Title: Heading in: Svitzer Tug Waratah on Sydney Harbour Year of execution: 2020 Size (image area): 48 x 85 cm. (approx. 18.8 x 33.4 inches) Technical data: Watercolour with pastel highlights on 850 gsm Arches (France) 640 gsm cold pressed, rough watercolour paper. Travelling by ferry close behind the Svitzer Waratah, I was intrigued to see a boat designed to safely pilot cargo freighters and passenger liners in and out of the world’s waterways. As it manoeuvred through the water I was captivated with the tumble and spray of waves in the wake of this elegant vessel. We are endlessly captivated by the sensory pleasure that boats provide: sails reflected on sunlit waters, storm clouds gathering around the solitary lighthouse, the rattle & clang of a passing freighter, the scent of freshly varnished timbers in a boat shed, the feel of salt spray from the deck of a yacht, the roll and thrum of a harbour ferry, or the freshly caught fish from a trawler. Whether we are conscious of it or not, something in our vast collective wealth of seafaring knowledge is embedded in the human psyche. Even the simple art of folding paper into a boat is learned in childhood, and we are as mesmerised by the art of the ship-in-a-bottle as with the sound of sea in a shell. Our shared communion with boats connects us in so many ways. My desire as visual artist is to capture something of the sights, sounds and stories that surround our working harbours and waterways. And through this lens, I have also come to appreciate the vanishing maritime heritage of my own city of Sydney, Australia. Artist: Victoria Kitanov