Rome Watercolor ~ What are Ruins?

watercolor on Arches paper ~ painted without a pencil sketch  

copyright © Sophia Khan

Do ruins stand as testaments to our eternal or our mortal selves?

I posed this question to accompany my photograph of the ruins in Persepolis, onto my private facebook a while ago. It was somewhat rhetorical, but to my delight, moments later I received a response from a former colleague. Someone I consider a mentor, in ways, who often inspired me with his incredibly vast and thorough knowledge of architecture and it's history. He wrote:

"Ruins provide the incentive for restoration, and for a return to origins. There has to be an interim of death or rejection before there can be renewal and reform" ~ J.B. Jackson

It was one of those passages layered with so much meaning. If one wants, what is literal can be taken away from it, and if one so chooses, one can read into the many layers and depths of what is being said. That in mind, I will refrain from commenting too much about these powerful words as they do speak for themselves, and I hope you enjoy what they seem to imply about the journey of our lives.

The photograph that inspired the sketch above was one that had been in my mind for quite some time. The structure appeared to me as something powerful, not because of anything highly elaborate, but simply because of the way it carries itself.  Through the years, through the ages, through its formation, through its decay, it holds a certain glory that its crumbling stones are both humbled by and in celebration of.

---

"Dwell on the beauty of life.  Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them." ~ Marcus Aurelius, Meditations. Rome

On another note, I am excited to share that I have recently launched my Design Trade Program for Interior Designers and Architects, which can be joined at the below link:

Venice, Florence, and Andalusia, Spain ~ Watercolor Notecards

As you may know, the art and craft of writing is as dear to me as painting watercolors of beautiful places in Italy and other parts of the world that I travel. And so it is with much delight, that I am offering a new product, Watercolor Art Notecards, in my online shop.

I am offering sets of (5) cards each, inspired by Venice, Florence, and Andalusia, Spain-whichever calls to your heart the most. These are beautiful tucked in with a special gift, and can themselves be gifted to a loved one. They can be used to write a letter, poem, or a greeting marking a special occasion, and can also be framed as a small print. 

As always I am happily busy painting in my studio and have some new paintings and subjects I will be sharing in the coming weeks...

Until then, do stop by to have a look at these lovely cards that I am so happy to now be offering...(click on image for link).

Shrouded in Venetian Mist

watercolor on Arches paper

copyright © Sophia Khan

The above watercolor first looked like the image below. I was satisfied with it at first, but as an artist, satisfactory is never what I aim for, for either myself or for those who may bring my work into their homes. 

I think it is telling that, it was by adding more layers of paint, that I was able to get to the essence of what I found beautiful, the essence of what I was trying to communicate with this watercolor.

And so I find this is true in life as well. The more layers of experience we have, so to speak, the closer we get to our essence. The more that happens to us, the more we live life, the more life reveals things about us to ourselves. Whether we deem it to be positive or negative while it is happening to us is not as important in the end. It is our past, it has happened to us, and is therefore a part of our story, our truth.

The beauty of living a full life and of owning our past and our present as truly ours, is that all of it will inspire us as we more forward into our futures.

I also feel that in Venice, as in life, it is exactly this layering of history, this layering of the past, of stories, battles, and triumphs, that give both the city and people meaning. This is imprinted in the stones, the details, the form of the city and its architecture. And for us, this gives us beauty, and what ultimately makes an impression on others, that remains unforgettable for those who see it.  

On another note, I am so very excited and over the moon to share that I have recently dhad the wonderful opportunity to share my work and thoughts on Venice in the beautifully curated blog of author Saxon Henry.

And for those of you who may be in or near the NY area, I am excited to share that I will be offering my next Watercolor workshop at the Art League of Long Island soon.

The image below is one of the watercolor washes I did as we neared the end of the last day of my previous workshop. It was all about letting loose and having some fun. The students participated, as I prompted them to tell me which colors they would like me to use. With this wash, one student remarked how it was beginning to look like a flower and so I added green.

I can honestly say that I have never had a subject appear so vividly during a wash. It was a very exciting moment, as the other wash I did also revealed a subject. I believe that it showed my students, as well as myself, that as we let go of preconceived notions, just have some fun, and let loose, we are more open to exciting and wondrous things happening for us. (link to workshop here)

Distance & Desire ~ A Valentine's Day Venetian Art and Book Giveaway

watercolor on Arches paper

Distance and Desire, Venice

painted without a pencil sketch
copyright © Sophia Khan

Today I am so very excited to be sharing a beautiful twofold giveaway.  This is in celebration of the upcoming Valentine's Day, and in the spirit of one of the most beloved cities for the mysteries of love, the beauty of rapture, and the lure of romance and the unknown.

And as this day for cherishing your loved one's nears, thoughts of longing, thoughts of desire - distance and desire -appear on my easel and in my diary...

