Last fall, we had the pleasure of being able to go to Europe one last time before my parents moved away from Switzerland. We went intending to visit a few more iconic places in Switzerland, and for Wes to visit Paris for the first time. I have split this trip up into three posts to go with each of the three countries we visited. This is the post for Croatia, where we were able to spend a few days in Plitvice and Split. To read about the other stops on this trip, click here for Switzerland, and here for France.

*Recovering from a red eye flight on the Adriatic coast*

We flew into Split early in the morning from Geneva. It was so peaceful and quiet in the small Croatian town where we stopped to get lunch and a rental car. From there we drove the 2 hours to Plitvicka Jezera, or Plitvice Lakes National Park. While there we hiked on the boardwalks and saw beautifully clear blue pools of water and waterfalls. My goal was to paint at least once a day while we were there, and despite the narrow boardwalks and many tourists crowding them, I managed to get the two paintings I hoped for.

*Painting in Plitvice*

*I wanted to paint more, but it was next to impossible to find space to stop and set up without blocking the path. This little spot was a much appreciated respite from the narrow boardwalks and crowds.*

*Enchanted Waterfall, Plitvice National Park, Croatia, 2023*

Plitvice was a magical place, the crystalline water felt otherworldly and I wish I could have painted more there. But I took lots of pictures and I am in the process of painting a series of pieces based on those photos. I will upload them here as I finish them!

*Blue Cliffs, Plitvice National Park, 2023*

After a couple days in Plitvice we headed back into Split. We were staying in the old town, in a tower of the old city walls, which originally was the retirement palace of the Roman emperor Diocletian. Croatia is a country I really knew very little about, and it shouldn’t have surprised me as much as it did how similar it felt to Italy and other Mediterranean countries. After painting everyday in Plitvice and Paris, I was close to running out of panels. I decided to save the ones I had left for painting in the Alps and so I worked mostly in my sketchbook for the rest of our time in Croatia.

The rest of our time in Croatia was spent in touring the islands, hanging out on the beach, and eating delicious food. Croatia is beautiful and was a relaxing dream. The Adriatic was warm and gentle and the island tour we were able to go on was a really unique experience. It was a great study artistically in pristine and highly saturated blue water. I enjoyed the time we spent there and am glad I was able to paint a little. Though I do wish I could have painted even more, of course. I’m grateful for cameras and photo reference — I will be attempting to recreate that trip for a long time to come!

Artist Travels: Croatia

Artist Travels: Switzerland Part 2

Artist Travels: Paris