There are many different places in Philadelphia to find inspiration when it comes to painting landscapes. Whether it’s Center City, Old City, West Philadelphia, or the Schuylkill River area near Fairmount Park, I’ve included scenes from each in my paintings. 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.
Fitler Square
When I am looking for some visual inspiration for paintings set in Philadelphia I always make sure to take a walk around the Fitler Square area near Rittenhouse Square. I love all of the brick and stone buildings that are prevalent in that area. There is something about how they look that makes me feel nostalgic and gives me a calm feeling. I also love how the sight of the sun shining over a roof top can create a visually appealing moment and cause me to take a break and just look around to appreciate the sights. There are also a bunch of houses with their own potted plants and sidewalk gardens outside their front doors, and they lend themselves to a meditative walk.
Old City
In addition to also having a lot of buildings with my coveted brick facades I also find Old City appealing because of the combination of pops of color from painted walls with historical architecture mixed in. There is a lot of history present in Old City, and every time I walk around there I admire all of the architecture that is still present from years past. In addition to having existing architecture from many years ago, I find it interesting to document changes to neighborhoods as time goes by. What I see and paint from a walk through the area may not be there a year or so later. I’m not always super impressed with the new buildings, but I enjoy that my paintings can capture a moment in time where you see the age of the neighborhood on any given day and how quickly things can change.
West Philadelphia
West Philadelphia has a diverse assortment of architecture and landscapes to keep my eyes busy when I’m walking or riding my bike through the neighborhood. Like all neighborhoods in Philly you have a wide assortment of historic architecture that celebrate the history of the houses in the neighborhood, interspersed with houses where the owner allowed their own aesthetic to inform how they updated their houses to suit themselves. For example, you may see a brick house standing next to another Victorian house that has a bright color painted on part of it. These sort of contrasts give West Philly a fun artsy vibe that I like.
Schuylkill River / Fairmount Park
One of the things I most enjoy about depicting the Schuylkill River area of the city is that I can see a lot more natural areas, from the river itself, to the trees and parks surrounding it. However, even though the more natural areas are abundant, you can’t forget that it is part of a city. The hard lines of buildings, roads and bridges often jut out of the landscape suddenly, or are visible from a distance. It’s a nice way to see the influence of humanity on the landscape around it and to compare and contrast how they look with the natural world around them.
As I work on new paintings I get to explore even more areas of the city and communities surrounding it. I enjoy being able to capture a moment in time and bring those moments to the viewer to also enjoy. Do you have a favorite place in Philly or in the city or town you live?