I was storing some 5×7’s that had already been prepped with cyanotype solution, and one became slightly exposed to sunlight. I rinsed the solution off and was left with a pale cyan wash – the perfect watercolor-esque drawing surface. Layering on shades of Prismacolor marker and black & white charcoal, I created this little peek into the mountain village of Ta Van, Sapa.

While in Vietnam in December of 2016, this was one of our favorite parts of the country. We arrived at our homestay in the pouring rain, and heavy fog and clouds hung in the sky for most of our visit, but the overcast weather was perfect for long hikes through rice paddies and nights of tea and karaoke.

While most of the residences were scattered throughout the countryside, every so often in our hikes we would come across more densely populated village centers, like the one pictured here.