TRAVEL WITH MY ART #42: DRVENIK, CROATIA (THE STRENGHT OF THE SEA)
Hello dear readers and fellow bloggers! In this post, I'll share another destination painting with you. This acrylic painting, showing a view from Drvenik, is the forty-second painting in my Travel with my Art series.
Art series and features have always been a part of my blogging path. There were times when I wondered whether sharing art online was the right thing to do. I still do wonder (and for a number of reasons). Nevertheless, I decided to continue sharing my art, at least for the moment. So, enjoy these art moments, for they might not last forever.
My last post was actually devoted to fashion illustration, another art tradition on my blog. In the post prior to the fashion illustration one, I shared an acrylic painting inspired by a lighthouse that is to be found in Sućuraj on island Hvar, Croatia. Today I'm sharing a seascape that shows the view from the other side.
Most of my paintings are inspired by Croatia. This one is no exception. It was based on a photograph my husband took while we were strolling Drvenik, waiting for our ferry ride to island Hvar. It is basically a seascape, i.e, a landscape focused on the sea. In the foreground there are some stones, the majority of the composition focuses on the sea, and in the background you can see the peninsula Pelješac.
PICTURE OR PAINTING? I always find it interesting to compare the painting and the photograph reference that inspired it. I created a few collages so you can compare this painting with the sea reference more easily. Moreover, I'll share a few more photographs from this location, just so that you can get a feel of it.
HOW DO I CHOSE MY REFRENCE PHOTOGRAPHS? That's a good question. I often use my own photographs or those taken by my husband. I might be drawn to different things in a photograph. It could be composition that appeals to me, or the colours, or the light, or all of the above.
DO I EVER TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS WITH PAINTINGS IN MIND? Yes, I do. It doesn't mean that I'll necessarily paint them, but yes I do take photographs with paintings in mind.
DID I KNOW I WAS GOING TO PAINT THIS PLACE WHEN WE TOOK THESE PHOTOGRAPHS? Actually, I'm not sure. It's possible. I remember I painted this seascape in summer 2023, and the photographs were probably taken in Spring same year. I didn't share these photographs before because...I don't know if there's a reason. Did I ever know there will be a painting? Maybe I didn't feel like sharing these photographs before. Maybe I didn't find the time. Maybe I didn't feel like sharing my art, and then I didn't want to share the photos either. Who knows? Anyway, today I'm sharing both.
THE STRENGHT OF THE SEA
I decided to name this painting- and it is to be called 'The Strength of the Sea'.
The sea has a special strength for sure. It also has a special beauty to it. There's strength in beauty. You know, today I watched a show about entrepreneurs on TV on Croatian National TV. The reporter asked one young entrepreneur from Rijeka town why she doesn't move somewhere else, to a bigger city or country? He told her that one doesn't live from beauty.
She answered that although that might be true, beauty gives you strength.
Strength to live. Strength of the sea. Sea gives you strength. Its beauty gives you strength.
THE STRENGHT OF THE BEAUTY
I thought about it, and I think one can live on beauty.
Beauty can feed you. If you let it. If you open your soul to it.
Beauty can inspire you. Beauty can guide you. Beauty can make you strong.
If you learn to love beauty for beauty's sake, if you learn how to love it with an open heart, without trying to own it.
If you learn to love beauty the way an artist does- then it can give you strength to live.
You can live beautifully.
I CONTINUE TO BE THANKFUL
I continue to be thankful to be surrounded by so much visual beauty.
Some philosophers would say that beauty is really in us.
That the beauty we witness outside comes from the place within.
I would agree with them. Beauty is within us,
However, I'm still very grateful for the reminders.
I'm thankful for every moment that my eyes rest on the sea.
Forever moving, forever beautiful.
Never the same, yet always the same.
As I explained, Drvenik is special to me because this is where we would always catch the ferry ride to island Hvar as I was growing up. I have so many memories from those ferry rides. One thing is consistent, though. I was always amazed by the beauty of the seaside, forever mesmerized by the magic of the sea.
This morning when I talked with my mother, I learned that the ferry doesn't drive today. Due to a strong storm, the crew wasn't able to dock in any port yesterday. All night they were fighting the sea, so today they will take a day off.
I felt the storm too last night, but I had no idea how bad the things were in Bosnia and Herzegovina until a few hours ago. Reading the news, I read that tragically many were killed in the floods caused by the yesterday's storm in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Many are still missing. I pray they will all be found. It's a tragic reminder of how fragile our lives are. One moment we're here, the others we're gone. Everything we love and hold dear can be taken away from us in a heartbeat.
