Hi, I’m Derrick! I’m an Australian artist and lover of travel. StickyMangoRice is my art project where I bring it all together, exploring the places I’ve been and places I want to go by recreating it in original artworks.
From studying buildings and landscapes, diving into fun cultural tidbits, exploring delicious foods, and recounting past adventures, art is a great way to celebrate travel. Whether I’m sitting at a canalside cafe in Amsterdam, lounging in a hammock in Langkawi, or scribbling in my sketchbook at home in Melbourne, I’ve always got travel on my mind.
Urban Sketching
There’s no better way to appreciate and discover a destination than by drawing all the colours, shadows, faces and details of a scene from one’s travels.
Why StickyMangoRice?
One morning, sitting for breakfast in Laos, breakfast arrived on our table, a sweet dish of sticky mango rice. It was gluey rice, cooked with coconut and sweetened with sugar, served in a small bowl with sliced mango.
It represented everything that I love about travel – it was colourful, it was vibrant, it invoked a sense of lightness, fun and vitality (and let’s not forget that food is one of the best things about travelling)!
Why do your old posts have photographs?
You’ll see my old photography in my early posts, from an era of humble beginnings before I switched my blog into an illustrated style. As the site grows I hope to one day convert them all to sketches.
Highlights from travelling
My biggest and most ambitious journey was in 2012, which was also the genesis for this site. I took 14 months off work to travel all around the world; starting in Australia, covering South-East Asia, Europe, a long stay in Montreal, Costa Rica and the USA.
I’ve also done an incredible road trip through 7 African countries in a 4×4, sketched crowds of Japanese businessmen in Tokyo, toured Iceland in a beat-up little Toyota, hiked through the Sri Lankan jungle to find a beautiful train bridge, and much more!
StickyMangoRice 
What tools do you use to create your illustrations?
I use Staedtler 0.3mm inkliner for my pen lines, and for the colouring I use Derwent studios.
Do you do any sketching too?
I came across your picture of French pastries, and I wanted to tag you in it on Instagram but I could not find your account. Please please please, I would love to see your beautiful drawings on Instagram. Thank you for your art ❤
Thanks for the nice message! You can find me on Instagram at Derrick_Sketches 🙂
I LOVE your sketch of french pastries! I can almost taste them!.
I would love to frame it for my kitchen. Would you sell a download if your sketch?
Hi Derrick,
I am currently working on a training for my company, and was browsing through the web looking for drawings of paintings that I could use to get my point across (graphs, charts with and without customized look and feel.
Your B&W sketch of Night Watch looks great, and I think I could use that (‘before’), and maybe the fully colored one as well (‘after’).
I am asking for your permission to use it/them, with naming you and/or your website as the source. What do you think?
Thanks,
Marton
Hi Marton, thanks for checking with me. Sure, you’re welcome to share my images, referencing my website. Cheers, Derrick
I would also love to purchase a print of the French pastries “poster” if you are selling them.
Hi Eva, I don’t have a print available at this stage, but I’ll let you know if I make one available.
Hi Derrick.
I love your travel artwork!!!!!!!!!! Is your artwork for sale?
I was in Japan in 1988 and loved Kyoto. I am doing a scrapbook of our trip and was researching some of the places that we saw and came across some of your Kyoto prints. They are amazing.
Ava
Thank you very much! I don’t have prints for sale at this time, but I’ll look into it in the future 😁