Bonne Mai!!

This month’s postcard brings us to the colorful island of Burano, Italy — a tiny fishing village just outside of Venice that feels too vibrant to be real. Legend says the fishermen painted their homes along the canals in joyful colors, from electric pinks and buttery yellows to bright blues so they could find their way back through the fog after long days out on the water.

Read more: IsoladiBurano.it → Legends of Burano

Learn More: Re-thinkingTheFuture.com/Architects-Lounge

What I love about these houses were how playful each felt to paint. They seem to have the perfect composition striped awnings, flower boxes, laundry lines, and contrasting painted shutters glowing in the sunlight. This hot pink house was the house that spurred the series… the unexpected color palette felt like the perfect subject to practice using really saturated hues.

In 2024, painting colorful waterfront architecture and boats were firsts for me. At the time, modifying each color’s tint and tone in order to properly create the reflection in the water felt really intimidating. I talk more about this process more and provide videos on my website. 

These 8”x10” paintings hang in my studio encouraging me to search for vivid colored architecture and serve as travel as inspiration. I hope this watercolor adds a bright spot to your month ahead of summer.

Amitiés,

Jacqueline