I spent six weeks on an art and hiking expedition to Spain in the summer of 2025. The Pyrenees Trail took me on foot from the town of Somport to my destination of Benasque. By train I explored Barcelona in Catalonia, Zaragoza in Aragon, Bilbao in Basque Country, and on to Madrid.
In Madrid I met up with other artists. We gathered to draw interesting buildings and people in the city. Cerveza and olives were the customary social finish to those group outings. We also went on excursions from Madrid to Toledo, Avila and Segovia.
My interactions with locals were the highlight of my trip. It’s hard to say what was my favorite place. Each has its unique character. The backpacking and mountain scenery were phenomenal. (Thanks to hiking friends well met from Hungary who tipped me off about this trail.) The remote villages were unbelievably charming and uncrowded. The Guggenheim in Bilbao was a bucket list item for me. And having an apartment in Madrid with no agenda, living three weeks like a local, was a five star life experience. Madrid is rich in art, architecture and history.
I’ve chosen six drawings from Spain to become a series of hand-printed, limited-edition serigraphs. The first edition in the series will be of Torla, a tiny village on the doorstep of the Parque Ordesa y Monte Perdido Natural Park, known as Spain’s Grand Canyon.
On a walk outside the village of Torla I took a side trail down toward the Rio Ara far below me. An opening in the trees gave me an incredible vantage point from which to sketch and photograph the church complex perched on a cliff with the Ordesa Canyon in the distance and an afternoon thunderstorm brewing in the blue sky above.
I’ll start releasing prints in January, 2026. You will be able to acquire individual prints, or subscribe to the series of six. In addition, I’ll have greeting cards printed so you can share your new addition with friends far away.
