Woman on a Chair (Blue and Orange), by Ciana Pullen

Woman on a Chair (Blue and Orange) by Ciana Pullen. Figure drawing from life, chalk pastel, 2009.

Boat Scene on the Canal Saint Martin, Paris, photo by Ciana Pullen

Boat Scene on the Canal Saint Martin, Paris. Photo by Ciana Pullen, 2014

While most tourists take boat tours down the Seine, a boat tour of the Canal St. Martin is a lesser known (and cheaper) but still very interesting thing to do in Paris. It will take you through the Seine and past the Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis, but turns off down the canal commissioned by Napoleon. You'll go through an incredible 19th century underground tunnel, a series of locks, and a beautiful neighborhood popular with more local Parisians than tourists. I took this near one of the locks to capture the perfect blue and black lines and shapes.

Reeds in Water, photograph by Ciana Pullen

Reeds in Water, San Juan Islands, Washington. Photo by Ciana Pullen, 2009.

Reeds in Water, San Juan Islands, Washington State. Photo by Ciana Pullen. This camping and hiking island paradise neighbors the Orcas Islands. Simply take a ferry from Seattle through the Straight of San Juan. From the highest peak on the island you can easily see the islands of the Canadian border to one side and the Cascade Mountains of Washington State on the other. Summer is the best time to go.