Inspired by our travels to HoiAn, Vietnam, I immediately put ink to paper for my first illustration of 2019. It’s remarkable how much can change in a year. In January of 2019, I was staring down several known upcoming life changes including an inter-continental household move back to the U.S. from Asia. While we were visiting Vietnam, I was enthralled by the beautiful handmade artisan items that were so readily available and the craftsmanship with which they were created. The iconic lanterns permeating the landscape of HoiAn filled my heart with joy and inspired my creativity in a way I cannot adequately describe. Their vibrant colors by day and illuminating beauty by night was enchanting. This was the first sketch I had created in quite some time and it was a promise to myself that once life settled down after our impending move, I would intentionally return to my work as an artist. These marks were literally the first steps towards grounding a dream and creating a new reality, from within the pages of my old college sketchbook. I am pleased to offer this piece as a print reproduction, which combined with the quality of the ink and paper, beautifully maintains the integrity of the original sketch.

• Subject Matter: Lanterns