italy

Water on Wood (OPPO Find X2 Lite) by Karuna Yang, 12; published in the January/February 2024 issue of Stone Soup A Note from Tayleigh Greene Hello and Happy Saturday! I’m writing to you from Houston, Texas, but as I contemplate Karuna Yang’s Water on Wood, shown above, I’m transported to Venice, Italy. Venice brims with magnificent artworks and exquisite architecture. However, last I traveled there, I found myself more moved by the way that reflections of apartment buildings and strung linens danced in the water. Karuna’s photograph is mesmerizing and beautiful in much the same way. I love how the leaves’ shadows blend with their reflections. Taking inspiration from Karuna’s photograph, here’s a prompt for you this long weekend: select your subject, then shift your perspective to explore its shadow, its reflection, or perhaps both. (Madeline Male’s Sapling Shadow, also featured in the January/February issue, is another brilliant example.) Don’t limit yourself to photography, or even to drawing or painting. This prompt can also be used as a writing exercise. As always, if you like what you create, please submit your work to Stone Soup. We are currently accepting submissions for our Short Story, Poetry, and Artwork Prizes. Winners will receive three free expedited submissions ($30 value) and a one-year print subscription to the magazine ($90 value). We will select a single winner from each category—one story, one poem, one piece of art—and publish them in the magazine. The deadline to submit is May 1, 2024. As they say in Italy, in bocca al lupo (good luck)! Until next time, The Stone Soup Story Contest The Stone Soup Poetry Contest The Stone Soup Art Contest Stone Soup is published by Children’s Art Foundation-Stone Soup Inc., a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit organization registered in the United States of America, EIN: 23-7317498.