Venetian House of Gold

Venetian House of Gold

watercolor on Arches paper

copyright © Sophia Khan

The Ca d'Oro, or House of Gold in Venice, once gilded in gold with ultramarine blue accents, now stands bare but still striking in its beauty.  The colors of this watercolor are an ode to that time, that memory of what it once was, as well as expressing the joyfulness and dreamlike air of this magical city.

Whether we have been there ourselves, or dream of finding ourselves within the place whose images tease at our longing to explore its maze like arms, we know that the city holds something that exists somewhere beyond the everyday words and feelings.

Venice; a city, a life, a culture built on water, is a place of possibility, never ending possibility.  We travel there in our thoughts or as travelers to know of this, to taste this, and to return as never before, holding on to this.   

Although you may recognize this as a subject I paint often, I cannot steer away from it for too long. The magic of catching a glimpse of this majestic facade while riding along the Grand Canal is one that remains within me.  I hope that it will always remain the source of inspiration and possibility that has lead my art in directions otherwise unknown to me.  

If you would enjoy the Venetian House of Gold in your home or as a gift for a lover of Venice, please see the links below:

Fine Art Prints

Original Watercolor

If you enjoyed this post, please feel free to share your thoughts on it, or on your own love for Venice in the comments below. 

Whispers of Venice

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 post, 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.

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

Ebb & Flow: Venetian Waters Watercolor Studies

Venetian Waters Study 1

Venetian Waters Study 2

Venetian Waters Study 2

with color manipulation in Photoshop

Venetian Waters Study 3

Venetian Waters Study 4

Copyright © Sophia Khan

There is an ebb and flow to the life of an artist.  At least there is one for me. There are cycles, moments of intense creativity, ideas beaming, studio getting messy and hurriedly being cleaned for the next painting.  And then there are moments that ask you to wait.  Wait for what wants to be created from you, perhaps through you. I am not blocked as an artist when I am here, I am listening for guidance; clues in the world around me, in my thoughts, in my memories....

It is in those later moments that the above small watercolor studies were painting. I felt a need, a pull, to go to Venetian waters, and paint only that.  A need that I cannot, nor do I need to name.  Perhaps it was from a place of calm and quiet in my own life; something meditative.  Either way, it simply is.  And I think those moments are beautiful, regardless of the results.  Those moments speak of a direct correlation between art and soul.  Something more mystical and mysterious than perhaps the thoroughly worked out, sketched, analyzed painting.

These studies have actually lead me to something very interesting I am currently working on and would love to share here in the future.  And perhaps with these, I was preparing myself for that next step that I am currently on.  It is a beautiful step, one that I am grateful for, and one that is bringing a new calm and lightness to my current body of work.  

Wishing you much warmth and beauty where you may happen to be in your journey,

Sophia

Some New Works and my Shop Opening

Ca' d'Oro, Venice, Celebration 

watercolor on Arches paper

copyright © Sophia Khan

Venice, Arrival

watercolor on Arches paper

copyright © Sophia Khan

Monreale Cloister, capital detail

watercolor on Arches paper

copyright © Sophia Khan

It's been quite a while since I have posted here.  I must admit, most of my blogging has been taking place over at my website.  But I did want to update my work here as well, to share a bit of my latest creative endeavors.  Above are three recent watercolors.  I've experimenting a bit with some new colors and techniques and, I must admit, am quite pleased with where this is taking me so far.  

Venice has been a favorite subject for some time, but I can never tire of seeing it and painting it in new ways. Some thoughts of Venice can be seen in my diary here.

The cloister in Monreale is a new subject for me, and I've enjoyed painting the intricacies and details of the beautiful capital.  My reflections on this can be seen in my diary here.

I am also excited to say that I have opened up two new online shops.  One on my website here.  The other, for smaller prints, on Etsy here.  If you are interested in making a purchase on my website, please do use coupon code HOLIDAY15%4U (valid through next weekend).

I hope you are enjoying the start of the holiday season and wishing you enjoy your weekend.

Ca' d'Oro Venice Sketch

© Sophia Khan

A crop of a small watercolor sketch of the Ca' d'Oro in Venice, done as a study for a larger painting

If you are new here, be sure to have a look at my website for more work here.

Venice from a distance in time and space

© Sophia Khan

watercolor on Arches paper

© Sophia Khan

watercolor on Arches paper

Life has been keeping me quite busy lately but taking the time to work on Venetian landscapes, such as these, has brought me moments of relaxation and enjoyment. I don't force myself to paint on a schedule, at least not right now.  Rather, I wait to be in the right frame of mind so I can enjoy the process and not have it feel like a task.  

Update

New here?  Be sure to stop by my Fine Art website here.

Enjoying Venice II

© Sophia Khan

I am beginning to appreciate more and more the use of the role of water in watercolor painting. Experimenting with how much to use, when to continually apply it, how much to let it dry before adding more pigment, etc. is part of the fun and process of using the medium to ones advantage.

With this study, I chose a vertical orientation to a scene that is intuitively landscape oriented to see where it would lead me.  I like the results in that it almost looks like a section showing the depth of the water rather than the viewers distance from it.  

I'll surely be continuing my studies into this subject.

Update

New here? Be sure to visit my Fine Art website here.

Enjoying Venice

© Sophia Khan

Yesterday, I went to my local art supply shop to buy a new block of Arches paper. There, I found a small landscape oriented watercolor journal that I just fell in love with and had to buy.  My mind thought of all the small landscape studies I could do of the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice.  (My previous study can be found below, or by clicking here.)

I got up this morning, ran some errands, and happily sat myself down to start having some fun.  I purposefully decided not to use a pencil sketch as I didn't want the paintings to be planned, but more intuitive.  I ended up doing three of the same subject and these are the ones I liked the most.  

I absolutely loved using a small sheet and not worrying about the outcome so much as simply enjoying the process.  I enjoyed every brush stroke from laying the water down for the lagoon to apply wet on wet paint, to working my way upward to the sky and architecture.  I enjoyed figuring out the proportions of the church facade as I painted it.  My favorite moments were finishing off with a slight hint of a dome and campanile.

I feel like the methods I used today were almost a complete opposite of my usual way of painting.  I didn't even mind not using a watercolor block and having the paper slightly buckle before me as it dried.  

Time well spent.  

Ca' d'Oro, Venice

© Sophia Khan

watercolor on tea stained Arches paper

I decided to work on a painting following my earlier quick study.  I have had Arches rough paper for some time (which is more textured than cold pressed paper) and didn't think I would enjoy working on it as much as I did.  I also really enjoyed working with my new Kolinsky Sable brushes, which I find are well suited to this type of loose work.  I am debating whether to add the arches to the bottom of the arches shown.  I think I am liking the square composition.  

Ca' d'Oro, Venice

© Sophia Khan

watercolor study on tea stained paper

I have been spending much time on a highly detailed watercolor and decided last night to take a break.  I loosened up and painted the Ca d'Oro facade, without the use of an underlying pencil sketch.  I have also been meaning to paint on the Arches rough paper I had stained with tea some time ago, so this was a good opportunity to test that out as well.  I am pleased with the results enough to perhaps try developing this for a finished painting.

San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice

© Sophia Khan

watercolor study of the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, done without a pencil sketch

Update

New here? Be sure to stop by my Fine Art website here.

Santa Maria della Salute, Venice

© Sophia Khan

Watercolor on Arches paper