Sometimes an artist steps back and allows the creative process to unfold without guiding it too much. As the watercolors became more abstract, images evoking nature began to emerge. Sophia: The Rivers & Petals collection came from experimenting with painting without a particular subject in mind. Harney: It’s not only the structures you see that inspire your work, nature is also part of your art. Some of the other places I have enjoyed traveling to and painting include Paris, Morocco and Spain. I can never tire of it, and I often return to my favorite towns and cities, which to date are Venice, Montepulciano and Matera. Sophia: I am an incurable Italophile, and Italy remains my favorite place to explore. Where have your travels taken you to? Do you have a favorite place to visit? Harney: You’re clearly inspired by what you see on your travels. The effects that watercolors offer are endlessly inspiring, and there is always something new to experiment and challenge oneself with.
I have tried other mediums such as oils, acrylics and even book arts, but painting with watercolors is absolutely my favorite medium. Instead, there was much more experimenting with capturing the mood of the place with vibrant colors and brushstrokes, painting what I wanted to remember most, and how I was moved by it. I was not so interested in a literal representation. The watercolors I painted while there, over 20 years ago, have the beginnings of the style I now paint in. I decided to put to use the small set of watercolors I had instinctively brought along. I was very moved, however, by this particular place and their caves and knew that there was something more I wanted to capture, and that a sketch would be insufficient. As students, we were taught to capture what we saw with either pencil or charcoal sketches.
DOES SHE KNOW SOPHIA FRESH DOWNLOAD SERIES
I was in a small town in the south of Italy that has a series of cave dwellings called the Sassi. Sophia : The very first watercolor I remember painting was while I was pursuing my architectural studies in Italy.
Harney: How did you land on watercolors as your medium? Do you ever paint with other mediums? These images inspired a love for architecture and adventure within me, planting the seeds of what are now my lifestyle and interests, the watercolors that I paint and the wanderlust that I infuse my art with. I remember being intrigued by and drawing a pencil sketch of the Arc de Triomphe. Sophia : When I was just in elementary school, I was absolutely enchanted by the black and white images of Paris’ architectural wonders shown in the Encyclopedia Britannica set that we had in our home. Harney: You write that “my desire for a creative and adventurous life began when I was just a child.” Tell us how that came about. I love living on Long Island where I am both close to beaches and harbors, and can also venture out to NYC to explore the museums, cafés and galleries, as well as all the educational, musical and cultural events that the city offers. I studied architecture in New York and also while living in Florence, Italy. Sophia: I am from New York, and have lived here for most of my life. Where are you from, educational background, where you live, family, etc. If we could add a fourth word to describe Sophia, it would be, in our humble opinion, “tea lover,” which are technically two words… so maybe “teaophile?” Because not only does she enjoy drinking it, she uses it in her art, too! I f we had to limit ourselves to three words to use to describe our July Teafluencer, Sophia Khan, they would undoubtedly have to be “watercolorist,” “wanderlust” and “Italophile.” This native New Yorker with a love of travel, poetry, architecture, art and the cherished practice of sending handwritten notes creates an atmosphere of calm and reflection in her art- something we could all use a little more of in our lives these days.
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