Sri Lanka

[aeshnidae]

Once again it's time to figure out what the heck to get my loved ones for the winter holidays. I've known my BFF for 38 years so gift-giving is especially challenging at this point! She and her hubby took a trip to Sri Lanka two years ago and they both still talk about it, so I'm making them a map of their trip.

I usually stick with a single water color but I want to incorporate the colors from photos of the trip, as well as the official colors from the Sri Lankan flag. Because the island is so lush, I also decided to add a base green color and will play around with that a bit. Obviously still lots and lots to do!

Please excuse all the handwritten notes; I should have hidden that layer before saving the draft as a .jpg.

### Latest WIP ###

[Diamond]

That's great work so far. I don't know about y'all, but a gift like this means more to me than just about anything store-bought.

[aeshnidae]

That's great work so far. I don't know about y'all, but a gift like this means more to me than just about anything store-bought.

Thanks, Diamond! I'm sure the gift will mean a lot to her (and her hubby) and it's nice to be able to make something. Because she's known me to be a terrible artist for 30+ years, she'll be surprised!

[bkh1914]

Looks like you're off to a great start.
And echoing what Diamond said:
It's impossible to beat a handmade gift that comes from the heart!

[Famous_Seamus]

This is so cool! I'm sure they'll love it. Will the final gift be poster-sized?

[aeshnidae]

Thanks, bkh1914! (And thanks for the feedback on my challenge map, it will definitely improve my maps.)

Here's the latest draft. Right now I'm focusing on my friends' itinerary. After that I'll probably add provinces and some other cities to balance out the text distribution. And trees, ugh.

### Latest WIP ###

[aeshnidae]

Getting closer to finishing, which is good since Hanukkah is almost over! My bestie and her family are having a holiday gathering today, so I've printed out the latest WIP on paper, with close-ups, and will be getting the canvas print shipped in the next few days. I just need to do some minor adjustments, mostly shift the island a bit to the NW so that I can add a legend, then see how it looks. I might also show their route across the island, but I've got dates so I'm not sure it's necessary.

### Latest WIP ###

[aeshnidae]

I think it's done!

[ChickPea]

Looks fab! Love the insets.

[aeshnidae]

Looks fab! Love the insets.

Thanks, ChickPea! I drew them based on my friend's photos from her trip.