Where the wild things limp

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Under the watchful eye of an elephant | Photo by Lauren Girardin It’s near impossible to visit Chiang Mai, Thailand and not spend every day checking something off the traveler’s list of must-dos. It seems as lazy and cliché as…

Be not afraid of fermented fish

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Pad thai ingredients | Photo by Lauren Girardin In 2005, Todd’s brother Joshua and our freshly minted sister-in-law Sutay spent over a year on an extended multi-continental honeymoon. When they settled into Chiang Mai, Thailand for a month of tranquilo…

Gold foil and temple guardians – Art from Chiang Mai

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View of Wat Phra Singh, chiang Mai, ThailandSOLD, mixed media on paper, 8″ x 10″ At first, Raja wanted to commission a drawing of rusting war artillery in Vietnam, but his wife Sarah convinced him that a drawing of temples…

Before I kick your ass, may we dance?

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Teen Muay Thai fighter | Photo by Lauren Girardin What you want, Chiang Mai‘s got, whether it’s mini-skirted, fake-boobed, pool-hustling hookers; the lulling kneading of a three dollar foot massage; a new wardrobe of cheap designer knock offs; a gluttonous…

And Kala devours it all – Art from Bangkok

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And Kala Devours it All, Bangkok, ThailandSOLD, mixed media on paper, 8″ x 10″ When my friend Travis commissioned a drawing of Bangkok, Thailand, he gave me an interesting assignment: “What I remember best about traveling is observing the commotion…

Missionaries, mercenaries, and misfits

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Stylish street food cart | Photo by Lauren Girardin For most people, Bangkok is their first encounter with Southeast Asia. The months-ago closing of Thailand‘s southern Pattaya airport due to political protests made Todd and I wary of banking on…

Drawings inspired by in-flight magazines

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Sad Puppy – $5, marker on paper, 9.5″ x 6″ After a family wedding in Newark, Ohio, Lauren and I were ready to go home. We didn’t realize it would take 14 hours to get there. How much entertainment can…

We interrupt these global tales to bring you a story about Ohio

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Biggest basket, really more just a building though| Photo by Lauren Girardin Miss us? Blame some intense family time, the social insanity that is San Francisco in August, and the pressure of of searching for a job during a recession…

Know before you go: Responsible travel in Cambodia

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Sign at Angkor Park | Photo by Lauren Girardin Before Todd and I left on our round-the-world trip, we debated whether or not we wanted to visit certain countries, concerned that money we spent would help support a repressive government…

Skulls, sand, and Garuda – Art from Cambodia

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I knew that I would find inspiration for artwork in the temples of Angkor, and I was not disappointed. Fantastic jungle trees twist around intricately carved ancient temples, slowly crushing them. Lauren and I spent three days biking around the…