MEDIUM : ACRYLIC PAINTS ON A MIXED MEDIA SKETCHBOOK PAPER
SIZE: A3
TIME TO COMPLETE: APPROXIMATELY 20 HOURS
Like many of my seascapes, this one was painted with acrylic paints (Royal Talens brand, never sponsored). I focused a lot on the sea. I painted it over the course of one or two days if I remember correctly, a year ago or so. I added a few details recently. Not sure did it make a lot of difference, but I felt like it added something.
One of the benefits of holding onto your art is that you can always improve it. Sometimes it's hard to figure out if some painting needs more work or not, but it's all part of the process.
NOW, YOU MAY HAVE A LOOK AT THE TWO IMAGES OF THIS PAINTING, ONE SHOT UNDER DIRECT NATURAL SUNLIGHT AND ONE SHOT IN THE EVENING UNDER ARTIFICIAL LIGHT
Light makes a lot of difference in the way we perceive a painting. You can see that if you compare these two photographs below. One shot in the evening, and the other during the day (under direct sunlight).
Philosophers and aestheticians may offer elegant and profound definitions of art and beauty, but for the painter they are all summed up in this phrase: to create a harmony. —Gino Severini
THE MAKING OF THE PAINTING
Again, the making of the painting was a fairly simple process. I captured a few images for those of you who might want to see it. As you can see, first I painted the general outline of the sea, the rocks and the peninsula in the distance. I tried to get the general shades right.
You can see my wonderful palette here, that is basically a top from a packaging of a well know Croatian ice-cream brand Ledo. Croats are very creative with using Ledo packaging. We sometimes even use it as Tupperware. Seriously, Ledo's ice-cream packaging is so practical. You can keep anything in it, even paint!
When I finished with the most of the general outline, I started working on the details. To capture the movement of the sea, I used a tiny brush and delicate strokes to capture the reflection of the sky on the sea. This took me a long time to finish! Altogether, painting thing was not as a long process as some of my previous more detailed canvases, but I still took me around twenty hours or so to finish.
I don't use a lot of water when I paint with acrylics, but I will dip my brush a bit more when I'm trying to make delicate movements, just because it makes it easier to maneuver.
Art is the best possible introduction to the culture of the world. I love it for the buried hopes, the garnered memories, the tender feelings it can summon at a touch. It washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. —Pablo Picasso
A few more images of beautiful Drvenik that inspired this seascape. Look at that gorgeous views. Nothing like a walk by the sea and the scent of pine trees to bring one's mind to rest.
I ACTUALLY HAVE A DAY OFF TODAY BECAUSE IT'S TEACHER'S DAY TOMORROW
I actually have a day off tomorrow because it's Teacher's day. That's why I had the time to put this post together. Teachers usually get together and go somewhere to celebrate their day. I had a dinner planned with my collogues, but due to recent tragic events, we decided to cancel the dinner. It doesn't seem appropriate to celebrate anything somehow. Some of my colleagues actually teach kids who parents were directly affected in the flood.
I won't be celebrating Teacher's Day with my colleagues, but I'd still like to share some inspiring quotes. There was a lot to celebrate in this last week: the International Day of Non Violence, the UK Poetry Day and so on. When life gets tough, it helps to focus on art: literature, paintings, beauty....they can be a comfort to us during difficult times.
TWO INSPIRING QUOTES BY GANDHI AND MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
The nonviolence I teach is active nonviolence of the strongest. But the weakest can partake in it without becoming weaker.
Gandhi (1869-1948)
Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence....Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon . . . which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals.
Martin Luther King Jr (1929-1968)
INSPIRING QUOTES SUITABLE FOR TEACHER'S DAY
7 INSPIRING QUOTES ABOUT TEACHING
1) “When one teaches, two learn."
2) "Give me a fish, and I eat for a day. Teach me to fish, and I eat for a lifetime." - Chinese Proverb.
3) “Those who know, do. Those who understand, teach.” - Aristotle
4) "Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world." - Malala Yousafzai
5) Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace." - Confucius, Chinese philosopher.
6) "The more I learn, the more I realise how much I don’t know."- Albert Einstein
7) “I have always felt that the true textbook for the pupil is his teacher.”- Mahatma Gandhi
A BIT MORE ABOUT THE LOCATION THAT INSPIRED THE PAINTING, FOR DRVENIK IS A LOVELY VILLAGE
I've actually taken you to Drvenik a couple of times in the past, and I'll visit it again for sure. For example, in this 2018 post I blogged about Drvenik. This small coastal Croatian village with only 500 inhabitants is located in vicinity of a better known Makarska cit. Makarska is an extremely popular touristic destination and as such needs no introduction, but this little village might escape your notice. First mentioned in the 13th century, Drvenik started its life as a settlement under Biokovo mountain.
