A Taste of Art
Watercolour artists find inspiration in Wakatobi waters
Perhaps there's something in the water at Wakatobi. Art had been a childhood passion for Silvia White, but life led her away from the easel for many years. That changed in 2019, when she was gifted a set of watercolours and paper.
"I left the artistic side of me asleep until I drew a fish I saw at Wakatobi," said Silvia. When I started to paint with this unique medium, it was love at first brushstroke.
"I remember the fabulous colours of Wakatobi's reef, the peace I feel underwater, and the unique character of each creature I've encountered over the years," she says. "It's a joy to see a subject full of life appear from a white sheet of paper - creating something with our hands is magical."
While she's moved on from Wakatobi, Silvia specialised in painting the marine life she guided guests to see beneath the surface, often leaning towards abstraction, as can be seen in her White Pygmy Seahorse series. "The creatures of the underwater world are full of colours, particular shapes and even personality," she says. "Water is wild and has a life of its own."
Dive professional, and Wakatobi Dive Resort's resident artist, Chiara Sola, is equally inspired by the colourful vista she encounters at work. "Painting is a sort of meditation," she says. "When I'm in front of the colours, everything else disappears. It's very important for me to be to able to free by mind and relax, and painting allows me to do that."
Inspired by Wakatobi's vivid reefs, much of Chiara's work mirrors the wildlife she frequents during her time in the water. "I'm always fascinated by the different textures and colour palettes you can see underwater. Nature can combine the oddest hues and weird patterns, and still make them work beautifully. Whenever I'm diving, I look for unusual colours - ones I can bring back into my paintings."
Silvia and Chiara's art - along other artists - is reproduced on high-quality watercolour paper, available for purchase at the resort's boutique. For more on Wakatobi and its artists, visit wakatobi.com
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Wakatobi Resort
Experience Wakatobi, a world-renowned dive and snorkel destination in a tranquil island setting and a pristine natural environment, far from crowds. Blending refined comforts with its surroundings, the resort provides spacious, air-conditioned ocean-front villas and bungalows with Wi-Fi, and all-inclusive, chef-prepared meals. Regardless of its remote location, exceptional comfort and convenience are paramount.