Lebanon is located in the tumultuous Middle East, historically it was been part of several empires and changed religious priorities from Christianity to Islam over the years. Nowadays it lies in the middle politically and culturally, with deep poverty but great wealth somehow coexisting. The most prominent aspect of the landscape in Lebanon is the iconic cedar tree, which is on their flag, and once to covered most of the land. With over-forestation and climate change the mighty trees are disappearing. Another feature that is typical for Lebanon is the amazing geology including the red canyon area which is full of flowing rock formations created by water, wind and sand erosion. The red rocks in the painting are only slightly exaggerated as compared to the real life images I could glean from the internet. Formations like this would have been created by fast flowing water that carved grooves and swirls out of the red rock. There is even a concert theater in the canyon that uses the geological formations to create seating areas and acoustics for the audience. They also light it up for shows, creating an eerie spectacle.
World Inspired Landscapes: Lebanon, watercolour 9 x 12" watercolour paper, January 2024
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