I’ve just come back from a short trip to the Galena Territory, a beautiful part of western Illinois that reminds me of Ireland – the way you can come around a bend and are suddenly struck with awe at a vista that seems to be from another place.

I generally cocoon up in a peaceful house or condo about 15 minutes from the quaint downtown, but always take time to stop in to Rustic River Finds.  Every time I go, they have slightly tweaked their inventory to match changes in the preferences of their local and visiting customers.

I was delighted this time to find a stack of art workbooks.  The How to Draw series from Alli Koch has a bunch of titles that say “for kids”, but I disagree.  And then there are the themed watercolor workbooks in the series by Emily Lex Studio.  I did not succeed in restraint, but I did leave some titles behind for next time.  Or, if I can’t wait, they are all available on Amazon and probably elsewhere.  In my mind, they will make great gifts, assuming they aren’t full of my own doodles and drawings by the time birthdays and holidays come around.