Watercolor Beauty in Venice & in Our Selves
copyright © Sophia Khan
We can always turn to beauty. For me that means not only finding awe in great works of art, but also in the process of bringing forth my own version of beauty.
When looking at the sites and monuments I have visited throughout my travels, no matter what the space was built for, be it for worship and devotion, for burial, for gathering and celebrating, or mourning, there is most certainly always beauty. Because, as it has been said, “beauty never lies.” And that which is beautiful and engages our emotions, points to what is true within us.
Even when much time has passed, and a place no longer holds the same quality of meaning that it did when built, something of that spirit, that imagination and inspiration from which it was formed, remains within it.
That something, untouchable by the patina of time, is what I love to find in my travels and to paint, no matter where I may be. Because deep down inside, no matter the place, those inspirations and stirrings are always the same. Much like the shared experiences that move us all in life, no matter our background, values, or beliefs.
Venice, my most beloved muse, contains an endless palette of colors and moods in its beauty. For each traveler, the lure in this beauty offers a different meaning. That is true for many places. When we travel, we remember what a place evoked within us, what it inspired in us, how it moved us. In essence, it is a part of our selves we remember, when we remember our travels.
I initially began painting watercolors many years ago, to remember and find awe in the memories of my own travels. Over the years, the work has evolved from this seed, and I continue to hope that it can hold and evoke a certain celebration of place and self, for all of us who enjoy travel and architecture.
The Church of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, is one of those places that is experienced very differently depending on where we view it from. Yet, what remains is that it has an element of something elusive. If you’re curious, I invite you to explore this in your next, or first, visit to Venice.
There are many reasons that I love to paint Venice, and they all have to do with the great blessing and gift of having traveled there. I would not be able to paint it with the expressiveness and emotive qualities that I seek to, had I not.
I don’t need to write much about how this year has been challenging for much of the world. We find that elsewhere. Here, I want to focus on the awe, inspiration, imagination, and beauty that carries us through all of life. And the joy.
In light of this and the upcoming holiday season, I would like to offer you, my reader here, a small gift. If you would like to collect a work of art, please enjoy complimentary shipping (on all purchases over $100).
Kindly enjoy the offer code: BEAUTY
I’ll also be sending a small but special artful treat that will be lovingly gifted with each purchase, regardless of your purchase amount. I will be offering this for a limited time, and it only happens once a year, so I hope you can enjoy it if it may be of interest.
And if you purchase one of my watercolors or prints, for yourself or a loved one for the holidays, I hope it can be a memento of the beauty and awe contained in these places built with imagination and the grandeur of the human spirit; something that is and will remain within each of us.