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. I’ve always been interested and inspired by Art and Literature from the UK, but about 10 or so years ago I decided to research a bit about my family ancestry, and I discovered that I have ancestors who emigrated from Scotland to Vermont back in the 1700’s. After I discovered that I started thinking more about visiting Scotland to see it for myself and see where my ancestors came from. I also started watching the show Outlander, which inspired me even more to visit, with the gorgeous landscapes it featured.
When I was in Scotland we visited Edinburgh and Inverness. While we were in Inverness we not only explored the city but also took some day trips that allowed us to see parts of the Highlands, including the Isle of Skye. When I’m looking for inspiration before I create a new series of paintings I am keeping an eye out for evidence of history in the location I’m exploring as well as vibrant colors, and I’m always on the look for places that incapsulate the idea of old and new existing in the same place and informing how the current and future inhabitants of that place live and interact with that place.
All of these were present in Scotland. From Edinburgh’s city full of historic buildings, including a castle, to the lush gardens and natural scenery that was also present, there was a lot to inspire my eye. Beyond Edinburgh, Inverness also had many historic buildings and outdoor areas to explore, which were great to see, but not far from there were eye-opening landscapes featuring wide stretches of hills, valleys, mountains, lakes and canals. We didn’t get to explore it all by any means, but what we saw was certainly amazing, and while I was enjoying seeing and experiencing all of these places I knew I wanted to paint them to share that wonder with the people who would see my work.
Until that point my work was largely inspired by the cityscape, specifically in Philadelphia. I knew if I created paintings inspired by Scotland that I would be giving myself the chance to explore painting pastoral scenes, florals, oceanscapes, mountain ranges, and also some architectural pieces. This was a challenge that I welcomed and leapt into once I got started. My goal in creating and showing this series is to share with the viewer the range of emotions I felt when I experienced those places myself. From awe, to whimsy, to appreciation, to curiosity.