I went to Scotland in August 1995 equipped with Scottish ancestry on my mother’s side, a summer study of the Scottish/Irish heritage of Appalachia where I have lived with my family for 34 years, and an open mind. Since then I have encountered many aspects of Scotland’s culture, history, environment and human experience that are linked with life both past and present in the mountains of southern Appalachia. I translated these connections during my year of living and teaching in Aberdeen, Scotland, into a visual perspective in the form of watercolor paintings which were exhibited as a series in Aberdeen (Spring, 1996) and as a traveling exhibition in Virginia colleges and art centers in 1997. Many themes arose from exploring the villages and countryside of Scotland. Sounds, sights, and memories of home came to mind on many occasions. I have been enriched and changed by the unique opportunity of living for a while in a country where people are full of warmth, humor and resourcefulness… very much like my neighbors at home. I hope that this series of works serves to share the insight I have brought home with me, that our lives, no matter how physically distant, overlap, and that we are nurtured by the roots of our ancestry.

I’m grateful to Dr. Charles King, president of Southwest Virginia Community College, for giving me this sabbatical opportunity, to Rae Angus, principal of Aberdeen College, for giving me an Artist-in-Residence position, and to Totta Burnett for her unceasing graciousness in making us feel welcome and comfortable during our stay.