might not understand my motives.

Unfortunately, my pencil sketches are usually very light. When I took the pictures, I couldn't increase the darkness of the images without also increasing the darkness of the writing on the backsides.

 

To strengthen my connections with art collectors and students, I invite you to my free Art Café on June 14, 2026, from 2 PM to 4 PM. I still have three more spaces available. If you plan to join us, please register soon.

This event offers an opportunity to connect through conversation, shared food, and a fun art project. We will create beautiful paper flowers from old magazines and books. I will provide all the materials and some light refreshments. You are welcome to bring a treat, especially if you have any dietary restrictions.


I will publish my regular May blog on May 29 with the rest of my May daily art projects. Until then, enjoy the  abundance nature offers.

A Joyful Heart Brimming with Memories

Mutti's Pink Hibiscus, watercolour, 5.8" x 8.3"

Blog 6


My heart and mind are brimming with joyful impressions from my trip to Germany. Not only did I spend unforgettable hours with family and friends, but I also saw many beautiful sights which will continue to provide new inspirations for my art. Many times, I wished that I could spend time with my painting buddies to capture the scene.


One of the highlights was my dad's 90th birthday with family and my parents' circle of friends. I am thankful for the chance to celebrate my dad's fulfilled life. 

For the rest of the time, my daughter and I combined meeting with my friends with visits to cultural sites. We went to the Palm Gardens in Frankfurt at the time of the rose festival and strolled through the gardens of the Schwetzingen Palace. 

We also spent two days in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a romantic Bavarian town with many half-timbered houses and cobblestone streets. We walked on the Medieval town wall, from which we had breathtaking bird's-eye views of the old town.

For the first time, we saw Chagall's windows in the Saint Stephan’s Church in Mainz. We were lucky to receive an introduction to the history of the breathtaking windows. Chagall, a Jew, was initially reluctant to create any art for a German church but changed his mind after he developed a friendship with the pastor. You can find more information here.


During an outing to Mainz-Laubenheim, we walked in the vineyards with a breathtaking panorama view of the surrounding cities, the Rhine River and the Taunus. We could even see the skyscrapers of Frankfurt.

I love getting inspired by the creativity all around me. It brought me great joy to admire the craftsmanship and innovative ideas at an arts and crafts market in Ober-Ramstadt and during visits to friends' studios. Luckily, I had my suitcase in mind because I could have bought some exquisite pieces.


I created less art than I expected. However, I focus on nurturing human connections during visits to Germany. While I still have regular contact with friends and family through emails and weekly video calls, they are no substitute for in-person meetings with actual hugs.


On many days, I created drawings with pencils and watercolour pencils in my daily journal. I drew most sketches of people during our train rides and the rest from photos. I also had to use reference photos for most other artworks because there often was no opportunity to draw while chatting with friends. Most of my painting buddies approve of seeing me draw at all times, but many other people probably find it peculiar. I know some people who don't comprehend my need to capture the world around me. However, I could not live any other way. I feel compelled to draw what I see to preserve it for my memories.

I also finished a watercolour painting (see top) and two felted pieces. The needle-felted painting of a rose is on a felt bag I purchased in a store. It is my first piece of functional art. I will write about the process after I have finished the bag. 

 

I will be back with my regular blog on July 26. In the meantime, I invite you to join me for the Art Café on July 21, at 1 PM in Cumberland, Ontario. We will create graffiti on paper. Please RSVP here.

Creativity on Vacation

 Wild White Roses, watercolour and watercolour pencil, 5.8” x 8.3”

Blog  29


I spent the last week at the cottage. First, our children visited with friends, including a puppy. Then, my husband’s siblings with their families came. While I love the lively company around the table, I need alone time. When the others left to spend the day on the beach or hiking, I set up my supplies on the patio, pressed start on my audiobook and started painting.


During the slower summer months, I always attempt to finish some artworks from previous outings or painting sessions. Therefore, I brought a pile of unfinished watercolour paintings from my Zoom sessions with my Painting Buddies and one from my visit to Ripley’s Aquarium in Toronto, which my daughter and I had wanted to visit for years. 

I finished five paintings and created the image of a soft-boiled egg for the topic of my least favourite food for the Creative Summer Project. 

For the Creative Summer Project, I post one subject on my Facebook page every Tuesday to inspire you to express your creativity. Sometimes, it will be an object, other times an interpretation of a mood, sound or situation. You can use any medium and style to participate.


When I was younger, I could spend hours lying on the beach. Nowadays, I enjoy some time in the meditative mood of the softly moving water when I am not swimming. Sometimes, I bring a book, but usually, I feel the urge to capture an object that interests me or the mood of the day. I never get enough of the clouds and light reflections on the water, even though we spent our one-week summer vacation of the last fifteen years at the same spot. The results from this trip are a lifesaver on a pole and Wednesday's sunny sky. As a bonus, I drew my youngest niece during her nap.

I also created a quick sketch of my husband fishing, with our daughter and our dog Shadow keeping him company. Capturing Shadow was especially tricky because he raced happily between my husband’s spot and mine on a rock on the other side of the little bay. Watching him and his joy for life always makes me happy.

