Category Archives: East Sussex
Happy Christmas to you and Best Wishes for 2022
“Kentish Winter”. St Margarets Church and Oasts in Horsmonden. Watercolour 14 by 10 inches
Hi Everybody
This is probably my last post of 2021 and although it has been a pretty dreadful year over all my watercolour painting has been a great thing to keep me busy and with many paintings finished and quite a lot sold, donated or given away I have had great pleasure from my hobby!
I hope for everyone that 2022 will be a better year and that we will all manage to learn to live with the remnants of Covid and once again be able to travel and meet up with Family and Friends.
I hope to continue painting lots of watercolours, in differing styles and sizes , including my venture into watercolours painted on to prepared canvases.
“Waves” Petts Level in East Sussex from Camber Sands. Watercolour on Canvas 16 inches by 12
We have few travel plans for 2022 so I hope these will enable me to visit some new places and paint so new scenes whilst there.
In the mean time my Best Wishes to you all and take care, stay well and look forward to a much nicer 2022.
Brian
Kent – The Garden of England 3, and a quick trip into East Sussex
In Parts 1 and 2 of this series of Posts about Kent we explored the countryside of Kent and some great places visit.
In Part 3 , the final one of this series we will return to some of the coast that we didn’t see in Part 1.
As an artist I am much drawn, excuse the pun, to Faversham and the marshes around that area ,especially Oare and the Creeks there.
So let us start in Faversham at Standard Quay with its sheds, shops, boats and barges.
A threatening storm at high tide.Faversham,Standard Quay. Watercolor 16 by 12inches
The rejuvenation of the old town of Faversham has made this very old port an attractive place to visit too.
Here is sketch of the Town centre on market day
Faversham, Market Day. Watercolour pen and wash 10 by 9 inches
From Faversham its is quite nearby to go to Oare and then take the road out to Harty Ferry on the Saxon Shore Way.
A ferry used to go from there across to the Isle of Sheppey, but alas no more. A walk East along the Saxon Shore way will bring you to the entrance to Oare creek with it boats ,barges and boatyard.
The boatyard at Oare Creek. Watercolour 16 by 12 inches.
If you had travelled to the opposite bank from Faversham the scene is a little different and there, at Hollowshore there is a great pub for a drink and good food, “The Shipwrights Arms”.
Barge at Hollowshore. 14 by 10 inches
Back in Oare the view along the Creek across the marshes offers yet another view of the area.
Oare Creek. Watercolour 20 by 16 inches
So lets move on along the coast to Whitstable and a sketch of the harbour there. Again lots of interesting shops and walks along the shore at Whitstable, nowadays a very popular town to visit , especially for its Beer Festival and abundant seafood, in particular the famous Whitstable Oysters.
Sketch of Whitstable harbour and Fishermens sheds. 10 by 9 inches.
Across Kent to East Sussex finds you able to visit The Seven Sisters chalk cliffs and this well known view is captured on a cold winters day in this watercolour.
The Seven Sisters Cliff in East Sussex. Watercolour 14 by 10 inches
Hastings is nearby with the fishing boats of on the “Stad”
Fishing Boats at Hastings. Watercolour 16 by 12 inches
Back towards Kent but still in East Sussex is the wonderfully quaint town of Rye
Rye skyline from Romney marsh. Watercolour 14 by 8 inches
In Rye the Landgate entrance to the Town. Watercolour 14 by 10 inches
As we come to the end of this series of views of Kent and East Sussex it would be an omission to not include some Bluebells, probably the flower of Kent, and beautiful in the spring.
Here are two watercolours of them
Bluebell woods. 16 by 12 inches
Bluebells near Hawkhurst. Watercolour 14 by 10 inches
Returning nearer to our home town these two watercolours of Barming’s St Margaret’s Church are somehow very typical of Kent scenes in summer and in the snow.
Poppies in the fields near St Margaret’s Church Watercolour 11 by 7 inches
Evening snow at St Margarets Church. Watercolour 11 by 7 inches
A finally home to West Malling
Two quick sketches of our home town with it many pubs, restaurants and shops.
