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.

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!

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.

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.

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.