Playa Honda Lanzarote

Landscape Watercolour of Lanzarote, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

Playa Honda is situated right next to Lanzarote's Airport, but it's actually quite a quiet place.  Along the sea front runs a winding promenade and an unspoiled mainly sandy beach.  Half way along is a small group of what I guess are fairly old local buildings right on the beach and some weathered boats tethered to the railings.

Bristol Waterfront 1

Landscape Watercolour of Bristol, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

A subject closer to my home and the Bristol waterfront area.  This was once about 30 years ago, more like an inner city dockland area - somewhere you would definitely avoid at night.  Now it's been very well developed with waterfront apartment blocks and many bars and restaurants, popular at nights and weekends.  This painting was based on a photo taken after the annual harbour festival when the whole area takes on the feel of a marina with all different sizes of boats and yachts.  I suppose the main challenge of the subject was to simplify it with the many lines and background detail that was there.

Rent a Car office, Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote

Landscape Watercolour of Lanzarote, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

Steps leading up to a Rent-a-Car office along the main coastal road in Puerto del Carmen in Lanzarote.  The subject attracted me for the geometric patterns of the steps and the shadow cast across them, and also for a slight change in perspective looking up to the focal point of interest rather than it being at sort of eye level.  The deep red terracotta tiles of the steps were also quite striking.

Potato Fields, Lanzarote

Landscape Watercolour of Lanzarote, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

A quick study of a typical potato field on the Island of Lanzarote.  Potatoes are one of the main crops on Lanzarote and they're a great local specialty tapas - Canarian Potatoes or wrinkly potatoes, served with spicy mojo sauce.  Because the whole island is a series of dormant volcanoes, lava rock is in plentiful supply as a crushed black mulch for the crops, keeping the moisture in, and a building material for the boundary walls around the fields.

Hotel Playa Sol, Cadeques

Landscape Watercolour of Cadeques, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

One of the many little secluded beaches to be found along the coast of Cadeques, and a great location for this Hotel with its' balconies overlooking the bay in front.  Known as the Spanish Saint Tropez, it's not too far from the French border, but has still been able to maintain it's Mediterranean 'fishing village' charm without feeling like a resort.

Arrecife Promenade, Lanzarote

Landscape Watercolour of Lanzarote, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

A scene of the long promenade running along the coast of the capital 'town/city' of Arrecife, and here, just by the marina, it's constructed of wooden boards, aged and worn by probably the foot traffic and winds off the sea.  The pyramid roof on the right is a popular bar frequented mainly by the locals.

Municipal Market in Lagos Portugal

Landscape Watercolour of Lagos, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

Located facing the fishing port, this building was built in 1924 to originally house just the towns fruit and veg market but was also devoted to selling fish in the last 1950's. The wonderful selection of freshly caught seafood is housed on the ground floor while fruit, vegetables, freshly baked bread, and an open-air terrace with restaurant can be found upstairs.

Staithes, North Yorkshire

Landscape Watercolour of Staithes, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

This is the quant little footbridge joining the two halves of Staithes Town on the beautiful North Yorkshire coast.  I was lucky enough to have pleasant sunshine when I was there last year.  The river here is the primary subject for many visiting artists, especially at low tide and featuring the old rowing boats which are almost a trademark of the town.

#saunderswaterford

Cadeques Town Centre looking towards the hills

Landscape Watercolour of Cadeques, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

Cadeques on the Costa Brava, looking towards the centre of this town and the hills beyond that surround and shelter the location.  I think the church tower silhouetted against the darker mountains worked well as do the understated white washed buildings in the middle ground left.  Might have controlled the washes or altered the timings on the clouds ad mist coming into the hill tops.

Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem

Landscape Watercolour of Jerusalem, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lb

The Via Dolorosa (Path of Sorrow or "Way of the Cross") in Jerusalem is the route tradition says that Jesus followed from his condemnation by the Romans to the spot where he was buried after the crucifixion.  Now you’ll find the street can be noisy – with venders vying for your attention calling out their wares. Old stone buildings rise up on either side, and instead of a tree-lined country lane, seemingly endless stone steps ascend through the city. 

