RETURN TO ARCADIA

 

Here are a few lines about my recent "Return to Arcadia" series of watercolors on yupo (14"x11").

 

The basis for both my Arcadia series (Trail to Arcadia, and Return to Arcadia) comes from my re-visits to a childhood place, within the Slovenian Alps.

When I was about five, my parents purchased a small condo in the small town of Bovec. At the time, Bovec was still largely "undiscovered" by tourists, and was making its developing strides towards becoming a ski resort.

This incredibly beautiful area is truly breathtaking every time one visits. It shocks all your senses with its colors, fresh cool air, the scent of grass, (and depending on the season - mushrooms, and flowers). The small town of Bovec is settled in a valley, surrounded by the lush dark green mountains, some of which, with their higher altitudes, turn into pristine stone-grey and snow-white peaks.

I always found it unusual that this beautiful location was also one of the deadliest battle fronts in World War I, where about 1.7 millions of soldiers lost their lives, many in direct combat, and many more enduring brutally harsh conditions of cold, snow and blizzards, trailing the steep mountains and crossing deep canyons.

The emerald green color of the Soča river (and many creeks and lakes here) is mesmerizing and surreal. I recently found out one of the Narnia movies was filmed on the location as well, and though I was not at all surprised that this hidden gem would inevitably be "discovered" more globally, I also wished it stayed a hidden gem - the way it was when I was a child.

But even with its more recent popularity among the fans of the outdoor extreme sports and adventurers, one thing stays unchanged - the lush mountains here are so vast and stand so tall, a sense of primal beauty and power of nature here still rings true, and a feeling of sheer awe upon arriving at the scene cannot be disturbed in any way imaginable.

The last time I visited Bovec, with my entire family (my family, my sister's family and our mom), it was apparent to me how "more natural" life feels within this landscape.

I hope I keep returning here, over and over....