Artistic Inspiration on the Danube

Artistic Inspiration on the Danube

 

Writer and illustrator Angela Staehling identified her inventive inspiration with us this past April aboard Heart of the Danube: Bavaria to Budapest – and chronicled her journey in a sequence of illustrations, completely capturing the essence of the river cruise in her art! She shared her story with us in a latest job interview:

 

Q & A with Angela

Bratislava illustration

Q. It seems to be like this is your 1st time traveling with Tauck, how did you listen to about us?

A. My husband is a travel agent and is aware of that Tauck has constantly been a person of the leading models in luxurious journey. A Tauck river cruise has been on our bucket checklist for yrs, and ideally this will be the 1st of several extra Tauck journeys to come.

 

Q. You have a playful, eye-catching, type of art – can you inform us how you explain it?

A. My art design has transformed rather a bit over the many years. I have been designing home décor and reward solutions for above 20 several years and my design has progressed from extremely-sensible to a extra exciting, colorful illustration. Now, I delight in illustrating in a a lot looser fashion with daring, vivid hues. While a whole lot of my art has a regular model, I do operate in a variety of mediums and other models. I also perform with numerous clientele on job-centered art and my variations will alter to meet up with their wants.

 

Q. Why did you decide on to vacation with us on The Heart of the Danube river cruise?

A. With so quite a few tour alternatives in Europe, we decided to get started with one particular of the staples, that currently being The Heart of the Danube. Although Munich, Vienna, and Budapest are a couple of of our preferred metropolitan areas, we never ever experienced a likelihood to take a look at some of the lesser towns together the river. We realized that Tauck’s various tour options and tour manual connections would let us embrace the location in a far more personal way.

 

Biking along the DanubeQ. You were evidently influenced by what you observed cruising alongside the Danube, can you inform us a little bit about the feelings you had and what inspired you to sit down and generate Even though you were being touring?

A. I extensively appreciated our Danube cruise as there were being so numerous picturesque towns and pastoral landscapes from which to gather inspiration. The calming pace of the journey permitted me to carve out time to illustrate though savoring the sights. Quite a few times, I would go for a walk and check out the very little villages with our tour team, or even on your own, getting quite a few pics along the way. I would even go for a bicycle ride with one particular of the on-board bikes to soak in as considerably of the countryside as probable together our quite a few stops. When I was not expecting to get as significantly illustration done when touring as I did, I was joyful to squeeze in a several renderings even though on board. Of course, I took a lot of pics to use as reference for potential illustrations while I’m at house.

 

Angela illustratingQ. We recognized you had been applying a exclusive sort of pen for your river cruise operate, is that your usual medium, and if you have far more, what’s your preferred?

A. I obtained a selection of paint markers from Blick Art Materials before our journey. I typically operate with liquid acrylic paints back again dwelling, but understood that liquid paints would be tricky to journey with. I required to uncover an art medium that would be easier to tote around, yet have the exact opaque fashion that I am utilized to performing in. I ordered a selection of marker colours and measurements from Posca and Molotow brands and was quite delighted with the similarity in physical appearance to true paints.

 

Q. Do you typically consider your function on the street with you and produce when you travel?

A. I do try and take a sketchbook with me anytime I journey. Nonetheless, it is not usually straightforward to obtain the time to illustrate while traveling. The finest situations for me to illustrate although traveling are ordinarily when I’m commuting, these types of as on a airplane, train, or boat, in this circumstance. If we have downtime at a lodge, or other accommodation, I will test to illustrate a location from our travels.

 

Q. Exactly where will you journey up coming?

A. We have a relatives journey this summer to Iceland, Copenhagen, and Sweden. We are touring with another spouse and children and are hoping to check out other mates who dwell in the area.

 

Q. Have you generally been an artist? Or is this a thing that came to you later in lifetime?

A. I have always cherished illustrating ever considering the fact that I was a little one. I received my diploma in Graphic Layout from the College of Illinois and labored in several marketing organizations out of faculty. Following about five decades operating as an artwork director, I shifted my occupation to portray murals in peoples’ homes and companies. I also designed commissioned artwork and would promote original paintings in regional shops. Shortly later on, I found out the planet of artwork licensing, in which I would create layouts and license my artwork to house decor producers. These producers make items this sort of as dinnerware, stationery, wall artwork, and textiles, and offer to merchants around the environment. I keep on to operate with these companies today to license my artwork on this sort of home decor goods. Furthermore, I develop and provide some of my possess solutions by means of my website and Etsy Shop.

 

Q. You have just prepared and illustrated a reserve “How to Pet a Cat” is that your to start with? Tell us about that course of action.

A. “How to Pet a Cat” is my second e book. My initial guide is called, “Happy Houseplants”. I have a adore for cats, vegetation, and of training course, travel. So producing and illustrating a e book about these topics is a aspiration arrive accurate for me! It only looks fitting that I operate on some travel publications before long – that is my desire! The course of action of creating and illustrating a reserve is definitely a function of artwork in alone. There is a large amount of time and investigation that goes into the producing, as properly as creating the artwork. I was fortunate to collaborate with 1 of the top publishers of very best-selling gift and artwork books, Chronicle Publications. My How to Pet a Cat ebook is now offered by means of most on the net and brick and mortar outlets, like Barnes & Noble, Concentrate on, and Amazon.

 

Q. How can men and women see and discover out extra about your artwork?

A. You can look at my perform on my web page, AngelaStaehling.com and Etsy Store please never be reluctant to attain out by my website in this article, or my email at: [email protected]

Angela can also be identified on Instagram and Facebook

 

Angela cruising and illustrating