“Belfast Drummer “ began with stillness. At the Belfast Highland Games on Prince Edward Island, I noticed the quiet pull of this moment — a young drummer resting beneath a tree, surrounded by tradition, yet completely at ease. The Scottish roots run deep on PEI, and this scene felt like a gentle echo of summers past. I painted from a reference, but used my own grandsons’ faces for inspiration. The tartan is Stewart — my mother’s heritage, woven quietly into the piece. It wasn’t until later years that I learned our son’s gifted and beautiful partner had once been a professional Highland dancer. A reminder that these traditions live on, often in ways we don’t yet see. This painting is about serenity, heritage, and childhood memories shaped by island life — meant to be remembered, and brought home.
