Monthly Archives: August 2024

Revisiting the stunning Côte d’Azur

Hi Everybody

For many years we have loved visiting the Cote d’Azur in Southern France.

This year was no exception and so we have now returned from a great family holiday in a fine house near Mougins, not far from Cannes.

The weather was great and although it is a very busy time of year in that area we had a really great holiday.

And a little time to paint some new watercolours of the area!

This year we travelled by car over a few days to Mougins, enjoying the French scenery on the way, and on the way back the great scenery of the Alps on route to Grenoble.

On the way we paused at at Castle Mornas, a magnificent castle high above the Rhone.

Castle Mornas in Provence. Watercolour sketch 10 inches by 8

Near Orange I spied this harvest scene and so this sketch resulted of the harvest.

Later on in our holiday this sketch became the basis for larger watercolour of a Provence harvest scene 

Harvest in Provence,  sketch , 10 inches by 8.

Provence village at harvest time. Watercolour 18 inches by 12 on Arches 300gsm paper.

Mougins, near where we stayed is a very pretty village of winding streets and great restaurants, always worth a visit if you are nearby. Le Petit Fouet restaurant is to be recommended as is Rita in the lower town.

Towards Mougins, a watercolour sketch 10 inches by 8

Mougins , a sketch from a previous visit, 10 by 8 inches

One evening we had a great dinner in La Farigoulette Restaurant in Fayence. It is right at the top of the town and from there the views are wonderful. Here is sketch of that view with some of the many rooftops of this “perched” Provence Town.

The rooftops of Fayence. Watercolour sketch, 10 by 9 inches

Near Mougins is Cannes, and this watercolour tries to capture the scene of the Croisette there and the Esterel mountains in the distance. We love the drive from Cannes through la Napoule to Agay along the beautiful Esterel coast, one of the great Coastal drives in the World

An lately here isa watercolour of the lovely harbour at Cannes

Cannes and the Esterel Mountains. Watercolour 18 inches by 12 on Arches Watercolour paper.

And lastly here is a watercolour of Cannes Harbour with the colourful boats, and the  old town of Le Suquet with its Castle and the Church of Notre Dame d’Esperance.

Cannes Harbour. Watercolour 14 inches by 10 on Arches watercolour paper

So home with many more photos to paint of our great holiday.

Happy travelling

Brian

PS

Don’t forget to look at my watercolour shops at

http://www.artfinder.com/brianswatercolour , or at

http://www.Artgallery.co.uk

where many of my watercolours are for sale.

New watercolours while the sun shines in England!

Hi everybody

I have managed recently to produce some new watercolours, some of which are in exhibitions and others for friends or just for the pleasure of painting them.  A few are copies of recent commissions which I have really enjoyed painting, and receiving  the  very  generous  responses  from their new owners.

Paintings completed during our South East Open Studios event at “The Drawing Room” Gallery in West Malling.

Six local artist were exhibiting for all of June and we were delighted to welcome vistors and friends to the Gallery. Some sales were made as well I am pleased to say.

We each took turns to produce paintings in the shop front window which was a lot if fun. Here are the ones that I produced.

 

Dawn sky at Broadstairs in Kent

 

 

Godrevy Island in Cornwall

The Landgate in Rye in Kent

A very quick “en plein air” sketch of West Malling

Some recent Commissions

Three scenes of Lucca and the Tuscan countrysde

And one of Bosham in West Sussex


Here are a few recent watercolours painted just for the sheer pleasure of doing them.

Cape Cornwall

Eillean Donan Castle in Scotland

St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall

Storm clouds forming over Irish Cottages

I painted this Kent sunset for a local art club competition, but then found out the subject was “Birds”, so I added a flock of Lapwings!

I hope you will enjoy having a look at these recent watercolours and remember some are for sale on http://www.artfinder.com/brianswatercolours

Happy Travelling

Brian