“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
 

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!