Fishermen, Alexandria Egypt

Landscape Watercolour of Alexandria, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

A study of some fishermen attending their nets or maybe discussing the day's campaign.  Close to the main harbour in Alexandria and towards the citadel there's many types of boats congregated together, maybe for the shelter here or maybe it's proximity to the markets nearby.  I tried to convey the heat here of the midday sun and the not so blue colour of the sky, which many times in Egypt has an ochre tinge to it maybe because of sands blown in from the South.

Ilfracombe Harbour, North Devon

Landscape Watercolour of Ilfracombe, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

Ilfracombe harbour is the largest harbour on the North Devon coast and has been an important port for several centuries. It's a busy place with still some small commercial trawlers coming in and ferries off to other Bristol Channel locations. This view is looking up the hill (that shelters the harbour from southerly winds) and the town centre to the West.

Olhao Marina, Algarve, Portugal

Landscape Watercolour of the Algarve, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

The busy marina at Olhao (pronounced "oll Yow") on the Algarve and the pier stretching out to the main ferry point for the islands in the Ria Formosa natural park. Olhao. This is the biggest fishing port on the Algarve, and if you ignore the shabby appearance of the town centre there's a great daily fish market here on the waterfront and loads of restaurants along the Outubro Promenade serving fish and shell fish dishes.  I am gradually getting used to the Saunders paper now away from my usual Bockingford and doing wet in wet on Saunders is a hell of a lot easier.

Alexandria Street 13, Egypt

Landscape Watercolour of Alexandria, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

Alexandria has to be one of my favourite subjects for watercolour - it's perfect for the medium with the light, the contrasts between light and dark, and perfect compositions with the typical street scenes.  I'll have to go back some time and take hundreds more reference photos cuz I'm running out.

Cadeques 5

Landscape Watercolour of Cadeques, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

The Casino L'Amistat in Cadeques, a cultural and heritage centre for the town. And more of an unusual view, looking at the side of this large square white neoclassical building from across the square, and the dominating bell tower of the Santa Maria church high up on the hill in the background.

Santa Maria Church, Cadeques

Landscape Watercolour of Cadeques, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

With a commanding view over Cadeques, stands the 16th century white-washed Santa Maria Church.  The original church was destroyed by the infamous Turkish pirate Barbarossa.  The 'new' church has many ties with Salvador Dali with pieces of his work inside.  And being so high up above the town, there's a pretty challenging walk up to it through the narrow streets, but the views are well worth it.

Piazza Yenne, Cagliari, 2

Landscape Watercolour of Cagliari, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

The Piazza Yenne is one of the most important squares of Cagliari located at the end of the Largo Carlo Felice in the centre of town. By day it's a popular spot for tourists visiting the citadel or the old town and by night it's a busy meeting place for locals.

Cadeques Spain 4

Landscape Watercolour of Cadeques Spain, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

The bay in the pretty seaside town of Cadeques, Spain, looking up to the misty tops of the Peni Mountain. Cadeques is extremely well sheltered with a range of mountains (the Cap de Creus) protecting it form the North and the West, but makes for an interesting and twisty drive into town. One thing that sets Cadaques apart from so many other towns along the Costa Brava is that its natural setting and rustic buildings have been untouched by mass tourism.

Road to Uludag, Turkey

Landscape Watercolour of Uludag, Turkey, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Paper 140 lbs

Uludag a very popular ski resort in the winter, but in the summer it's a wonderful drive up the windy road from nearby Bursa to the summit.   Along the way you pass traditional villages and many road-side vendors selling local produce of Olive Oil and Nuts.

Mevagissey Harbour, Cornwall

Landscape Watercolour of Cornwall, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

Mevagissey is a traditional Cornish fishing village  on the South Coast of Cornwall about 5 miles south of St Austell. The picturesque narrow streets leading down to the harbour still retain some of the charm of an age when the horse and cart were the main method of transport, but nowadays the streets are filled with tourists and cars each competing for space.

Playa de las Canteras, Gran Canaria

Landscape Watercolour of Gran Canaria, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

Playa de las Canteras - a lovely curved stretch of golden sands along the bay at Las Palmas, with at the eastern end, pretty striped huts looking very nautical and views over to La Isleta to the north.  Typical days here are characterised by bright sun and strong winds.  Even though there's a break water off the beach by 100 metres or so, the waves can be pretty fierce.

Cadeques Spain 2

Landscape Watercolour of Cadeques, Spain, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

I definitely like my move to Saunders Waterford paper from previous use of Bockingford.  The washes behave themselves and the colours seem to be more vibrant on Saunders.  The only slight drawback is the paper takes longer to dry than Bockingford so you have to be a little more patient or have a hair dryer handy.

