Traveler's Diary
Summer 2025
My summer became a journey of places, light, and inspiration — from Virginia marshes to European streets and pine woods. Here are the paintings and moments that came from it. For purchasing, please, contact me.
Gloucester, Virginia
My summer began with the Invitational Gloucester Arts Festival in Gloucester, VA, USA. I am honored to have received the Best in Show Award at the Gloucester Art Festival Mathews Paint Out for my painting Marsh Life.
To see the paintings I created during the festival, click here The weather did not cooperate, so it was challenging to find both a good rain cover and an inspiring view. Still, the show looked fabulous, and painting alongside top plein air artists gave me a great creative boost. Right after the event, a new adventure started in Europe.
To keep my travels in Europe simple, I brought only gouache paints and two watercolor sketchbooks. For an easel, I improvised using an old laptop case mounted on an aluminum tripod. The setup was light, compact, and easy to carry.
Girona, Spain
Girona is a historic city in Catalonia, northeast of Barcelona, with roots dating back to the 11th century. As most European cities it has a notable mix of styles, colorful Mediterranean buildings, Romanesque, Gothic, Art Nouveau and Modern. It has a beautiful old city with massive defensive walls with observational towers. There is a popular walking route around the city that offers spectacular panoramic views. Some of my paintings were created along that path. The atmosphere was made even more pleasant by the sounds of live music from street performers and the warmth of the local people. To my delight, the weather was dry and sunny every day. I believe the combination of dry air and strong sunlight created a beautiful bouncing light that I tried to capture in my work.
To see more paintings click here
Schilderfestival, Noordwijk, Netherlands
Noordwijk is a serene coastal town, offering a perfect blend of stunning beaches, traditional Dutch architecture, and modern amenities. The theme of this year’s Schilderfestival was “Art is a Journey.”
I asked myself how I might interpret this. Since I had traveled from another country, each painting felt like part of my journey, an exploration of a new place, its culture, its language, and the unique people I met. I also reflected on the idea of time-travel. I searched for scenes where old windmills, canals, and traditional fields merged with elements of the present day: airplanes, boats, bicycles, cars, and even a carousel wheel. The weather brought every variation imaginable: sunshine, rain, and stormy winds. For me, the ocean and clouds symbolized both travel and the unpredictability of any journey, so they naturally found their way into my work. Still, no story feels complete without people, so I was grateful to take advantage of the life model sessions the festival provided. Wind itself became a constant companion, both a challenge and a perfect metaphor for the journey. Time passed quickly, but the experience opened doors to new friendships, new ways of seeing, and fresh inspiration.
Intrigued to see more paintings from this trip? Click here.
Caen, Luc-sur-Mer, Cabourg, France
Normandy is a geographical and cultural region in northern France, inhabited since Paleolithic times. Despite its long history of wars and changing rulers, the region still retains a rural character, with Norman and French Romanesque buildings scattered across grasslands and farmlands, interrupted by gentle hills.
As I traveled through Normandy and encountered cities that had been destroyed and rebuilt, it was impossible not to think of D-Day and the enormous sacrifices of soldiers in WWII. In places where restoration had taken place, it was fascinating to see how fragments of original structures were delicately integrated into new reconstructions.
Painting in Normandy gave me a deeper appreciation of the Impressionists. The weather shifts rapidly, and I witnessed the fleeting moments that those artists had captured long before me. It felt natural to move from focusing strictly on the subject to exploring personal expression, hinting at the essence of a view rather than polishing every detail. Decisions had to be made quickly, and the results depended on my own skill and instinct.
Another lesson emerged: there is no need to rush. One can reach any destination at a slower pace, enjoying life and being present in the moment. I indulged in unforgettable coffee, local pastries, creamy desserts, seafood, and the region’s famous apple cider. I cannot remember a time when I felt both so happy and so productive.
If you’d like to see the many paintings I created in Normandy, click here.
Tallinn, Estonia
I continued my quest for cooler weather in Estonia, beginning in Tallinn, the capital with its stunning medieval old town, vibrant culture, and rich Baltic history.
Because of an unusual heatwave, I spent little time in the city itself. Instead, I stayed at a summer house in Rannamõisa, a peaceful pine-wooded area just outside Tallinn. The setting was quiet and simple, surrounded by nature and the rhythm of summer life. It was berry harvest season, and the sight and taste of berries on the bushes brought back vivid childhood memories. Inspired by this atmosphere, I painted scenes of the woods, the berries, and the rustic summer houses scattered among the pines; trying to capture the charm of this slower, more grounded way of living.
See the other paintings click here.