Monthly Archives: January 2020
Places I’d like be – Milford Sound in New Zealand
Early morning at Milford Sound 20 inches by 14
Hi All
It seems a long time ago now that we enjoyed a wonderful touring and golfing holiday with great friends in New Zealand.
Wherever you go the scenery is stunning and in both the North Island and in the South Island we saw wonderful sights that will always live in our memory.
Although we do hope to return there I thought recently that based on some of the photos from that trip that I would try and paint a watercolour of Milford Sound early in the morning as the sun burst through the mountains. Milford Sound is one of many fjord in the Soth west corner of New Zealand’s South island. The trip to it is amazing and a boat trip right out to the sea when you are there is a definite “must do”.
The watercolour is 20 by 14 inches and is painted on Arches NOT 300gsm paper, and mainly with Daniel Smith watercolour paints.
Maybe it will hasten our return to this wonderful place that is, alas, so far away from the UK.
I hope you enjoy seeing my effort.
Happy travelling
Brian
30 Degrees, hot sun in January-Whats not to like! -Mauritius in 2020
The view from the Lounger at Le Tousserok beach. Sketchbook watercolour 9 inches by 8.
Hi Everybody
We have just returned from 10 delightful days in Mauritius, staying at the Le Tousserok Shangri-la Resort on the East coast. It is a long way away but the beautiful January weather makes that journey worthwhile.
For us it is a mixture of Sun and Pool and Golf as well when we are there, and The Shangri-La is a great place to stay at. Of course it wouldn’t be a holiday for me without the watercolour kit and so I also get some time for a few watercolours of the sea and the boats and mountains.
I think its the only place that I have ever been to where I can sit on a comfortable lounger at the beach and paint watercolours!
So here are those watercolours, some just sketches in my Sketch Book. This sketch book is a Khadi papers one and very handy on travel. There are also a couple of watercolours that are larger and were painted in the comfort of our balcony.
I hope you like them and this vision of just a little bit of this lovely Indian Ocean island.
Mauritius is an Island formed from huge volcanoes and large Basalt rocks are everywhere. It is also very fertile and Coconut Palms and Sugar cane grow everywhere, making the island very green. You are never very far from the mountains which make for some wonderful scenery.
“The Mountains by the sea”. Watercolour 14 inches by 10 on Arches paper.
Everywhere around the coast are many small fishing boats and the fish in the restaurants are very good.
“Fishing boats and a shack by the beach”. Sketchbook watercolour 9 by 8 inches on Khadi paper.
“Yachts at Sunrise”. Sketchbook watercolour 9 inches by 8.
There are fisherman all over the island, some fishing from the shore and some standing for hours waist deep in the sea catching their supper.
“Fishermen and boats by the sea”. Sketchbook pen and Ink watercolour 9 inches by 8.
“Boats at the shore”. Watercolour 14 inches by 10 on Arches watercolour paper.
We have now visited Mauritius on quite a few occasions and have always enjoyed it there. The people there are delightful and even though it is far away it is so lovely to go there for some seriously good weather in January
I hope you will enjoy this and maybe my other posts on Mauritius and elsewhere .
Have look at my Artfinder site too, maybe something there will catch your eye.
http://www.artfinder.com/brianswatercolours
Happy travelling
Brian