The original village was actually located a pretty distance from the sea. Why you might ask? Because of the pirates. It was common practice in those days. You'll find many villages in the Mediterranean area (Spain, Italy, Portugal and so on) that are located miles from the sea. It is only in the recent centuries that smaller settlements started to be build so near the sea. Back in the day, if you were a coastal village or a city and you didn't have a big ass wall (like Dubrovnik for example) or a mighty army, you were sure to attract pirates. One of my ancestors from island Hvar managed to outsmart pirates and stop their attack using a clever trick but I'll tell you that story some other time. Anyhow, that original 'Drvenik' village was abandoned years ago but you can still visit it if you don't mind a bit of hiking. Alternatively, you can hang out in present day Drvenik, which is definitely a more touristic place.
MORE posts about Drvenik that you might enjoy.
Photo diary / Fotodnevnik 2.4. 2015 (MAKARSKA, DRVENIK, ISLAND HVAR)
A VISIT TO DRVENIK 2013- In this post you can see what I looked like when I was 11 years younger than I'm now.
Shopping my closet as a pro, as usual. :) This seaweed green dress with a subtle floral pattern is a joy to wear. The pattern on this dark green dress is quite lovely, but that's not the only reasons why I love it. The material it's made of is a bit on a warm side, so I often wear it during the colder months as well. A dress with such a simple cut is ideal for layering. I wear it all the year around. This dress has been in my closet for years. It's by a small local Croatian brand (perhaps better to call it a small business) Moda in. The puffer is from Mana, and the boots are from some lovely Italian brand I can't remember the name of.
IF CASE YOU WANT TO SEE MORE OF MY ART HERE ARE THE LINKS TO OTHER 'TRAVEL WITH MY ART POSTS'
There's a story behind every painting and there's certainly a story behind every art piece posted in this travelling art series.
This was a nice scene to paint. I'm not sure have I done these gorgeous colours justice with my painting but I tried.
This is the only place in my travelling art series that I have painted my haven't actually visited. In my third post, I shared this a watercolour pencil sketch of a place I never visited: a church of Our Lady of Kazan located in Irkutsk, Siberia (Russia).
The fourth painting I shared is one of a location in my hometown. This watercolour pencil landscape was inspired by Split city, Croatia. More specifically, it was inspired by one of my favourite sights in Split city and that would be these absolutely gorgeous historical stone houses in immediate vicinity of Matejuška port.
For my fifth post in this series, I illustrated a historical Franciscan monastery on island Hvar with watercolours. As some of you might remember, I lived on island Hvar. Having had enough time to study this beautiful island, now I feel confident in illustrating it.
Every painting is a different memory. For my sixth painting in the series, I illustrated a scene from my hometown and once again it's all about the boats. I distinctly remembering sketching this one.
The seventh post in this series was my personal favourite. I love how I captured sea in this post. I still often revisit this painting to admire it. It was also gifted, so it's not available for sale.
In the eight post in this series, I shared a canvas painting of Sucuraj. As usual, I used one of my own photographs as a reference for this acrylic painting.
For the the ninth post in the series, I repeated a location. It must be a special location, you might be thinking and you'd be right. I'd already illustrated bay Mala Stiniva on island Hvar once, when I decided to paint it again. Can you blame me for wanting to paint this magnificent bay again?
My tenth painting in the series saw me returning to magical island Hvar. In the centre of this painting there is a 12.5 meters long traditional wooden fishing boat and in the background you can see Hvar town (where we first spotted this boat about a year ago). I invested a lot of time and effort into this painting.
In my eleventh post in the series, I returned to Jelsa on island Hvar to paint a nightscape. The medium was acrylic paintings on canvas. This painting was also gifted, so it's not available for sale any more (even if the original post implies it is). This is the second night seascape I made (you can see the first one here).
For my the twelfth post in my series, I returned to Zavala to paint another acrylic seascape canvas. I typically invest more time into my canvases, as opposed to landscapes painted in my sketchbooks.
The thirteenth painting in the series is more of a sketch. I wasn't completely happy with it and wasn't sure where I went wrong. Maybe it was the number 13 that brought me bad luck.
In the fourteenth painting in the series, I depicted island Hvar again and this time a bay that is not widely known.
In my fifteenth post in the series, I illustrated bay Lozna on island Hvar. Another sketchbook seascape painting that turned out very satisfactory. I worked on this painting for about two days.
Another attempt at capturing the sea in the small frame with acrylic paints on paper.
In my seventeenth post, I illustrated island Brač and more precisely to- Bol.