~

Distance and desire
 

Distance is sacred because it creates longing and desire
It makes the moment of pleasure in the arms of a beloved city all the more enthralling
Tears of joy can only flow after an ocean of waiting is traversed
And in the end, one never does 'leave.' A place becomes one with the emotion that it awoke within us.
And it is this emotion that we seek to recreate in our everyday lives back home.
We get close, but we remain in essence, distant.  And in that space, emerges the beauty of Longing; emerges the beauty of Desire...

~

I paint to remember, I paint to celebrate that distance, to celebrate that encounter; to know, to listen, to be closer to my memories and to the essence of place. As such, a painting, at times paints itself. With this watercolor, the color of desire, the color of romance, became a suggestion of an intimate encounter. A dialogue that secretly took place between the viewer and a mysterious person who, just moments ago, walked away from a balcony of the Ca' d'Oro on the Grand Canal. Or perhaps, a dialogue about to take place; a moment of anticipation. And so it celebrates much of what is experienced within the city itself. 

But art is not solitary.  I paint to share the experience of a place, the emotion, and the encounter, with others. And just the same, I often read the words of others, to revel in the experience writers have of places I myself hold dear. It is no surprise my bookshelves are filled with travel memoirs, travel essays, architectural history, and travel sketchbooks of other artists. And along the way has come a book, an experience really, that speaks of this 'distance and desire' as it evokes the emotion of Venice. 

When I received the book, Dream of Venice, and opened it up to the very first page and image, I had to simply stop and sit myself down. Before me, there was intensely evocative and overwhelming beauty. There was mystery, intrigue, a suggestion of so many layers of stories, layers of everyday lives. I gave this image, this moment, the time it so beautifully asked for, before being able to move on. 

As I continued over time, to read the prose and wander through the layered imagery, filled with a kaleidoscope of emotions and reflections, I am brought closer to the state of my own longing, the state of my own desire for Venice.   Each moment, each emotion elicited in this book, has a depth and richness that only Venice can inspire. And they all lyrically come together to form the concerto of a dream that is as much about Venice as it is about encounter. 

And so experiencing this book, reminds me so much of experiencing Venice. How my footsteps stopped before the overwhelm and beauty of the city when I first saw it, as I stood awe-struck before being able to move ahead any further. How I wondered how so much beauty had suddenly come upon me and from where, once I entered Piazza San Marco. There is anticipation and a moment of astonishing beauty, that nothing could have prepared me for. And the rest of the maze of the city-a myriad of curiosity, mystery, discoveries, elicited emotions, and delightful surprises about the city, and about myself.

Artists, writers, and makers hope most of all to stir emotion. I hope that my watercolor, 'Distance and Desire' conveys some of what has moved me so, within this city, and am so thrilled to be enjoying a new 'place', the book Dream of Venice, where the wonder and complexity of Venice is so rapturously evoked. 

I had never thought of a book as an experience before. As such, it is one's own personal encounter with this book that will bring out its true gems for each unique reader-just as the city will for each traveler. And so I am thrilled that the publisher, Bella Figura Publications, is kindly offering to gift a complimentary copy of this book, in celebration of sharing their love for this remarkable city on Valentine's Day.

Dream of Venice. Bella Figura Publications. 2014. Photography by Charles Christopher, edited by JoAnn Locktov, forward by Frances Mayes

The winner will also be receiving a set of (5) Greeting Cards, with envelopes, of my watercolor 'Distance creates Desire' as shown above. These can be secretly tucked in as a card within a beautiful gift, used to write a love letter or poem on the back, gifted to an Italophile, or framed as a small print. 

This competition is now closed to entries.  If you would like to purchase a copy of the acclaimed new book featured here, Dream of Venice, it is available on Amazon here.

If you would like cards, prints, or the original watercolor of the featured art, Distance & Desire, they are available at the below links:

• Shop Notecards

• Shop Limited Edition Prints

• Shop Original Watercolor

Please note that due to regulations, this competition is only open to US residents, ages 18 and up.  Please see terms and conditions below.  To enter the competition, simply do one or more of the below steps.  (Each step counts as an additional entry and will increase your chances of winning).  Then, leave a comment below this blog post letting us know which steps you have completed, so we can know how many entries to create in your name. 

The options to enter are one or more of the following + leaving a comment as described above:

• Subscribe to Sophia Khan Studio's watercolor inspiration journal.  (Link to subscribe here).
• Follow Dream of Venice on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dreamofvenice
• Follow Sophia Khan Studio on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sophiasstudio
• Tweet this offer, either by composing your own personal tweet or using the 'Share' feature below the post and include the following hashtags #giveaway #venice #valentinesday #book #art.  (Please remember the hashtags will need to be inserted within the automated tweet-you can simply copy/paste them from this post).
• Follow Sophia Khan Studio on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/inspiredsophia/
• Pin the image of the book onto a Pinterest board, using the 'Share' feature below the post.

