Notes from the Road Travelogue

French Polynesia Sketch Journal

Moleskine Journal Sketches and notes from the Tuamoto Archipelago and the Society Islands.

I used a medium-sized Moleskine journal while traveling to French Polynesia. I used waterpens and my waterproof watercolor case to make sketches, and also used this journal as my rough draft for my story, Tikehau in the Tuamotus.

These pages are a messy representation of my writing process and my visual process while traveling. I use these journals to 1) help organize my travel 2) write an outline of my story 3) sketch out ideas for illustrations or photo compositions 4) write down interviews or other details from my travels I may forget and 5) make sketches to help capture something for my final notes.

In Tahiti and Tikehau, I tried to keep a consistent theme, using bold colors while not worrying too much about how watercolors landed on the page.

French Polynesia travel notes A rough sketch of a white tern and Polynesian fish hook from my sketchbook Sketch and notes of a Polynesian tool in my journal Simple bird sketch from my Polynesia notes Sketch of a coconut crab from my Polynesia journal Sketch of a Polynesian pounder tool used to mash grains Quick sketch of a Polynesian pounder Gray-backed tern and bay cedar sketches Sketch of noni fruit from my Polynesia journal Jellyfish sketch from my French Polynesia journal Polynesian tool sketch from my French Polynesia journal Red-footed booby sketched in my Polynesia journal Tikehau atoll map sketch Polynesian pounder sketch on beige page Berries sketched in my Polynesia sketchbook Setting anchor in a blue lagoon in Tikehau atoll sketch Pacific reef heron sketched on site between motus in Tikehau

Explore more in Oceania

Paddling Kealakekua Bay

In Hawaiʻi's luminous bluewater bay, I imagine the clash of an ancient Hawaiian battle.

Tikehau in the Tuamotus

On a remote Tuamotu atoll, a ringworld of coral life thrives at the edge of the Pacific.

Roundup, Reefs, Runoff and the Hanalei Valley

In Kauaʻi's Hanalei Valley, agricultural runoff casts a long shadow over coral reefs.

Kauaʻi Sketchbook

Field illustrations and travel notes from valleys, reefs, and rain on Kauaʻi.

Kauaʻi Moleskine Journal

Ink and watercolor studies from the north shore's cliffs and coves.

French Polynesia Sketch Journal

Sketchbook pages from the Tuamotu and Society Islands—coral, lagoon, and light.

Explore Northeast Asia

Euljiro: Memory Origin Space

Quiet alleys, strange economies, and the fading persistence of Seoul's small workshops.

Korea Sketches

Field drawings and urban studies from cities, coastlines, and countryside across Korea.

Ganghwa Island: Treaties in the Tidelands

Tidal flats, international treaties, and a meditation on cooperation in an age of isolation.