Coconuts and karsts in my sketchbook – Art from Vietnam

Que Dua coconut
$65, mixed media and candy wrappers on paper, 8″ x 10″

I wanted new pictures in my head to go with the word “Vietnam.” I knew that my mental image of the country I got from war movies was out-dated and inaccurate, so as I traveled with Lauren, I kept my eyes and sketchbook open, ready for new impressions.

Now, when I hear “Vietnam,” I’ll think of the coconuts and round fishing boats of Mui Ne, the cascading rice terraces of Sapa, the serene lake in the midst of Hanoi‘s chaos, and the dramatic islands of Halong Bay. My art below shows just part of the Vietnam I experienced.

Want to buy one of the drawings shown below (and above)? Simply send an email to

with the title(s) of what you want and your mailing address. I’ll reply with payment instructions. First come, first served. If you don’t see exactly what you’re looking for, commission custom art or a postcard.

Price and availability is noted in each caption; price includes shipping. I’ll mark them as “SOLD” as it happens. Those marked “GIFTED” are already gone.

Titop island in Halong Bay
$65, mixed media on paper, 8″ x 10″

Mui Ne coconut tree with fishing boat
$15, marker on paper, 3.5″ x 5″

Portrait of a Mui Ne coconut tree
$65, mixed media on paper, 8″ x 10″

View of Hoi An, where Sarah and Jesse met
GIFTED, mixed media on paper, 10″ x 8″

Mekong house boats and fish farms
$15, marker on paper, 5″ x 3.5″

Tortoise Tower in Hanoi
$15, marker on paper, 3.5″ x 5″

Fairy Stream of Cat Cat
$15, marker on paper, 5″ x 3.5″

Paddling to the Perfume Pagoda
$15, marker on paper, 5″ x 3.5″

American tank in Khe Sanh
$15, marker on paper, 5″ x 3.5″

French artillery in Khe Sanh
GIFTED, marker on paper, 5″ x 3.5″

Drawing from the photograph ‘Afternoon Countryside’
$15, marker on paper, 3.5″ x 5″

From a bridge in Nha Trang
$15, marker on paper, 3.5″ x 5″

Abstract drawing (made in Mui Ne)
$15, marker on paper, 3.5″ x 5″

Mui Ne fishing boat
$65, mixed media on paper, 10″ x 8″

Floating through the market of Cai Rang
GIFTED, marker and pencil on paper, 6″ x 4″

The karsts of Tam Coc
GIFTED, marker and pencil on paper, 6″ x 4″

Halong Bay musician
$30, mixed media on paper, 6″ x 8″

Musician of the Tuong Theatre, Hanoi
$15, marker on paper, 3.5″ x 5″

Cruising through Halong Bay
$15, marker on paper, 5″ x 3.5″

Lauren rides a xe om in Sapa
$65, mixed media on paper, 10″ x 8″