I am not a sketcher. At least I didn't think I was until I had the privilege of taking an urban sketching tour in Spain led by Taria last April. My wife, an avid fan of sketching, encouraged me to join her on the trip. I was not hip on the idea. Then I thought, "why not?", especially since it was advertised that no experience was necessary. It turned out to be a lovely trip full of drawing and seeing the world from a different perspective. Light, color, antiquity, culture, and fantastic architecture made this the experience of a lifetime! I caught the bug, or should I say the bug caught me and "guess what?" I learned that with a little guidance and direction from Taria, and a lot of encouragement from my new-found friends, I could indeed sketch! So it is that I can now draw something with my pencil, go over it with ink, and add a little water color and actually have something enjoyable to look at! It's all such a gift and a new way to see and love the world! For me, Sketching Spain was even a little more than that. I made some very nice friends in the process, fellow skechers, and a wonderful tour guide. Many thanks to Taria and for sharing her amazing gift of bringing things to life on the page and her welcoming spirit!