How Travel Expands an Artist’s Vision
Travel has been very important to my artistic vision for over 10 years at this point. I first created a series of art inspired by my travels to Japan, and then most recently by my trip to Scotland. While I believe artists can (and do) find inspiration close to home, sometimes it is important to get away and broaden your horizons by visiting unfamiliar places and being inspired by all of the wonderful new (to you) things out there to see.
When I travelled to Japan I got to experience a land and culture very different than the one I was used to. Travel allowed me to explore new places, see lots of new things, and experience a different way of life. From that experience I was able to slow down and notice all of the textures, lights, and moods that made Tokyo and Kyoto so unique. I was able to create a series of art that began my exploration of the landscape as well as my fascination with taking the time to slow down and really experience the areas around me and all the little details I wouldn’t have noticed when I was rushing from one place to another.
My experience was similar with my travels to Scotland. What was fascinating about Scotland was the combination of a bustling city filled with historic architecture and the vase landscape with a range of stunning oceanscapes, largely untouched valleys spread out between mountain ranges, and beautiful plant life. Because of my experience touring the areas I was able to while on that trip I was able to appreciate a whole different source of inspiration.
I don’t have another trip planned yet, but having had the experience of traveling and seeing so many awe-inspiring, unique places allowed me to then view the areas closer to home with a new approach and sense of appreciation. I am able to take a walk through areas I’ve been before, and because I had the experience of a traveler, see these familiar places with a sharper, more observant eye, and then take those observations and create art from them. My current series is inspired by places I’ve travelled to in my immediate region, and I definitely think being able to draw on what I learned in my travels was helpful when creating it.
I look forward to seeing new things, whether they’re somewhere I’ve been before or haven’t ever been to, and I hope my work encourages that feeling in my viewers too.