Talking about a cradle of humanity, Syria has been an ever-shifting geographical concept most recently embroiled in civil war. Remains of some of the earliest sedentary settlements have been found in this land, they were the Natufian culture, apparently relying on agriculture. An array of other cultures and peoples including the Romans at some point, then the Ottomans, making the border designations in constant flux until 1920. Most of the landscape pictures I could find on the internet and on google maps were the approximate colour of the lower left part of the painting, a pale beige (ecru) kind of clay or sand. Yet, there were fertile valleys and olive groves here and there. I also noticed the spectacular skies, you can see in the painting beams of light coming through a crack in the clouds. Many of the countries in this region would be fantastic to visit, but they are simply too dangerous for a tourist. Some of our students have been refugees from Syria, and despite still having some family remaining, the closest that they can get to visit is at the border with Turkey. When I look at this painting, which was based loosely off a google map view, it would be great to be on such a location, like Van Gogh in southern France when he painted the olive groves.
World Inspired Landscapes: Syria, watercolour 7 x 10" hot press, April 2025
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