SYMBOLS OF HOPE
(Click the play button to listen to an audio version of the text below)
"Lighthouses are beacons of hope that shine their light through the darkest and stormiest situations.
Historically, lighthouses were built to help sailers navigate through difficult waters and know how close to shore they are.
In Christianity, lighthouses serve as the spiritual representation of how Jesus is the light of the world and guides us through difficult times. Like a lighthouse if we stay close to God we will be guided safely, on our journey through life.
If you think about it lighthouses truly are symbols of hope. Imagine long before phones, you’ve been at sea for days, before getting stuck in a hurricane. The ferocious waves are crashing over your boat, the wind is practically blowing you over, it's dark and foggy and there’s not another soul insight not even the animals can be seen. You feel the immense chaos of being lost in a storm, not knowing how you will get to shore, or if you will even survive. You are stressed, tired, and afraid starting to feel hopeless that you will make it out alive and then off in the distance ever so slightly you see a glimmer of light peaking through the dark clouds and hear a faint bell sound. It’s like a calm in the storm. A sense of peace brought to you in the chaos and finally you are able to be guided to shore.
The funny thing about lighthouses is I never thought they were anything special. A few years ago, I was commissioned to paint a lighthouse for wedding stationery; prior to that, I had never seriously used watercolor paints or ever painted a lighthouse before, and never knew anything about lighthouses or what they represent. But I did it, and it was a hit! This really got me started used watercolor paints, and I decided to create the “Working Lighthouses of Rhode Island” Collection. and since then, I started to notice lighthouses more and they began to be something I grew to like, found beauty in, and started to go looking for.
With that being said, along with being on a journey to develop my own personal style, I’m going to start arguably my most ambitious project: painting ALL the working lighthouses in the world. When I got this idea, I started googling what lighthouses represent and because there are no true coincidences in life, they represent something everyone could always use a little more of.
As you can imagine, there are a ton of working lighthouses around the world, so this will be a very long ongoing project, but along the way I hope share my passion for art with the purpose of spreading hope to create a piece everyone can connect with that helps you navigate through difficult times, and shares with each of you a little slice of the beauty and hope I see all around us."
ABOVE IS AN INTERACTIVE MAP
THIS MAP ALLOWS YOU TO TRAVEL THE WORLD FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME, ALLOWING YOU TO ESCAPE AND EXPLORE SO MANY BEAUTIFUL PLACES, ALL OVER THE GLOBE.
ZOOM IN AND OUT OF THE MAP TO DISCOVER EACH LIGHTHOUSE LOCATION (OR THE CLOSEST POSSIBLE ADDRESS).
DRAG AND DROP THE PERSON ICON TO ANY LOCATION ON THE MAP TO "WALK AROUND" AT EACH LIGHTHOUSE.
FEATURED FAVORITES
HECETA HEAD LIGHTHOUSE
FLORENCE, OREGON
Heceta Head's head lighthouse keeper, Olaf Hansen, worked for over 15 years to make the area a sustainable community, starting vegetable gardens, a schoolhouse and Heceta Head's Post Office.
By the end of the 1930's, the U.S. Coast Guard retired the Head Lighthouse Keeper's dwelling and sold the house for $10 (about $227 in 2024).
HUDSON-ATHENS LIGHTHOUSE
ATHENS, NEW YORK
"This lighthouse painting reminds me of fall! I guess it exudes similar fall energy to the rest of upstate New York… maybe it’s the colored leaves in the background or the burnt orange, olive green and indigo color scheme"
In 1946, this lighthouse was featured on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post, with its keeper Emil J. Brunner at the time, rowing out to the lighthouse in the winter with his family waiting on the deck. Brunner was was the last civilian light keeper before retiring in 1949.
ST. THEODORE LIGHTHOUSE
ARGOSTOLION, GREECE
This lighthouse sits on a man-made cape, is one of Kefalonia’s most famous landmarks and the most photographed spot on the island.
These views capture the essence of the Ionian Sea and the mountainous terrain that beautifully frame the waters. It truly seems like a scene from a movie!
THE LITTLE RED LIGHTHOUSE
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK
"Naturally, being from Northern New Jersey, I’ve crossed the GWB more times than I can count, but never knew there was a lighthouse under it. It’s funny how something can be so familiar and you can miss the beauty seemingly hiding under its surface."
The Little Red Lighthouse (officially Jeffrey’s Hook Lighthouse) is Manhattan’s smallest and last remaining lighthouse, getting its nickname from Writer Hildegarde H. Swift’s 1942 children’s book, “The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge".
BOSTON LIGHT AND THE GRAVES LIGHT
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
"I originally set out to paint “The Graves Light”, picked for its spooky themed name for Halloween, but ended up painting the Boston Light too. While looking at reference photos, I really loved that 2 lighthouses were visible in the same composition, and how often does that happen?! So including both of them was a no brainer!"
FARO SAN GIORGIO MAGGIORE
VENICE, ITALY
San Giorgio Maggiore is one of the islands of Venice Italy is home to the Faro San Giorgio Maggiore, which translates to St. George the Greater Lighthouse. This lighthouse was built in the 19th century, stands as a representation of Venice’s rich maritime heritage and helps sailers navigate the Venetian Lagoon. Visitors can climb to the top of this lighthouse and see a 360 degree view of the city.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND HISTORY ABOUT EACH LIGHTHOUSE, VISIT GABY'S SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES: @GABYPATERNOART
Along my journey of painting all the working lighthouses in the world, using my passion for art with the purpose of spreading hope; I wanted to introduce functional pieces with these paintings to share with you to enjoy in your own home. Other than its original painting, each lighthouse is available on both scented (or unscented) candles and reusable tote bags; each item is available in multiple variations for a completely customizable experience!
SCENTED
CANDLES
Like a lighthouse, each Coconut-Apricot Wax candle emits light, but in the comfort of your own home!
Whether you connect with a particular lighthouse, the message behind them, are a candle lover, are coastal decor lover or looking for a unique and chic gift; these lighthouse candles are perfect for you!
REUSABLE TOTE BAGS
Each bag comes not only with your choice of lighthouse, but also in a variety of 5 strap colors to create a completely customizable experience.
Whether you connect with a particular lighthouse, the message behind them, are a tote bag lover, environmentally conscious or looking for a unique and chic gift; these lighthouse tote bags are perfect for you!
