40×40 / September in Spain

There’s nothing I love as much as seeing the depth and distance in the city: layers of buildings, with the sky in the background. This is a painting of an area in the center of Madrid. Colorful buildings, balconies, plants, and shuttered windows are the backdrop to city life, and sometimes—especially in Madrid!—you get peeks of the bright blue sky in the mix.

After living in Madrid and numerous visits back, I can say with certainty that it is my favorite city I’ve been to or lived in. It holds a place close to my heart.

I can envision this bright piece lighting up an area of your living room, office, or reading area where you need some color, inspiration, and an invitation to think beyond the four walls of your home.

20×20 in acrylic on canvas panel (1.5 inches deep)

Walking on the Camino de Santiago (also known as The Way of Saint James) in 2017 was such a beautiful experience (also, my feet hurt a lot!). It seemed like every direction I looked, there were endless green fields, a city popping up in the distance, or an ancient church on the side of the road. (Also, there is a wine fountain on the first stretch of the Camino, which is fun!) I loved looking out to see vistas dotted with trees, fertile fields, sheep, and roofs of an old city not too far away. And that is the inspiration for this piece: looking up and seeing a place to rest, but on the way, more beauty to wade through.

This piece is 8×11 with a slightly larger white border around the edge of the work and would work well in an 8×10 frame or matted to 8×10 inches.

8×11 in acrylic on thick acrylic painting paper.

Nearly a decade ago, I walked the first 100 miles of the Camino de Santiago with my husband to celebrate my 30th birthday. Though I didn’t make note of all the tiny towns we wandered through when I took some of my favorite pictures, I do have a map of everywhere we went and a photo book of where we were each day, so I have a little bit of a general idea of where I was. So, I can tell you this painting was inspired by somewhere between Zubiri and Pamplona! I loved coming across such beautiful scenes in remote little villages, and I had my camera ready to get some great shots.

I envision this piece somewhere in your home where you want to be reminded that beauty is sometimes in the most ordinary scenes, and somewhere that needs an infusion of greenery no matter what time of year it is.

20×20 in acrylic on canvas panel (1.5 inch depth)

Manzanillas is an ode to the simple, delicious Spanish olive. One of my favorite things about Spain is the slower pace, and the value of connection with people over a coffee, Fanta, or cold beer in a local cafe. I can hear the metal chairs scraping on the ground as you settle into your spot. People watching, a breeze, good conversation, and a drink in hand: it doesn’t get any better. And when you get a non-coffee drink, you usually get a small bowl of olives or potato chips on the side for free to accompany your drink. Oily, buttery little olives are a delicious accompaniment to a cold drink and conversation on a hot summer day.

You can get these in the US, but nothing compares to the whole experience in Spain. But getting this painting and hanging it in a place where you can enjoy a cold drink and a small bowl of olives with a friend just might come close.

11×14 acrylic painting on 1.5 inch deep wood panel. Sides are painted so it’s ready to hang.

Walking on theWalking on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, there is no shortage of beautiful things to see. Sometimes it’s an expansive vista, and sometimes it’s a little pot of flowers tucked behind an iron window covering. And don’t get me started on the colorful buildings. A pistachio-lime green, two-toned wall is a thing of beauty in and of itself, but the flowers add a little pop of contrast and color that make me so happy.

Add this little-but-mighty 8×8 wood panel (ready to hang with painted sides!) anywhere you need a little pop of joy and color in your life.

8×8 in acrylic on wood panel (0.75 inch depth). Ready to hang.