I grew up in a relatively small town in Vermont. The landscape was filled with areas of natural beauty, from small quiet ponds surrounded by summer cottages, woods filled with huge old trees, mountain ranges you could see from near and far, lush fields that were sometimes just green grass expanding untouched, and some filled with crops and animals, evidence of the state’s expansive farmlands. I grew up being immersed in this natural wonderland. Although I loved (and still do) that to grow up in, when I went to college I wanted to experience a different sort of life. The city called for me, and from the options I had I ultimately chose Philly to spend my college years and then to continue as an adult.
Washington Square Park in Center City during the Autumn.
Philly has changed quite a bit since I moved here in 2002, but in some ways it is also the same. You have a city rich in history that is both internal and external. There are many historic buildings and landscapes in the area to appreciate. You can see the history in the streets, from the cobblestones remaining in some streets, and the trolley tracks that eventually became unused when buses took on more routes . You have stone and brick homes and buildings that have been preserved and remodeled over the past 250+ years. Although there is a lot of contemporary architecture you often see buildings that have original signage or details that were built upon to create the building as it now can be seen.
These were some shots I took on a walk around the city that I feel encapsulate the magic you can see while walking around Philadelphia. There's so much history and beautiful architecture to draw your eye to.
A temple in Tokyo with skyscrapers surrounding it.
When I started painting landscapes and cityscapes as an adult I was inspired by my 2014 trip to Tokyo. The combination of history and the new was evident everywhere, on top of the awe of seeing a place that looked so different in many ways than where I grew up and even from Philadelphia. I wanted to show everyone how that looked and hoped they’d appreciate it too and would want to know more.
After I finished my Japan series I decided to take my focus much closer to home. For my first collection of Philadelphia paintings I walked around the city, starting in my former neighborhood of Pennsport and making my way west to Fitler’s Square through Rittenhouse Square. There was so much to see and appreciate that I decided to explore different neighborhoods and continued the series.
By painting these houses I want to bring people’s attention to the ways little moments can really influence how you see a building, and how if you take a little time to really look around you can see all the little moments that become a work of beauty.