In media, literature and art Scotland exudes a feeling of nostalgia, for times long past, wanderlust, the urge to travel and see all the sights for yourself, and solitude from the vast landscapes can give a sense that you’re just a small part in this world.

One part of a day trip we took through the Highlands near Inverness was a ride on the Jacobite Steam Train. About halfway through the trip we stopped at a station in Glenfinnan for a short break.

When I think of the day trips I made to the Isle of Sky to see the sights of the Scottish Highlands I think about classic British novels that spoke of the wonder of the moody highlands - the Heather lining the moors, the crashing waves in the cold Northern ocean, the towering cliffs look over vast land.

Towards the end of our 2nd day trip through the Highlands we stopped in a little town called Kyleakin Bay for a short break.

Growing up reading and watching novels and movies set in the UK I knew I would likely experience some overcast and moody days when I visited Scotland. I would say the weather during our trip was perfect. We got to see bright and sunny days as well as some cloudy days that accentuated the moodiness of the landscapes we saw.

The Highlands in Scotland were a breathtaking experience. Admittedly we only got to spend a couple days exploring, but what we did see was very memorable and inspiring. The roads wound through passes that were lined with mountains, valleys, lochs, and towns abundant with beautiful older houses that fit in with the surrounding landscape perfectly. We saw many different autumnal flowers and plants as well as farmland rich with sheep and Highland cows.

My latest completed series was inspired by a trip I took to Scotland and all of the breathtaking places I saw when I was there.

When I am planning a new series I usually am planning it based on a certain place or exploring a certain local area.

Scotland has been one of those places that I wanted to travel to for years. I’ve always loved English literature, art and movies, so I always wanted to visit the UK at some point, but a few years ago I started to look into my family history, and I found out that I have some ancestors from Scotland, so that was intriguing to me and made me want to go more on a personal level.

There are so many things to enjoy about painting in the Philadelphia area, whether it is in the city itself or in the neighborhoods around the edge of city. Over the past 10’ish years I have created a number of paintings set in Philly, and there is something to admire about all of them.

The materials I use to create my paintings are very important in the success of my pieces. Over the years I’ve found the brands and types that I prefer best, and I tend to stick to them, although I do enjoy experimenting with different mediums and tools every now and then to see if there’s anything new (at least to me) that I’d like to start incorporating into my practice.

Whether you’re a painter or just someone looking to explore some areas in Philly, here are some of my favorite painting areas in the city, and some paintings that were inspired by them.

I’ve been focusing on landscapes as my subject for over 10 years now. Before I transitioned to this subject matter I mostly painted figures. I would often include a setting behind the person, but it was never the focal point of the painting. That changed in 2014 when I started focusing more on the landscape in my paintings.

Recently I resumed working on a painting that I started years ago. I found it when I was going through my rolls of past paintings, and I decided to finish it for myself. Read on for my thoughts on creating art just for yourself.

The last painting I completed was titled Summertime Gardening in the city. It was inspired by a walk I took last summer when I was gathering photo references for my current collection in progress.

About My Most Recent Series Based On My Travels Around Scotland

About a recent trip I took to the Metropolitan Museum of Art