In West Malling high Street Sketch 9 by 7 inches
West Malling High Street and St Mary the Virgin Church. 9 by 7 inch sketch.
I hope you have enjoyed these views of Kent through my watercolours. They have all been great fun to create.
I have recently published on iBooks a Book contains many of these watercolours and it is FREE as a download.
Look for it on Apple iBooks. It can be purchased also from Peecho as a hardback book . You can also download
a pdf version of the new book here.
Travels with a Brush Kent Vol 3 V2 1
Be safe and happy wherever you are.
Brian
A walk in the woods
Hi Everybody
During these days of being at home I am reminded that I had planned soon to go with a group of painters, under the guidance of Alison Cotton, to paint some watercolours in Arlington Bluebell woods near Polegate in East Sussex.
I had been looking forward to the visit, but then had to cancel to Go on a golf trip with friends to the South Of France,which is naturally now not going to happen. Now of course a Watercolour outing like this really no longer possible, at least for this year. Let’s hope I can get there next spring!
Arlington Woods are very famous for their wonderful displays of Bluebells. This, the most English of wild flowers is a wonderful shade of violety blue and has heady and very strong scent. They are very common in Kent and Sussex and have featured in my watercolours before. One of those is also reproduced below.
So today I have painted this watercolour of Arlington Woods which I hope you will enjoy. The watercolour is 16 inches by 9 and is painted on Arches NOT watercolour paper.
This is my favourite paper as it is very nice to paint on and in this case I have used a block of glued edge paper which is also very good for travelling when I can!
Arlington Woods in East Sussex
I hope you enjoy this painting and like me get a chance one day to visit this beautiful area of the English countryside.
The second watercolour was painted a couple of years ago and is of a small pond and wood near to Hawkhurst in Kent.
Stay safe
Brian
Bluebells in the woods near Hawkhurst in Kent.
Skylines
Hi Everybody
Life here in the UK is changing daily, and not for the better it seems, as we contend with the Virus.
Not going out is the new phase we are in and as it will last a while we will all be rather frustrated.
Maybe some more time for painting, reading, gardening and hopefully still some golf will now now be our new norm! Travel will have to wait for now.
So today I painted a watercolour of the skyline of Toronto.
After a recent commission from there I thought I should look up Toronto as I had only passed through it years ago when visiting Niagara Falls.
I immediately saw that like a number of other cities it has an impressive skyline and so here is the watercolour.
Toronto. Watercolour 18 inches by 8 on Arches NOT watercolour paper.
I have painted a few skylines before and so they are reproduced here. They are enjoyable to do and I like the almost monochrome approach I have used here.
As they are fun to do I think I might do some more, well there is going to be plenty of time over the next few months!
I hope you like these so far,more to follow.
Red roof on Teal lake. Watercolour 10 inches by 10.
San Francisco. Watercolour 16 by 8 inches
Rye from the Marshes. Watercolour 14 by 8
San Francisco, watercolour 11 by 7 inches
Montreal. Watercolour 14 by 9 inches
Stay well and Travel will return for us later on.
Brian
Evenings, stormy and calm
Hi Everyone
Just a quick post with some new and old watercolours of evening skies
Lets start with a very recent watercolour of Rye and one of a scene on the Rhine also painted recently.
Evening at Rye in East Sussex. Watercolour 14 inches by 10 on Arches Rough paper.
Evening on the Rhine in Germany.watercolour 14 by 10 inches on Arches Rough Paper.
And some stormier skies :-
A Evening storm brewing At Antibes
Fishing boat at Littlestone beach as the storm approaches.
Blustery evening at Kinderdijk.
And some calmer Evening to end this post
Evening in Provence
The sun setting on the Ile de la Cite in Paris
Sunset in Tuscany
Happy travelling Everybody!
Brian
Another watercolour of Rye!