Do you finish all your projects immediately, or do you have a pile of unfinished projects waiting for your attention?

I invite you to my Creative Connection for Artists and Crafters at https://www.facebook.com/groups/creativeconnectionforartistsandcrafters if you long for a supportive and inspirational community.

Spring Travel Journal Part 3 - Schenna and Meran

Dominic's Birthday Flowers, 10" x 7" watercolours and watercolour pencils

Blog 25


During our stay in Schenna, it rained a lot. However, on Dominic’s birthday, we enjoyed lots of sunshine. Ingo and I walked to the heart of Schenna to the church hill with breathtaking views of the mountains and apple orchards.

 

 

Later, we all drove to the spectacular Partschins waterfall. Part of our group hiked up the mountain to the top of the waterfall. Ingo’s aunt and I wanted to drive up. We were up three-quarters of the steep road when the car stopped in a curve in the middle of the road. Luckily, a biker helped us to start and turn the car around.

 

 

 

Our meeting point was the Jausenstation (restaurant, Austrian German) Dursterhof. We were in awe of the complex containing the restaurant and several houses. The owner and his sons built them into the rocks of the mountain. They are still working on an underground market area. 

 

In the sun, with a breathtaking view of mountains and villages, we shared one of their famous raspberry specialties, the raspberry yogurt torte, and a delicious Kaiserschmarrn (Austrian sugared torn pancake).

 

At night, we went to the restaurant, Moesl in Mera. We received a cartwheel-size pizza each that could have fed a family. I am not sure whether the locals eat so much or whether they want to impress visitors. The leftovers were still enough for the next dinner. 

It rained so hard the following day that Ingo’s cousin offered us a dumpling cooking session. We made mouthwatering spinach and red beet dumplings that we will make again in Canada.

In the afternoon, we visited the Villa Freischütz in Meran. In the former home of the merchant family Fromm, we glimpsed into their lives and collections.

Image: Cushion from the villa (Dress nicely and laugh, then you are pretty.)

 

Despite the rainy weather, I painted the Meraner Röschen (a rose without thorns) from the living room window.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the rainy weather continued the next day, I went to Meran with Ingo’s aunt, where arcades called Laubengänge kept us dry. I could not miss a stop at an art and crafts store where I bought the Italian watercolour pad I used for my painting during our stay.

In the afternoon, Ingo's cousin and I visited the Protestant Christuskirche (Christ Church). The church has beautiful stained glass windows and a statue of Christ outside of the church tower made from Laas marble. The church is also the venue for concerts and art exhibitions. The current one displayed the fascinating impact of Luther on the development of the German language.

Spring Travel Journal Part 2 - Three Countries in One Day

Mountain Sunset, Schenna, watercolour, 5.5" x 8.5"

Blog 24

After a family reunion with my maternal family, we left my small hometown early on Sunday, June 7, for our trip to Schenna. Even though Nauheim has only about 11,000 citizens, it has a train station. We took the train to Munich, where we stopped for the family reunion of my husband’s paternal family, including my father-in-law, who had already arrived a couple of days earlier. We started with a traditional coffee klatsch (Kaffeeklatsch) with various cakes, coffee and tea.

 

If you haven’t noticed by now, most of the visits are as much about reconnecting and exploring the area as about food and local beverages – at least for the others because I don’t drink alcohol. The afternoon coffee time went smoothly into an evening at the Gasthof zum Wildpark, a traditional Bavarian restaurant, where our son, Dominic, also joined us after a trip to Iceland.

I always have a sketchbook with me. While we waited for our meal, I started drawing the centrepiece, which I finished after my return home. I was not the only one drawing. Ingo's cousin had brought his young daughter, who also started drawing and received suggestions from an extended relative. When she moved closer to our side of the table, I learned that she was also an artist. Thera von Huene specializes in dogs (and the occasional cat). We immediately had a strong connection through our love for animals.

The next day, we drove the scenic route through the Vinschgau region to Schenna. For Canadians and Americans, it must sound unbelievable that we started in Germany, crossed Austria, and finally entered Italy within a couple of hours. The first stop was the parking spot in Austria with a fantastic view of the German Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain.

The next stop was Curon Venosta or Graun im Vinschgau at Lake Reschen. Almost everyone speaks German and Italian in South Tyrol in Northern Italy. Therefore, most towns have an Italian and a German name.

Alt Graun refers to the old village of Graun im Vinschgau, known for the picturesque Reschensee (Lake Reschen). During the 1950s, the original town was submerged due to the construction of a dam for hydroelectric power generation. All residents had to leave their homes behind when the water rose. A reminder is the bell tower from the Alt Graun church that still stands - now in the lake. Most original citizens moved to the new village of Graun built nearby.

Then, we stopped at the St. Benediktkirche (St. Benedikt Church) in Mals. The church shows architectural Romanesque elements and features beautiful interior frescoes. They are among the earliest murals in central Europe and depict various religious scenes. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos of the frescos.

We could also see a rock in the churchyard that had carved indentations left by the many wagons that crossed it.