Cadeques - Sunlit roofs

Landscape Watercolour of Cadeques, Spain, 15" x 11" on Bockingford NOT Paper 140 lbs

Cadeques in Costa Brava, Spain, is a pretty village with white washed buildings and a popular place for tourists with it's association with Salvador Dali.  In this sketch I tried to capture the sulight on the roof of some large villas across the bay and the glistening sea as it reflects the mid afternoon sun.  Definitely best to attempt this sparkling of the water with rough watercolour paper and not NOT as I did!

A Cotswold Valley

Landscape Watercolour of the Cotswolds, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

An imaginary scene of a Cotswold Valley, practicing the JZ technique of the sense of space, the distance and a landscape that may go on for ever and ever.  The steps were initial wash laid down from top to bottom, increasing the values as you get to the bottom.  Then after drying, a second wash goes in starting with clear water at the top, changing to a light blue for the horizon and again as you come down, increasing the values and forming trees, hedges and going around the houses.  Last steps were the foreground branches and smoke from the chimneys.

Pont de Pedra, Girona, 3

Landscape Watercolour of Girona, Spain, 15" x 11" on Bockingford NOT Paper 140 lbs

The first grand arch of the Pont de Pedra built of local stone in 1850.  My visit in the late summer months saw the river bed dry, but the sturdy buttresses of the arch supports I am sure could stand up to any Winter floods.

Steps in the old town, Girona

Landscape Watercolour, Girona, Spain, 15" x 11" on Bockingford NOT Paper 140 lbs

Some grand steps in the old part of central Girona leading up to an ice cream parlour and a sunny little corner.  The old part of town has many narrow streets, many too narrow for vehicles, but there's no danger of getting lost as it's not too large an area.

Road to Old Sodbury, Winter

Landscape Watercolour of South Glos, 15" x 11" on Bockingford NOT Paper 140 lbs

An anonymous country road to Old Sodbury, a little village near me.  I don't often do winter scenes and often prefer to do paintings of a summer location with bright light and lots of shadow.  But it's interesting how with a snowy scene it's not just all white, but on closer observation many other colours appear - yellows, blues, violets and so on and provide contrasts of their own with the trees and branches.

Alexandria Street 11, Egypt

Landscape Watercolour of Alexandria, Egypt, on Bockingford NOT Paper 140 lbs

An anonymous back street in Alexandria near the bay area, with street vendors selling various fruit and veg.  For the smoke I used the JZ technique of first ensuring where you want the smoke the paper is very dry.  Then wet in the area the smoke will cover, and drop in some watered down white gouache or watercolour in the top portion and make the mix as you go down stronger to the source ending up with almost pure pigment.

Dockside Cranes, Prince’s Wharf, Bristol Waterfront

Landscape Watercolour of Bristol Docks, 15" x 11" on Bockingford NOT Paper 140 lbs

A popular place on Bristol's Waterfront with its majestic old cranes, retired now, in front of the M-Shed or Museum of Bristol.  The museum houses exhibits from Concorde, Wallace and Gromit, and Bristol Car.  There's also a nice old steam locomotive that travels up and down along the quayside - but only on a short length of track.

Goose Green, Yate, Autumn, 2

Landscape Watercolour of Yate nr Bristol, 15" x 11" on Bockingford NOT Paper 140 lbs

Close to where I live and an interesting composition I thought with the curve in the road and hopefully taking your eyes into the sketch.  It started to come better when the road markings and the darks of the middle-ground went in.  Goose Green is a popular place for locals to take their dog/s for a walk (surprising how many people have more than one dog).

Ponte dei Penini, Venice

Landscape Watercolour of Venice, 15" x 11" on Bockingford NOT Paper 140 lbs

The Ponte dei Penini in Venice (that's it on the left hand side) and another quiet little backwater in the city.  The colours of the buildings are quite striking, even on a dull day, with their rich reds and ochres.  A very pretty spot away from the hustle and bustle of the busy tourist areas.

Birmingham New Street Shops

Landscape Watercolour of Birmingham, 15" x 11" on Bockingford NOT Paper 140 lbs

Close to the Birmingham New Street Railway Station and the shops and street vendors on New Street are experiencing another busy trading day. New Street is now mostly pedestrianised.  Birmingham, the second biggest city in the UK is a vibrant city, offering visitors a fabulous array of shopping, attractions, culture, entertainment and dining within the fairly compact city centre.

