Blue Days - My Inspiration

Sound of Rassay, Scotland

I use my photographs as the source of inspiration for my prints. I work in landscapes, both urban and rural, but most of my work is located in rural settings.  I love that I get to relive my travels whilst creating my art. It’s a special way to remember the places I’ve visited and landscapes I’ve seen.

Whilst looking through several of my photographs, because many of my works are based in nature, certain colours are going to be prominent and appear repeatedly in my prints. The most prominent being blue.

I’ve put together a small collection of my photos which show my love of the landscape and why I’ll be returning to this colour time and time again.

I don’t use any specialist equipment, I just try to get the composition I like and take it from there. These were shot using my Panasonic LUMIX DMC-TZ70 camera, but I mainly use my iPhone (different versions over the years 8, 12, now 16). It is amazing the quality of photographs you can get from your phone.

Latheronwheel, Caithness, Scotland

This is a photo of a harbour in Latheronwheel, Caithness that I visited in the autumn of 2018.

The weather in Scotland is very changeable (as many people are aware). You can literally see all four seasons in one day.

I remember that this was a bright sunny day, with the intense blue of the sky and the expanse of the sea. It seemed never-ending. It was a really beautiful sight.

Coney Island, Brooklyn, NYC

This is the Pier on Coney Island. I liked how the sky seems quite wispy and very soft. Although I took this photo many years ago, I still remember walking along the pier on a hot May’s day.

The blue of the sky and then the horizon with the water underneath, is quite a contrast between the pier itself and the sand. Its quite a simple photograph, but I enjoyed trying to capture that expansive sky.

Latheronwheel, Caithness, Scotland

This is another angle of the harbour in Latheronwheel, where the sea stacks appear out of the sea. It’s quite a sight to see the heaviness of a solid rock emerge from the water. It makes it feel otherworldly.

Kyle -Erbusaig, Scotland

I’m always amazed by nature and the landscapes I’ve seen on my travels.

I took the above photo on a journey from Inverness to the Kyle of Lochalsh (Kyle Line) train. (I've grown to love a scenic rail journey). In this particular photograph I could see all shades of blue including this brilliant turquoise. I never expected to see these vivid blues in the Scottish Highlands.

Travelahawk Beach, Wicklow Town, Ireland

Then we come to the fluorescent acid greens of the seaweed growing on the rocks, sat against this overcast sky of atmospheric clouds. It’s difficult to distinguish where the sky ends and the sea begins.

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

Then we come to the spectacular sights of Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia, (above) which I visited in July of this year.

There were moments where I genuinely could not believe what I was seeing. I’ve never seen water so crystal clear, with all the shades of turquoise and aqua blues, set against the brightest blue sky.

I must have taken a couple hundred photographs as I spent several hours walking around, and seeing trees and other foliage submerged under the water, but perfectly conserved was beautiful.

Zegreb Funicular, Croatia

Then we come to my last photo. I might find blues in nature, but I also find them in the heart of urban environments, including the Zegreb Funicular. Its a pocket of bright blue amongst all the terracotta/red rooftops.

As I’ve written, I’m very much drawn to nature. I particularly love being around large expansive bodies of water. I greatly enjoy being in environments where the view can seem never-ending and I feel enveloped by the landscape. It grounds me, and hopefully I bring an element of that into my prints.

Kyle - Erbusaig

©️2026 Jacklyn McDonald. All photographs are the copyright of the artist and may not be reproduced without permission.