Painting Grandeur in Venice

This month marks a special time for me, as an artist. It is my five year anniversary of being an 'artist-preneur', as we've taken to sometimes calling ourselves. The rewards of having chosen to embark on this path are many; some are outward, many are inward. After my very first year as a working artist, I had written about the many gems of wisdom I gained, on the beautifully nourishing website of Carrie-Ann Moss, Annapurna Living, which can be read here.

If you happen to read it, I would love to hear your thoughts, if you are so inclined to share.

Many of you will know that the architecture of Venice, and of many other Italian cities are my very favorite subjects to paint. For me, these places represent an art, an aspiration which I feel is, for the large part, lacking in modern times.

I look to the Pantheon in Rome, to the Duomo of Florence, and to many of the Gothic cathedrals in Europe. In the expanse of their magnificent domes, I see a representation of the grandeur of the human spirit and its aspirations towards something greater than itself, towards the divine, and towards ideals and perfect form.

These structures also display attention to details as seen in their intricate stone carvings, and harmonic proportions as evident in the geometry of their plans and elevations. While these all give a wonderful sense of scale in relation to the human form, the magnificence of their domes allow the human spirit to soar.

For me, these ideas are far more enriching than the question of who can build the tallest skyscraper standing today.

Photo and sketches of the Pantheon in Rome, from my 2004 travel sketchbook

This sense of grandeur is not only evident in churches and cathedrals throughout Italy, but also in experiences such as drifting along the grand canal in Venice at nightfall and catching glimpses of the opulence behind the facades of palazzi.

The above watercolor is one in which I started experimenting with this idea of grandeur through my memories of traveling to Venice.

One of the other subjects I have also been painting is flowers. For me, they are a dip into the well of joy. The more time I spend on this Earth the more I notice just how beautiful and precious this life we live truly is....

‘Watercolor Petals’ in my sketchbook

And because I have been finding so much joy in painting these 'watercolor petals' I have a small offering. If you would like to purchase artwork from my online shop, be it a limited edition print, an original, or a set of notecards, I will also be painting a small 'watercolor petal' to gift you, as a delightful treat. I will be offering this for the next five days.

I hope you enjoyed reading this letter, and thank you for being here. May your day and weekend ahead be filled with much beauty, wonder, and joy.