Capri Harbour looking towards the Ferry Station

Landscape Watercolour Painting of Capri, 15" x 11" on Bockingford NOT Paper 140 lbs

The charming seaside Port of Marina Grande, encompassed by two narrow arms or quays, borders the picturesque town of Capri.  The port sees many types of watercraft from the old fishing boats to ferries coming over from Naples and Sorrento (bringing over thousands of day trippers each day in the summer), and of course up market yachts.  A small square overlooks the port surrounded by the characteristic houses of Capri, close to the water and having great views over the bay from their open galleries.

Pisces Fish and Chip shop Yate near Bristol

Landscape Watercolour of Yate nr Bristol, 15" x 11" on Bockingford NOT Paper 140 lbs

Not too far away from where I live and one of the oldest Fish and Chip shops in the Bristol area, serving the greatest British take away dish.  I had to make up the couple sat on the wall of the car park of course tucking into their meal served on paper.  It gets busy here on a Friday!

This painting is sold.

Pont de Pedra, Girona

Landscape Watercolour of Girona, Spain, on Saunders Waterford Rough paper 140 lbs

The Pont de Pedra (translated as Bridge of Stone) over the Onyar River, just down from the Placa Catalunya in central Girona.

Constructed in 1850 of solid granite with 3 majestic arches and a main pedestrian walkway from one half of the city to the other. The bridges over the river Onyar are a nice way to walk from one side of Girona (Barri Vell) to the other (Eixample) and gives you great opportunities for views of the lovely colourful houses along the water's edge.

Autumn on Goose Green Yate

Landscape Watercolour of Yate nr Bristol, 15" x 11" on Bockingford NOT Paper 140 lbs

Goose Green in the town of Yate and a welcome bit of small parkland in amongst the housing estates.  Goose Green (nothing to do with the Falklands) is so named because of the Goose Fairs they held here several hundred years ago when Yate was just a small village in the Cotswolds.  Interesting challenge with this painting was getting the feeling of sunlight coming in from the right and getting the perspective correct on the shadows from the rows of trees.

San Antonio, Ibiza, 3

Landscape Watercolour of Ibiza, 15" x 11" on Bockingford NOT Paper 140 lbs

Looking up Carrer del Far, in San Antonio, Ibiza.  San Antonio is located in the west part of the island and has the largest natural harbour on the island (which is just on the left of painting) and the main tourist center.  This is near the popular 'West End' area of San Antonio where all the night clubs are.  Palm trees are quite easy to paint - dark pigment on the brush and loads of dry brush strokes from the centre outwards and trying not to be too symmetrical.

Placa Catalunya, Girona

Landscape Watercolour of Girona, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

Placa Catalunya - a great central point in Girona and stradles the River Onyar that runs through the medieval city. The River was all dried up when I was there, but I guess the water levels rise in the Winter. Anyway, all the sightseeing areas are within easy walking distance of this point.

Zeytinbagi Turkey 2

Landscape Watercolour of Turkey, 15" x 11" on Bockingford Rough Paper 140 lbs

On the Marmara Sea, on the North West coast of Turkey and the quaint fishing village/town of Zeytinbagi.  The town is well known for it's antique timber houses, most of which have not had their exteriors maintained too well, but this gives them a lovely shabby chic appearance which adds to their charm, as does their ochre hues.  A great place to paint, especially when the suns out, and they sell Efes beer!

Archway near the Citadel, Alexandria

Landscape Watercolour, Alexandria Egypt, 15" x 11" on Bockingford Rough Paper 140 lbs

An archway very close to the old Citadel in Alexandria and a glimpse through to the bay beyond.  I am sure this archway had some great significance - there were two large plaques either side of the entrance with arabic script on them, and a guard sat on a blue plastic chair with his worry beads. 

Newquay Town Centre, Cornwall

Landscape Watercolour Newquay Cornwall, 15" x 11" on Bockingford Rough Paper 140 lbs

The bottom end of the town centre in Newquay, Cornwall, and by day it's a popular seaside resort, especially in the summer months, but especially busy on Friday and Saturday nights as this is the main bar and nightclub area.  But you would hardly notice that during the day.

