February
2007 - Vol. 5
David with his aquarelles (watercolors)
captures the natural beauty of Portugal's landscape
Nature
Painted with Grace
paying
homage to the beauty of God’s creation
by
David Kurani
a noted Lebanese
landscape artist shares his faith and vision
for extolling
God’s handiwork
David and his wife,
Gisele, live in Antelias, Lebanon with their three sons. Their high-rise
apartment, which overlooks the Mediterranean sea and Beirut skyline, is
a living art gallery of David’s
landscape work over the past 30 years. David has exhibited widely in art
galleries and private collections throughout Lebanon, Europe, and the USA.
David and his family are active members of the People of God in Lebanon,
a member community of The Sword of the Spirit. David is one of the founding
members of the People of God since its inception in 1975.
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Artist
Statement
“I think it was John Singer Sargent who said, ‘An artist is he who has
to paint.’ If that is the criteria, then I qualify, although I’m not a
full-time painter. I teach classes in art and theatre in the American University
of Beirut, and presently am Chairperson of the Department of Fine Arts
and Art History.
“Painting landscapes, I feel, is my way of paying homage to the beauty
of God’s creation. With the inclusion of buildings and roads, etc., I feel
I can celebrate, on paper, the relation of God and Man. That is a favorite
theme of mine. I believe that art is a gift from God in the first
place. So, isn’t it appropriate to use it to extol his handiwork?”
Artist
website: http://www.rc.net/wcc/art/kurani.htm
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Capo da Roca, Portugal,
watercolor
About
the Artwork
“Capo da Roca” is the name
of a rocky promontory in Portugal, that they say is the westernmost tip
of Europe - even further west than Ireland. Crowned with a lighthouse,
it was, for me, a subject that connects several themes which I find meaningful
- the saving of lives, security, warning, guidance through dark conditions,
and, of course, light.
While painting, terrific
wind sent my equipment flying a few times but it was as exhilarating as
being on the prow of a ship. The sun burst through just when I needed it,
and as I finished, the weather closed in and a few raindrops marked the
picture - nature completing art! |
Winter Roses - watercolor
View from the roof top - oil
painting
“The Oak that Emigrated with
the Storks”
watercolor [click image
to see large version]
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