10/20/2026
Travel can be one of the best ways to spark creativity. While on our Flavors of Northern Italy program, guest and professional artist Paula Brown captured some of her favorite on-tour moments through a series of sketches, preserving the memories that made this journey so meaningful.
We’re honored to share a few pages of her sketchbook as well as post-tour reflections below.
“My experience during the Flavors of Northern Italy tour was of wonderful stories spoken and felt, shared by talented people and families who have deep passion for their art of w**e, food, farms, and countryside. The flavor of sharing love! The Heart Stories of the people, the buongiaomo, traditions, buonasera, smiles, farms, vineyards, care, crafts, arts, w**e and food, now live in my heart for me to share and “be” the love and kindness I received.
This is an outstanding personal experience of all flavors in this wonderful region of Northern Italy. A gift for all my senses, connecting me up to the art, the purpose filled soul story journey of people and places.
Gracie Orbridge (Especially to Stefania our guide), and to all the faces, places, moments shared. Not just a “trip”. Not a journey simply to “go” places. It is a fun, personal, one-to-one handshake exploration of traditions, of trusting ones’ passion, whose “flavor” has touched my Heart Story!” — Paula Brown / Heartist
Illustration by Paula Brown / Heartist, www.paulabrowncreative.com, © 2026 Paula Brown
