World Inspired Landscapes: North Macedonia

The next country in the series also starts with North, although for very different reasons. Macedonia is a disputed name with Greece, who claims ownership over the term as it pertains to historical reasons. North Macedonia had another, more complicated name, before settling on its current name. As the name suggests, it is located just to the north of Greece in a landlocked mountainous region. Part of an ancient empire, it was overtaken by the Persian Empire then the Roman Empire, with raids by Slavic tribes, then Serbian rule, becoming part of Yugoslavia, and independence in the early 1990's. There are several mountain ranges, rivers and lakes throughout the country. Every scene I could find on the internet looked like a screen saver, expansive plains and picturesque mountains, crystal clear rivers flowing through field of flowers and the like. The painting shows some of the mystique of the country, with layers of fog flowing through the valleys. I did a similar effect in the Cuba painting, but this one is scaled out more, with greater atmospheric effects. The foreground has more yellow in the mountain, while the background mountains become more blue and grey to the distance.

World Inspired Landscapes: North Macedonia, watercolour 6 x 9" watercolour paper, July 2024 (No. 3851)