Travel Photography - Pastoral + Mountainous Landscapes

 Whether I travel to far-afield locales or domestically, I often gravitate to non-urban environs. These are a few of my photographs that focus on some of my favorite subjects: sky, mountains and trees.

I derive a sense of comfort from nature.

Trails that thread through mountainous terrain into cozy villages and hamlets offer so many possibilities.

Unlike when I’m in most urban environs, when I’m traveling in the mountains, moody weather makes for a joyful experience.

The trees breathed energy into this bucolic scene that I wandered into.

Trees dominate my thoughts.

Watercolors + Collages from My Travels - Part 3

For me, writing, painting and taking photographs are a way to still the mind and remain present centered, even when the world is in turmoil. My art work - whether watercolors or collage - reflects the creative process, my travels and, especially, my love affair with nature. 

Sometimes creative ideas rush into my mind like a gust of wind.

2020 has conjured up a mix of extreme emotions.

Eyeing the world and loving all its differences.

Inspired by my many trips to Portugal where I visited medieval hilltop villages.

When the night is the darkest is when some of my most creative ideas bloom.

 

Watercolors - Scenes from New Mexico

As a travel writer and a photographer, I’m particularly fond of the American Southwest. The colors in the nature scape as well as in the man made structures and art galleries are what I gravitate to.

Below are two of my watercolors.

All of my photographs and paintings are available for sale as prints. Contact me through this website for inquiries.

A Santa Fe scene from an original by Bill Sortino.

Journeys on the road from Chama, New Mexico - from an original by Kay Harvey.

Photos - Travels in Rhinebeck, NY

Originally settled in the 17th century, the historic village of Rhinebeck in New York’s Hudson Valley is a beauty. Wander its streets to explore the various architectural styles, from Gothic Revival to Queen Anne, while shopping, browsing or sampling the farm-to-table cuisine.

Named for the many authors, including Washington Irving, who are said to have strolled this scenic property set along the Hudson River in Rhinebeck, NY, Poets’ Walk Park (including this grand gazebo) can’t help but engender inspiration for all who walk the trails through field and forest.

Though Ferncliff Forest in Rhinebeck, NY often attracts those whose sole desire is to climb the 80-foot-high fire tower for its panoramic Hudson Valley views, I prefer exploring the network of trails that course pass ponds and through dense woodland.

In Ferncliff Forest, the 80-foot-high fire tower attracts those who desire dramatic views of the Hudson Valley. But, for me, ambling through the woodlands offers the intimacy with nature that I crave.

Expansive Ferncliff Forest offers several idyllic picnic spots like this one beside a small pond.

Along the network of trails lacing idyllic Poets’ Walk Park in Rhinebeck, NY, shady expanses deep in woodland quickly turn to sun-splashed fields and meadows.