(If you are already subscribed to my newsletter and/or already follow the Twitter account(s) prior to this contest, you can still enter.  Just let me know in the comments).

I look forward to hearing from you and wish you all much luck and lots of fun with the entries! (Do remember that to complete the entry process you must leave a comment below indicating which steps you have completed so I can make the correct number of entries in your name).

This contents runs now through February 13th, 2015.  The winner will be chosen at random and announced in the comments section of this blog post, on Valentine's Day, February 14th, 2015.

terms and conditions

This contest is open to US residents, ages 18 and up. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. The contest runs now through February 13th, 2015. This contest is sponsored by Sophia A Khan and Bella Figura Publications. There will be one winner chosen at random on february 14, 2015. the winner will be announced in the comments section of this blog, with the name provided and will be contacted through the email address they provide. UPON BEING CONTACTED, WE ASK THAT THE WINNER PROVIDE A VALID US ADDRESS, WITHIN THREE DAYS, WHERE WE MAY SHIP THE PRIZES. The odds of winning are dependent upon the number of entries. Entries will be accepted as described in the steps outlined in the blog post above.We reserve the right to void the winning entry, if it does not comply with our terms and conditions. In the event that this should happen, we reserve the right to choose another winner at random. The greeting cards will be shipped by Sophia A Khan, and the book will be shipped by Bella Figura Publications.  The set of greeting cards have a retail value of $24 and the book has a retail value of $26. Prizes will be shipped to US addresses only. Affiliates, employees, and family members of both sponsors are ineligible. Sophia A Khan and Bella Figura Publications are not liable for any loss that may be incurred from entering or winning this contest, or for any damage to prizes incurred during shipment.

Moment of Repose, Villa Guilia, Rome

watercolor on Arches paper

copyright © Sophia Khan

Places have a certain resonance to them. Different cities, sites, monument, all bring out a different part of who we are, when we travel there. I feel a more adventurous when I am in Venice, more serene and relaxed in the Tuscan countryside. And the more a country and it's culture is different from that of my home, the more it enriches, the more it allows me to escape from my everyday and what is familiar to me, and the more it widens my scope of understanding of myself. 

The Villa Guilia, painted above, is one of those places where a sense of lightness, a sense of serenity, calm, and restfulness takes over. With this watercolor, of a corner detail, I used colors and brushwork to convey those feeling I remember experiencing when I was there. 

And so our travels become fragments, gems of who we are, that stay with us in some form, even when we return home from these places. 

In the spirit of this, I am excited to be offering Valentine's Day gift bookings, for custom Fine Art Travel Mementos. These are similar to gift certificates. I would send you a printable certificate, as shown below, which you can gift to a loved one on Valentine's Day. I would then work from their favorite travel photograph, to make a beautiful, impressionistic, bespoke painting for them. 

This gift works especially beautifully to commemorate a honeymoon travel memory. It can also be gifted to someone close, as a gesture of celebrating their most memorable travels and what makes them unique. 

The choices for Valentine's Day certificates are as shown below. The text reads:

To_________________________

A Gift that Brings Home your Most Memorable Travels
~ A Bespoke Work of Art to be Painted from your Favorite Travel photograph~
by Watercolorist Sophia Khan

Gifted by_____________________

(If your prefer different wording or a different image, I can provide a custom designed certificate as well).

The various sizes available are as follow:

8" x 10" ((20.3 x 25.4 cm) for $470
11" x 14" (27.9 x 35.6 cm) for $670
16" x 20" (40.6 x 50.8 cm) for $870

(All prices are in USD. Shipping charges are additional and will be calculated depending upon destination. New York addresses will be charged the appropriate state and local sales tax).

To receive your certificate to give as a gift, you can get in touch through my contact page here.  Let me know what size painting you would like to gift, the certificate of choice from the above three, names to be included, and where the final painting would be shipped (city, country).

I look forward to making this Valentine's Day a bit more special, memorable, and beautiful for you and your loved one.

With my Warmest Regards,

Sophia
p.s. For those who may be in or near NY, I will be doing a painting demonstration at the Art League of Long Island's "Art After Dark" on Friday night.  More info here.

Celebrating Anticipation, View before the Fish Market

watercolor on Arches paper

copyright © Sophia Khan

As we embark on the journey of what lies ahead for us this New Year, we pause to remember where we came from. We remember that no matter the corner we turned, the ocean we traversed, the bridges we crossed, the people we met, those we lost, those we found, there always lies ahead, as sure as our next heartbeat, an invitation for what we long for next.