Planinica hill in Bosnia and Herzegovina. You might remember this place from my numerous posts about it. Like Goranci, Planinica is only a short drive away from Mostar. If you are lucky, you might even come across semi-wild horses. I've been meaning to paint Planinica for a long time.
The nineteenth painting in the series was an ambitious acrylic canvas that was again all about island Hvar. This time I painted boats in a harbour.
Sometimes nothing beats a quick painting. In the twentieth post in my travelling art series, I shared a quick painting of Soline beach in Vrbovska.
This painting was inspired by photographs taken in April a few years ago near hotel Arkada, Stari Grad city (island Hvar). Like the last painting in my series, this acrylic painting was done on mixed media paper in A4 format is. Therefore, it's neither a large painting nor a very detailed one.
Another acrylic on paper. This time my inspiration was Makarska town in Dalmatia (Croatia).
I have put so much effort into this painting but I think it paid off.
This Žnjan painting was painted on plain air which was a fun experience. I remember one lady approached me to talk to me. I painted it on beach Žnjan in Split city, Croatia. I don't do a lot of painting in the open but sometimes I do venture outdoors, for example HERE.
I used one of my own photographs as a reference. The medium was acrylic paints on mixed media paper.
This was a super quick oil pastel sketch and I liked how it turned out.
This one is a little different because it's more a drawing than a painting.
This watercolour painting can perhaps be categorized as both destination and fashion illustration. It depicts a certain location- Basina bay on island Hvar, so you could call it a landscape or a location painting.
In the twenty- ninth post in this destination art series, I painted bay Torac using acrylic paints on canvas. As far as the making of this painting, it was a pretty standard affair.
In my thirtieth post in my travel and destination art series, I shared an illustration that I made for and gifted to a friend of mine who lives in Malta. The medium is water pastels on paper.
This was a commission painting. This is a big painting!
This super quick painting was another painting inspired by Zavala on island Hvar (Croatia). It is not nearly as elaborative or challenging as the last piece I shared in my destination art series.
#33:TRAVEL WITH MY ART LOZNA COMISSIONED, ISLAND HVAR
This seascape was another commissioned painting of bay Lozna (the second bay next to cape Kabal) on island Hvar. Some of you might remember I have already painted this gorgeous seascape location with acrylics on a A4 mixed media paper.
In the thirty-forth post in this series, I painted a beautiful spot in Vrboska. I was really happy with how this one turned out. The medium was acrylic paints on paper.
Today I'm sharing with you an A4 acrylic seascape inspired by a photograph taken by my husband. It's a typical quick 'Ivana' seascape. Painted pretty quickly, it is not very detailed.
This painting took me about three months to finish for multiple reasons.
I used my old photographs as a reference. I took these two photograph last year while I was walking trough this park.
....AND FINALLY A FEW OF MY MOST RECENT ONES....
Thank you for visiting!
El cuadro del mar te quita el aliento. Te mando un beso.
ReplyDeleteGracias
DeleteYour pictures of the sea and sea waves are the best! I am amazed how you manage to guess and paint the beautiful Adriatic Sea! Greetings Ivan
ReplyDeleteThank you dear Leone.
DeleteAleż tam są widoki. Piękne zdjęcia. Uwielbiam te twoje wpisy.
ReplyDeletePozdrawiam
DeleteHello, Ivana! I enjoy your paintings! Great photos!
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to hear you enjoy them.
DeleteI'm in awe of how brilliantly you've captured the spirit and movement of the sea, Ivana! xxx
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI'm so sorry to hear about the floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our lives are fragile indeed and nature is a force to be reckoned with.
ReplyDeleteThe Strength of the Sea is therefore a very apt title for your stunning painting! xxx
It's a tragedy indeed.
DeleteGreat artwork Ivana. You are really talented :-D
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteYour painting is breathtakingly beautiful. The small waves seem to be moving.
ReplyDeleteWish you a very nice evening
Thank you very much!
DeleteWhat a beautiful way to capture the essence of Drvenik! The connection between your painting and the photograph is truly inspiring.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful way to capture the essence of Drvenik! The connection between your painting and the photograph is truly inspiring.
ReplyDeleteThank you Melody!
DeleteHello, Ivana,
ReplyDeleteI loved this direct confrontation between the photo and the painting! And what perfection, of everything, of what was captured by the photo and what was painted by you! I loved it, your photos are also very beautiful, you are indeed surrounded by so much beauty, Croatia is indeed an incredible country to visit! What a shame about the floods in Bosnia, I saw it on the telly! In fact the sea has all that power you describe, it's pure energy!
As for your look, it seems appropriate for that place, although it's an adventure to be on those rocks, you're a brave girl!
Have a great Sunday!
I love walking on the rocks!
Delete