Painting a Sun Kissed Venice

Sunlit moments of Exquisite Grace, Santa Marial dell Salute, Venice, Italy, watercolor

Dear Friends,

The mood in my studio and my life these days is about celebrating and capturing light. And how the world we live in gifts us many openings for this.

A few that I am currently enjoying are:

~ Awakening, meditating, and writing during the Ambrosial hours just before dawn. Greeting the rising sunlight from this place of serenity within is absolutely stunning

~ Gazing upon sunrise or sunset at a harbor near my home

~ Eating my meals in sync with the cycles of the sun and moon

~ Candlelit meals, even those enjoyed at home

~ And in my studio, continuing to study and capture how sunlight hits the stones and soul of places I have traveled to and wish to remember in this way.

With this beautiful subject shown above, the votive Santa Maria della Salute, the journey from visiting her, to remembering her, to finding her again in my memories and bringing new colors to her sun lit visage, was a certain devotional process in itself.

Capturing the transience of time and the material realm onto something that has remained standing for centuries;

A monument built upon the strength of over a million wooden piles submerged into the waters;

Positioned where the lagoon and Grand Canal converge, as a greeting we come upon suddenly, welcomed into its grace;

Myths, visions, hopes, dreams, all surrounding how and why it was conceived

To paint sunlight upon this subject, at the very place of its portal - the threshold we cross to enter it - felt like connecting a transient yet exquisitely beautiful moment in time. A moment of grace, celebrating something that will never repeat in the exact same way.

I am grateful for these creative days enchanted by daily rituals around sunlight, all the while painting and “sculpting” with light and shadow. Indeed, many of the details of Venetian Architecture were conceived as a way to celebrate this quality, this capturing of sunlight and shadow.

If you would love to bring this watercolor into your home, I would love to adorn and send her to you. She is offered here along with a special treat for this weekend.

Until next time, I wish you much love, joy, beauty, and tranquility in your days.

With Love,

Sophia