Newquay Harbour 3

Landscape Watercolour of Newquay Harbour, 15" x 11" on Bockingford Rough Paper 140 lbs

Tranquility at low tide in Newquay Harbour on the North Cornish coast.  I thought this made a nice composition with the three different boats together, and their connected chains leading you into the picture. Also for me what pulled it together was the shadow coming across the picture adding another dimension.

Via Dolorosa Jerusalem

Landscape Watercolour of Via Dolorosa, 15" x 11" on Bockingford Rough Paper 140 lbs

Via Dolorosa ("Way of Grief" in Latin) is a road in the old city of Jerusalem, a path where Jesus was lead in agony, carrying the crucifixion cross. Via Dolorosa is located within the beautiful old city of Jerusalem and this is the view up to the Ecce Homo Arch (“Behold the man” in Latin). According to the New Testament, these were the words uttered by the Roman prosecutor when he presented Jesus to the people before being sentenced.

Sunny Street in Staithes, North Yorkshire

Landscape Watercolour, Staithes, Yorkshire, 15" x 11" on Bockingford Paper 140 lbs.

One of my favourites sketches of Staithes and capturing a rare sunny afternoon (well rare for the summer of 2012 in the UK anyway!).  It's a fantastic location to paint and this was picture/composition was adapted from a holiday photo of mine.  I think if I had painted from this viewpoint, I would have been blocking the main street running down to the sea.

Alexandria Street 9, Egypt

Landscape Watercolour, Alexandria, Egypt, 15" x 11" on Bockingford Rough Paper 140 lbs.

Another street market view in the central area of Alexandria fairly close to the port.  Yes the parasol covers are really low in places, and maybe they all started off life in different colours but the strong sun has bleached them all to a neutral shade.  And just above the parasol level are a spaghetti like conglomeration of wires going backwards and forwards between the buildings.

Weston Super Mare Harbour at low tide

Landscape Watercolour of Weston Harbour, 15" x 11" on Bockingford Rough Paper 140 lbs.

Two local ferries that operate in the Bristol Channel, the Westward Ho Ferry and the smaller Bristol Queen, moored up at low tide in the tiny Weston-Super-Mare Harbour.  The harbour here is at the end of the grand sweeping bay of Weston and protected from the north by 'Knightstone Island'.  Probably just big enough for these two boats, it makes a nice scene on a sunny day looking across the expanse of the muddy beach at low tide towards the headland of Brean Down in the distance.

Lower Town, Staithes

Landscape Watercolour of Staithes, 15" x 11" on Bockingford Rough Paper 140 lbs.

Known to the locals as Steers, Staithes is a popular destination for those looking for a break in a picturesque North Yorkshire village. Steeped in history, the town is the former home of Captain James Cook who moved to Staithes in 1744, and who soon fell in love with the sea.  If you come to the town by car, be prepared for a fairly steep walk down from the car parks above town (unless you can be dropped off of course).  

Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, 2

Landscape Watercolour of Las Palmas Gran Canaria, 15" x 11" on Bockingford Rough 140 lbs

Las Palmas, 'capital' of Gran Canaria, enjoys a great climate - sub tropical, not too hot, not too cold, and just enough rainfall to stop it turning into a desert.  Some days in the winter can be quite cloudy, yet still so bright.  Wandering through the quite modern city, with it's tall apartment blocks, you get glimpses inland toward the central mountain range.

Alexandria Street 8, Egypt

Landscape Watercolour, Alexandria, 15" x 11" on Bockingford Rough Paper 140 lbs

Another Alexandria street scene and I think there's loads more to come as I took many photos on my visit.  They lend themselves so well to watercolour with the lights and the darks. This was quite a busy scene and working to a quarter sheet which is my norm, you have to decide what to leave out and it came down to missing cars and people - so imagine many more of both. I've left in the trademark yellow-topped taxis and ladies in traditional dress.

Low tide on the Roxby Beck, Staithes, North Yorkshire

Landscape Watercolour 15" x 11" on Bockingford Rough Paper 140 lbs

Low tide at Staithes and the banks of the Roxby Beck, the smallish river that flows through Staithes exposing it's banks of mud and algae.  The 'coble' fishing boats are a trademark of Staithes and used to be the traditional boat of the local fishermen there, but now they're more of a static prop and feature in all of the postcards of the town.