An award winning painter, published author, and world traveler, Deirdre West has combined her two passions into a series of illustrated travel memoirs. Her second book,
Painting a Visible Translation: An Artist's Journey From Italy to Morocco,
combines prose with the visual artistry of classical realist oil paintings as she travels to a country where she cannot speak either Arabic or French yet manages to hire locals as models with often amusing cultural misunderstandings as a result.
Deirdre begins her trip with a travel companion, decorated Army Captain Adrian, who struggles with reintegrating into society after deployment, then facing his memories as he travels to a Muslim country for vacation. With pathos and humor, the two embark on the journey of a lifetime which explores the balance of relationships with the pursuit of adventure.