the housesitter/cat petter has been secured. the suitcase is out of the garage. the house is a wreck. someone’s ready to hit the road!
this is one of stockhom’s 14 islands. i’ve begun my adventure by detailing the island i will be living on for the next weeks. in a few days i’ll be there tramping my way across the city. hopping on the city busses, riding the metro, and catching as many ferries as possible. sending YOU dispatches from sweden. ican’tf***ingwait.
i’ll be stopping along the way of course to capture complex scenes like this one in my mini-sketchbook.
except this time instead of drawing from postcards i’ll be drawing real scenes around me! with real people! and unlike in the sketch above, i will do my best not to make my people look like standard poodles standing on their hind legs. see if you can find the honey bear, the man with falling down pants, and the lady with umbrella.
don’t attempt to navigate using one of my maps. you will get terribly lost. also some of the streets are misspelled. it was dark. i might have misplaced my glasses.
in the little notebook i’ll carry with me i’m planning some bus routes to try. taking busses in foreign cities excites me. hopefully i will not trip and fall on top of any frail old men.
the map above is the west half of the island i couldn’t fit on the page in the first map. it’s shaped more like a whale than a gourd, but they are actually the same island.
i just draw what i see.
i’m having a 15% off sale on ALL these classes (which are clickable links) while i’m off exploring in Sweden. think of it as a smorgasbord sale! be sure to click/enter the discount coupon code JULY15OFF at checkout in order for it to take effect.
sale in effect from july 4-24
see you in sweden!!!
Can’t wait to go on another adventure with you!
Hello Mary Ann,
I´m from sweden…I love maps. And I love your maps :). Please, visit “Mästar Mikaels Gata” and look at 300 year old houses.
Welcome to Sweden
/Nina
Standard poodles, frail old men, falling down pants – the map may be misleading, but what a way to live!
Your enthusiasm is so contagious! I can’t travel but your posts from faraway lands make me feel like I am there. Have you considered doing a course on mapmaking. I’ve always wanted to try but something holds me back. I love your maps, so colorful and inviting!
Travel well. Be BRAVE and if you trip on an old man on the bus say excuse me kind sir… I love foreign lands…I am with you in spirit
I love this kind of map! I think I might even be able to do one of those…well, maybe not but I like them anyway. You’ll love this trip and I’ll be watching along with the rest of the ground crew. My friend just came back from 2 weeks there and loved the people, the food, the forests, the water…well 98+% of everything.
I can’t help smiling as you’re a buss woman! yea to public transport for really seeing real life. 🙂
Safe travels and lots of wonderful experiences!
Have a wonderful time. Hope you have many pleasant adventures. Can’t wait to hear all about it as I wander around with you in your coat pocket…don’t worry I don’t take up much room.
I expect in a square that size, on any given day, it is entirely possible that you might see any one of the characters you have drawn. 😉 Bon voyage (or whatever the Swedish equivalent might be)!!
Aaaah……my good laugh of the day. I found all the mysterious “people” – like looking for Waldo. The brave journeying lady, who sets out in the world for adventure and the road less traveled. Go well, be blessed, have a wonderful time!
I can’t wait to see what you post from your adventure in Sweden! BTW…the Sewn link takes you just to the same pic…not to the class sign up. Maybe you can fix that before you leave…I’m considering it when I get my check at the middle of the month. I love your classes.
Have a wonderful trip!
Oh Mary Ann, have the best of times on your romps and cavorting in Sweden. Enjoy every second. I know you will 😉 I’m going to be tagging along in spirit and look forward to stories and pics. So excited for you, I’m jumping up and down, I know it’s been awhile since you’ve taken a trip abroad so happy, happy trails, be safe and have a super, uber blast of a time…and don’t forget to get in some serious relaxin’ and kick-backin’ xoxoox
Secret espionage maps! These will help cover your tracks when you heist all the amazing Swedish design items that are sure to demand heisting. Marvelous depictions of your fellow agents in the square also; the pope with the cassock is way underground 😉
Wishing you happy travels and a quiet seat neighbor on the plane.
The maps are truly outstanding and my inner 10yr old loves the little notebook/code book with your adventure routes!! So secret agent espionage!!! Please take a pic in proper spy disguise for your vicarious followers ;))))))
Missy from the bayou
WOW,LOVE those maps!!!!
Which class you recomend if I don`t have a sewing machine?? I took Sketchbookery class and love it!!! Best class I`ve taken!!!
Can`t wait to see your posts from abroad…
I will take Berlin next week with my daughter and Norway the next two with my puppy and my manfriend.
Enjoy drawing Stockholm and Sweden.
Are the Mossfamily from Sweden?
Welcome to Sweden! See you!
You have outdone yourself here! You could be a mapmaker….I just love it! Best wishes on your trip and have a fantastic time…I am so excited for you!!
Esos mapas? ….son fantásticos! Que ganas de ver más cosas de Stocolomo .
Holy smokes Batman, those maps are AWESOME! Bam!!! You nailed it!
Godspeed, Bon Voyage, have a rockin’ good time, “Happy Trails to YOU” until we meet again and TTFN. Most of all, have adventures!
XO
Oh boy, oh boy! I am so excited for your/our trip to start. Bon Voyage and all that wonderful stuff.
I found all of the people you mentioned PLUS the guy with the backpack and the pope in his cassock!
so exciting!! I feel like Im along for the trip!!!
I would really like to take a map drawing class from you 🙂 Please???
Your maps are beautiful…