Whispers of Venice

watercolor on Arches paper

copyright ©  Sophia Khan

Why do images of open water, a vast ocean, a distant horizon intrigue us so?  Is it the expansiveness of possibility in our own lives that we project onto it?  It is the lure of the unknown?  The mystery of our futures?  The hope of discovering something in that distant future?

It may indeed be one or all of these, but there is also a beauty, a calm, a tranquility and restfulness to such images of vast bodies of water.  They do not overwhelm us in their impact. They simply and gently invite us and we cannot help but gaze on, as if in search of something; an answer, a foresight, a validation of the journey we have already embarked on. 

In my previous email, I described the urge to paint only water and shared my resulting watercolor sketches.  I feel those moments of calm, sheer pleasure, and the lack of urgency were the foundations for the watercolor I am sharing here.

I feel very content with where this is taking me and feel I may linger here a bit longer; either by using the same color scheme for a different view, or by painting the same scenery again with different colors....I will let things unfold as they will and look forward to sharing more with you here.  

And as always, if you enjoyed my painting, or my writing, and can perhaps relate to my musings on the symbolism of distant horizons, I would love to hear from you.  Feel free to share your thoughts with me below.

I am also exciting to say I am now selling original watercolors of three Venetian themed paintings, which can be viewed here.