 

Because we were running late, we only drove through Glurns (also known as Glorenza), a small town renowned for its well-preserved medieval city walls and historic charm. Inside the walls, Glurns features narrow, winding streets lined with colourful historical buildings.

We also made a quick detour through Laas (Lasa), the marble city of Italy. The high-quality marble from Laas is used in architecture, sculpture, and design worldwide. In the picturesque town, you see marble everywhere - even the sidewalks and pedestrian crossings are out of marble.

sketch of a gerbra from the garden, watercolour pencils

When we finally arrived in the late afternoon at Haus Peters in Schenna (Scena), the mountains were breathtaking despite the rain. We enjoyed the next family reunion with South Tirol specialties, laughter and many trips down memory lane for Ingo and his family.

 

 

Next week, I will tell you about our adventures in Schenna and Meran (Merano).

Spring 2023 Travel Journal Part 1 - Germany

Rhododendrons, watercolour pencils

Blog 23

I am back from my trip to Germany and Italy. I have never experienced a vacation with so many obstacles. However, the reward was breathtaking beauty and inspiration for years to come that I will share with you in the upcoming blogs.


Before our trip started, we had so many problems with the original airline that we had to book a new flight less than ten days before our departure. We also had to deal with cancelled train tickets and the day of our departure, a flight cancellation. Fortunately, Air Canada solved the problem quickly, so we caught our connecting flight to Frankfurt. 

 

While we left in pouring rain in Ottawa, the weather system had left Toronto, and we saw a beautiful sunset and a fantastic view of the lit-up city when we departed.

Yellow Tulips, watercolour and watercolour pencil

We arrived on a sunny day with temperatures at 17 degrees. The trees were lush and lilac, hydrangeas, and the final tulips were blooming. My parents were waiting for us and had a big brunch set up. In the evening, we went to a restaurant with Bavarian cuisine. The food was fantastic, but each meal could have easily fed two people. I decided to take the rest of mine home. While taking the leftovers home would have been unthinkable years ago, it is more common now. However, I was surprised when I saw that you had to pay Euro 0.80 to take the doggie bag home (most restaurants let you take your leftovers for free). Not surprisingly, Germans have adopted the English expression, possibly because the translation Hundetüte sounds more like the bag you use to clean up after your dog.


Many Germans love their meat, and the vegetable portions are often small. After the first evening at the restaurant, I had eaten enough meat for the whole trip. Luckily, you find vegetarian and vegan options on menus nowadays that are more inventive than a house salad.


Many visits with my friends included a walk, and I am always envious of the many paths in the suburbs that quickly lead you to trails between fields and wooded areas. The most impressive area was the Bruchwiesen in Büttelborn, only minutes from my sister’s place. I have never seen so many stork nests in my life. For more information, check out: https://www.birdingplaces.eu/en/birdingplaces/germany/bruchwiesen-von-buttelborn.

Historisches (Altes) Rathaus (Old City Hall), Nauheim

Even though I lived for most of my childhood in Nauheim, I still love walking through the old part of the town with the beautifully restored half-timber houses and narrow cobblestone alleys, which always brings back memories of my elementary school time and wedding.

 

I met one of my friends at the Palm Gardens, which I had discovered during my visit last year - even though I had worked minutes from the botanical garden for seven years.

As I was early in Frankfurt, I checked out the art in the train station Taunusanlage and sketched a figure of the Marshall-Brunnen, created in 1963 by Toni Stadler.

 

 

 

 

At the botanical gardens, the rhododendrons and early peonies were blooming brightly. I also found the most fascinating tree, the handkerchief tree. During our lunch break, I drew a tree that seemed to have leaves that were white on the bottom. When I got closer, I realized that the white leaves were beautiful blooms in the form of handkerchiefs.

Despite all the stunning plants, the longest-lasting memory will be the frogs who gave an impressive concert from the lily pond:

https://youtu.be/u0lpF1AW8SA.

 

I continued to Kronberg, where I met my husband, his cousin and his wife. I was proud of myself for walking more than 6 km in the Palm Gardens, a new high. However, when we had to walk up the steep streets of Kronberg, I was frustrated with exhaustion and struggled to make it up.


I walked more than 10 km that day because we decided to stick to public transportation and had to walk the last 2 km to reach my parents’ house because, at the late hour, there was no other bus available. While the German public transportation system is much better than the Canadian, you are usually still much faster if you need to transfer means of transportation despite heavy traffic. However, when time is not a factor, taking the train is often a much more relaxing way to travel.

Travel Art

Schenna Mountains, watercolour and watercolour pencil, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2"

Blog 22

I returned from my vacation late on Wednesday with many impressions and inspiration. Unfortunately, I am still exhausted from the flight and too tired to write a proper blog post. Therefore, I am sharing some of the artworks I created during the trip. I started all of them (except for the rose) with watercolour pencils, then added watercolours in some areas.

For the rose, I only had cheap coloured pencils, which did not stop me from capturing the beautiful first bloom in my sister's garden.

Starting next week, I will share more details about the trip. 

Have a wonderful weekend! I wish my German-speaking readers Frohe Pfingsten! Happy Memorial Day to my American followers!