This time last year, I was embarking on the vacation that inspired the twelve paintings in the Southern Spain Collection. During the course of this trip, I visited Madrid, Toledo, Granada, and Sevilla, gathering photos that I knew at some point I would translate into art.
That point came in March of this year when the COVID-19 pandemic swept America, and I realized that so much about my daily life was about to change. In those early months as New York City quickly became a ghost town, a sense of fear hung in the air, and I found comfort sorting through old photos from my Spain trip, deciding which ones to paint. Sitting down to paint these scenes felt like a mental vacation back to those memories. This collection of paintings was a source of life and color for me when things were at their most uncertain, and I hope that they have the same effect on anyone who sees them.
Town Framed by Mountains, 5x7" available
So what about this trip was so inspiring that I decided to make it the subject of my first ever collection of paintings? Where to begin! Let me start by explaining my style of travel. I’m a planner. (I don’t put too much weight in astrology, but my sun, moon, and rising sign are all Virgo, and I think that’s relevant to include here.) I love an itinerary, and I usually have my trips planned out moment by moment so I don’t miss anything. But this time, I came at things a little differently. I was traveling with my boyfriend who has a more laid back approach to travel, and we decided to try for the best of both worlds. I made lists for each city of a few must-sees, and then we used the rest of our time to wander the cities aimlessly, or to take a siesta. Taking things at a slower pace allowed me to relax and experience the places I was visiting in a way that filled me with creative energy--I even bought a cheap set of watercolors and paper at Flying Tiger on a whim to sit on our terrace in Granada and paint one afternoon!
The memories behind these paintings remind me of what I truly love about traveling: experiencing a new place. They transport back to that moment of “hold on, I’ve got to take a picture of this!” and give me the energized feeling I get when I’m on vacation taking in the sights and enjoying a departure from my day-to-day routine. Whether you have been to southern Spain or not, I hope that these paintings can give you that feeling and remind you of all the beauty that there is in the world.
Over the Rooftops, 5x7" available