ReVivoArtistry, Inh. Stefania Molinari

In my watercolour, the river flows with silent grace between the green folds of the Parma Apennines, a corner of the world that accompanied the summers of my childhood. Every summer I grew up here, plunging into the cool waters of the river to escape the heat of the afternoon, the horizon stretching out before me like a promise of freedom. The river, which in its simplicity is the protagonist of the scene, is also the symbol of an incessant flow, an eternal movement that never stops, that adapts to every curve of the landscape, that follows its course without looking back.

Its water, transparent and clear, tells of a time that passes without restraint, of a breath that is renewed with every wave. But when the current cuts its way through the stones, it is possible to see the rocks, motionless and powerful, resisting like a presence that seems to want to stop the flow of life. The rocks, solid and stubborn, are a metaphor for all that we try to resist, the part of us that clings to the security of what we know, that is afraid to be swept away by the uncertainty of the future. But in my watercolour, as in life itself, the rocks can never really hold back the river. The current, with its incessant movement, knows that nothing can stand in its way, that life, in its unstoppable flow, also brings what we do not expect, what we cannot control.

Yet often we try to be like the rocks. We reject the unknown, the wonder of a future we cannot foresee, and we become rigid in our desire to control every step, every fate. But life, like the river, does not ask to be stopped. It asks to be lived, to be embraced in its naturalness, without resistance. Rocks, no matter how invincible they may seem, are destined to yield to the patience of time, to the small waves that incessantly lap at them. Resistance only obstructs the path, slows down our being. Only in surrender, in letting ourselves go with the current, can we discover the beauty of the journey.

Every bend in the river, every reflection dancing on the surface of the water, is like an invitation to let go, not to fear what the future holds. The river does not look back, does not stop to regret what it has left behind. Its beauty lies in its ability to flow, to adapt and to carry on without ever stopping, staying true to its course, without fear of change, of transformation. This is what life is: a flow that does not ask us to stop, but to learn to follow it, to dance with it, to trust its path, even when it seems unknown.

In my watercolour, the river is not just flowing water, but an allegory of the essence of life, a reminder not to fear uncertainty, not to seek refuge in a static that ultimately only holds back our spirit. The rocks may seem strong, but in the end they are only an obstacle, a weight that prevents us from letting go, from living with the fullness of the heart. Only by accepting the flow of the river, only by embracing its inevitable rush, can we find the freedom to be ourselves, to walk our path without fear, ready to face each bend and each new turn.

And so, like the river, we must learn to flow, to let life lead us, unafraid of what we may encounter along the way. Only in this way can we discover the true beauty of our journey, that which cannot be foreseen, that which only reveals itself when we are willing to let go.