Today’s Mini Vacations art cards take us to Taormina and Venice.

Palazzo dei Duchi di S. Stefano, Taormina

Over the years, my husband and I have taken separate vacations due to our job holidays not coinciding. His first solo trip took him to Sicily, where he rented a car and drove all over the island. He came home with many selfies taken with the people he met in hotels, restaurants, local attractions and even parking lots! He loved the warmth of the Sicilian people. Sprinkled among the selfies were some shots of the beautiful architecture, historical sites and landscape. Chose this photo for an art card from the tourist town of Taormina – the Palazzo dei Duchi di Santo Stefano. This gorgeous building, once the 14th-century home of Spanish aristocrats, now houses a small art gallery and event facilities. Having a wedding here would be a dream! Hope to one day get there to draw it in person!

Venetian Balconies – sold

Ten years ago a cherished friend and I took a trip to Italy to celebrate her victory over breast cancer. We ended this amazing trip with 4 days in Venice at the beginning of May when it wasn’t quite so overrun with tourists. We stayed at a great family hotel in San Marco (even though most guidebooks say not to) and each time we left our hotel, we were greeted with this sight of a well-worn building with its many white balconies filled with flowers. We never ascertained if it was a hotel or a private residence, but it always caused us to stop and take more pictures of it. I must have a dozen of them! A memorable sight and vacation!

(The Mini Vacations series is a project I’ve undertaken for the first part of 2016. My goal is to draw and paint 100 small 2.5″ x 3.5″ art cards before the end of July, in time for a local art show. For a recap of my progress, follow along with the slideshow on the right, or see the gallery on my Instagram feed.)