And just as the places, the moments, the homes, the dreams, that were once part of our lives, came upon us through trails, hopes, desires, or chance, so too what lies ahead will find its way into our lives in ways unknown to us now. What we do know, what does carry us forth, is our ability to remain open, to trust, to believe that our longings, our desires are within us for the sole purpose of one day being realized. 

There is beauty in mystery.  There is promise in anticipation.

To mystery, to always being open, to hope, to our dreams, and to having the most remarkable year ahead of us.

With my Warmest Regards,

Sophia

A Gift from my Studio to you

In celebration of Thanksgiving here in the US, Black Friday, and anticipation for the upcoming holidays, I would love to extend a gift from my studio to you.

Please enjoy Complimentary Shipping (both domestic and international) on any order from my online shop over $47. You may use the coupon code: SHIPPINGISGIFTED

(New artwork has been added in all the shop sections including originals, prints, and limited editions).

I am also providing complimentary gift wrapping, for those of you who may be wanting to gift art to someone special who loves Italy, Venice, Spain, or Morocco.  Please indicate your request for gift wrapping in the 'Note/Additional Info' section of the order form.

(Image is representative example of typical gift wrapping style.  Final gift wrapping may vary slightly depending upon stock)

And for those of you who may be in or near New York, I am excited to share that I will be exhibiting/selling my art at the Art League of Long Island's annual Holiday Market.  This takes place on December 6th and 7th from 10am to 5pm.  I hope to meet some of you there and share more of my art with you in person.

May you enjoy the holidays and may the season be filled with much joy, laughter, warmth, and beauty for you and your loved ones.

Wishing You My Very Best,

Sophia

Travel Gem No. 7

Mosaics of Italy

watercolor on Arches paper

Passage through Treviso, Italy 

copyright © Sophia Khan

If you have traveled to Italy, or dream of traveling there while perusing dreamlike images in magazines or beautifully curated Pinterest boards, you know it is a land of variety.  While monuments and majestic ruins are plentiful, so too are the many inviting vistas and the small details one is sure to find along the way.  These present themselves at varying scales.  One might marvel at the spaces that unwind while strolling through an arcade, or encounter an ancient wall to witness the age of its weathering stone carvings.  

It is with all this in mind that I painted the above watercolor and wrote the poem below.

~

Mosaics of Italy
 

They flash before you like scenes from a mosaic brought to life.
Each vista in Italy is both a delight in and of itself, while through our wandering, they become connected by our memory, and thus become whole.

Turning the corner of the arcade leads to the open door in the home.
Turning the corner of the Cathedral leads to the closed doors of the forgotten church.
The church whose fading frescoes are all that remain to watch it from within, be it in silence and in dark.

Laundry drips its thirst onto sunlit stones, creating patterns for the wind to play with.  
In Italy, what was once private is now out in the open, while public space-the life filled piazza-retains a level of intimacy that is perhaps not even found within the home. For here, the traveler is not frowned upon for wandering alone. Here, the stones of the cities past gently nudge us to reconnect with, rediscover, and bring to the surface, thoughts of of own lives, our own story, our own path.

And just as our lives  are made up of tiny seeds of memory, that now and then become large or shrink according to the importance we impart on them, so too our travels embed in us many images that remain within us. 
Now and then, they lovingly remind us of a certain part of ourselves we perhaps found or fell in love with while we were there. 

travel inspiration photograph

The Sassi of Matera, Italy

There is always a seed from which the roots of journey begin to take shape.  For me, the seeds of my art lay partly in a place that is still very near and dear: The Sassi of Matera, a series of Paleolithic cave dwellings still in habitation, in the southern region of Basilicata, Italy.  

As dusk falls here, the muted shifting colors in the sky are reflected on a brownish cream limestone terrain tinged with age, carrying within in stories of an untold past.  Random lights, like crystals, are scattered across a labyrinthine facade, replete with dark openings; hinting at a presence silently watching the observer back.  At fist encounter, the visitor feels at once awe struck and mystified.  For this place is not like any other in Italy.  

I have traveled here often, with sketchbooks and watercolors in hand, trying to fathom how those without any architectural 'training' can make a place as dynamic, as beautiful, and as awe inspiring as this.  It makes one wonder what it truly takes to design and build a meaningful place.  

Below are some sketches I did while visiting there; some in the quiet of night, some in the beauty of dawn, and some while sunlight beamed down upon me as I wandered, squinting yet wide eyed in thought, among the stone dwellings scattered along my path. 

I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into some of my earliest sketches, done within one of my favorite travel destinations in Italy.  

I also wanted to share a reminder of my Watercolor Travel Memento offering; a bespoke gift for yourself, for a loved one during the holidays, or to celebrate an anniversary.  During this offer, complimentary shipping and gift wrapping will be made available on the limited number of commissions being offered.