A Venetian Vista Watercolor

watercolor on Arches paper ~ copyright © Sophia Khan

Through the Ca' d'Oro ~ A Venetian Vista Along the Grand Canal

There are times when a painting paints itself. If you have indulged in any creative pursuit, you may relate. Some call it the muse. It works something like this. You show up. You do your part: you lay paint to canvas, pen to paper, fingers to piano, etc. and then something greater than you joins you, and works through you to create the final piece. 

One of the many reasons that I enjoy painting in watercolor is that it allows for this magic to occur at a higher frequency, if you will. This is because the medium lends itself to spontaneity and unexpectedly surprises and delights.

One of the things I enjoy about the above watercolor is how an imprint of the plan, or map view, of the Grand Canal appeared on the surface of the Grand Canal itself. It is something I had been considering before I began the painting, but had put the thought away. To my delight, it appeared "on its own." I'd like to think that it was one of those moments where a painting tells the artist what it wants to be.