I find the East Sussex town of Rye a favourite location for painting my watercolours.
I have done quite a lot and many have appeared on the blog over the years.
So here is another one,Rye from the marshes looking across to the harbour and town.
I hope you like it, it was fun to paint it!
Happy travelling
Brian
Rye ,the Harbour and Town in Spring Watercolour 13 inches by 7.
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Season’s Greetings
Winter at Horsmonden in Kent Watercolour 14 inches by 10 on Arches 300 gsm watercolour paper.
If you are regular viewer of this site then my thanks for your continued visits, comments and likes.
If you are new here then you are most welcome and I hope you will find some watercolours that interest you.
It has been a busy year with a fair amount of travel to many lovely places and I hope that the Posts that have resulted from these travels have been of interest to you all.
Our visits to South Africa, Tenerife, France, Portugal, Devon and around our lovely County of Kent have given me many opportunities to paint and sketch, and to meet other artists too.
We hope to travel quite widely in the New Year and especially our planned Rhine river cruise at the end of the summer will take us to many new places in Europe and the opportunity to paint some watercolours as I go.
To end the Year I have included above this winter scene of Horsmonden in Kent, which I have just finished painting today. Although we haven’t had any snow as yet, it seems seasonal to paint a winters scene and to use it to wish everyone my Best Wishes for the Christmas holidays and the New Year.
I have a few ideas for posts in the New Year and so I hope before long to be posting again.
In the mean time, Happy Travelling!
Brian
The Town of Rye in East Sussex
Sunset at Rye
About an hour from us here in Kent is the lovely old Town of Rye, which is in East Sussex.
Several hundred years ago it was nearer the sea but today it is a few miles inland with river access to the English Channel.
We love to walk round Rye’s quaint streets and buildings and enjoy afternoon tea or lunch there.
Thus it is no surprise that I seem to have painted quite a few watercolours of the Town and the area, some of which I have sold to other folk who also love the town of Rye.
So here are some of my watercolours for you to look at. If you haven’t visited Rye then do so in the future but if like us it is a place that you too enjoy then I hope these paintings will have good memories for you.
The skyline of Rye on it’s small hill fascinates me and the views, from a few different vantage points have been the subject of quite a few paintings.
Here are some.
Storm over Rye
Winter’s afternoon at Rye
Walkers in the snow
Winter evening at Rye
The Town was once surrounded by a wall and the main entrance to the Town goes through the Landgate.
Here are two painting of that scene, one with some chap like me painting, and another on a snowy day. Unless you are up very early the scene today is spoilt by parked cars, but somehow I managed not to include them!
Inside the oldest part of Rye you will find Mermaid Street with the very old Mermaid Inn. Even if you are not staying there or eating at it do go in and look around. It is quite amazing and the sign outside says “Rebuilt in 1407”. This Inn, once a smugglers haunt is show in this next painting.
The Mermaid in in Mermaid Street, Rye.
Walk down Mermaid street on the old cobbles and read the names of the houses, they too are very intesting.
Rye has an old Castle ,Ypres Tower, with a museum, and a fine Norman Church of St Mary’s. The keen visitor can go to the top of the Church Tower for fine views of the Town and the countryside.
Next to the Church is The Old Vicarage, a lovely old building next to the fascinating Graveyard. Around you are many old and delightful houses and nearby is Lamb house that Henry James once owned, and which can be visited on some days.
Here is The Old Vicarage
There is so much to see you may never leave, but if you do then drive out of the town towards Wichelsea which is another wonderful old Town to visit. On the way you can , if you feel energetic enough, walk to Camber Castle which is nowadays isolated in the fields near Rye. Built in the time of Henry VIII its ruins are interesting and afford more views back towards Rye, as seen in this painting.
Rye in the distance at Camber Castle.
The whole area of East Sussex is very interesting with big sandy beaches at Camber Sands and the Military Canal leading to Hythe, and awealth of history round every corner. I hope you will enjoy these paintings.
Happy travelling
Brian
