Category Archives: France

More Painting in The South of France

Jun 9

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Hi Everybody

Painting in the South of France is such a delight!

We had been in Normandy recently but last week we were back in Provence staying on the Cote d’Azur.

The weather was spectacular, hot as the middle of summer, the skies blue, and the sea a shimmering Azur.

So time for some painting!

I wanted to finish a sketch of Honfleur I had started in Normandy but with a Regatta theme. 

Painting watercolours in the lovely heat of Provence means working very quickly as the watercolours dry so quickly! 

Honfeur, the Barge Regatta Watercolour 14 inches by 10.

Honfleur, the Barge Regatta.
Watercolour 14 inches by 10.

 

If you are on the Cote d’Azur then lunch on the Quai at Villefranche is a great way to start a holiday.

Sitting in the sun at one of the restaurants by the quay is such a lovely experience. We really like “TRASTEVERE”, where the staff are great and the food excellent.

This painting, from a photo taken that day serves as reminder of that lunch! By the Quai is the little Church decorated inside by Jean Cocteau, do spend some time there as it is a quite remarkable.

The Quai at Villefranche. Watercolour 14 by 10.

The Quai at Villefranche.
Watercolour 14 by 10.

In quiet moments I can sit and paint from reference photos and memories of other visits. This time was no exception and these three paintings come under that category.

The little farm houses and the hills and fields of Provence are a constant inspiration in the bright and clear light of the landscape.

Here are two paintings of the Lavender and Vines of Haut Provence and one of the Iles d’Or, a tiny island with castle tower between Agay and St Raphael on the Esterel peninsula.

Vines and Poppies in haut Provence. Watercolour 14 by 10 inches

Vines and Poppies in Haut Provence.
Watercolour 14 by 10 inches

The Lavender Farm. Watercolour 14 by 10 inches.

The Lavender Farm.
Watercolour 14 by 10 inches.

Ile d'Or near St Raphael

Ile d’Or near St Raphael. Watercolour 14 by 10 inches.

This week we had some friends staying with us and so we all took the ferry from St Maxime to St Tropez. The bustle of the main port and the huge yachts and boats is so contrasted by the calm as you walk round the corner to Porte de Peche and the view from the Tour Portalet, which is just at the Harbour.

 

The view from the Tour Portalet at St Tropez. Watercolour 14 by 10 inches

The view from the Tour Portalet at St Tropez. Watercolour 14 by 10 inches

There are some good places to eat at “Le Ponche”, just 100 yards from the main harbour and the little port is delightful. Try the omelettes at “Le PeS Quiere”, really good!

I love to paint this scene, so as well as the view from Tour Portalet I have included a previous painting of The Porte de Peche too. I hope you enjoy them and visit this quieter part of St. Tropez. 

Porte de Peche at St Tropez. Watercolour 14 by 10 inches.

Porte de Peche at St Tropez.
Watercolour 14 by 10 inches.

Posted in France, Landscape, Paintings from our travels, Provence, The Cote d'Azur, Villages in France, Watercolours

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Two weekends in May

May 20

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Our travel recently has been a bit hectic and May has seen us spend two lovely weekends in two very different places.

First of all we spent a few days in Northern Ireland catching up with family and friends.

Some time too for touring around and just a few hours to create two watercolours.

Firstly we visited a very nice Farm shop and cafe in Hollywood called McKees, and from there we had a lovely view of Scrabo Tower and the Mourne mountains.

I could not resist trying to reproduce the scene in this watercolour.

Scrobo Tower and the Mourne Mountains. Watercolour 14 inches by 12

Scrabo Tower and the Mourne Mountains.
Watercolour 14 inches by 12

Another day saw us travelling to Newcastle, right next door to the Mourne Mountains. Just north of Newcastle is Murlough Bay and in this nature reserve there are lovely walks that take you down to the sea. This watercolour  is that view, the beach and the Mourne mountains sweeping down to the sea.

The Mourne Mountains from Murlough bay. Watercolour 14 inches by 12

The Mourne Mountains from Murlough Bay.
Watercolour 14 inches by 12

With many more photos taken over the weekend I now have lots of ideas for more paintings, and an update to my Ulster guide book.

Just one week later we were off to the coast of Normandy in France with some friends. Our main aim was to view the Landing Beaches, Museums and Cemetries associated with the Normandy landings of June 1944. The invasion of France in 1944 heralded the final winning phase of the war in Europe which ended 70 years ago. The sacrifice and endeavour of the brave soldiers, sailors and airman can  be felt as you walk and visit the sights in this area.

We managed to see a lot in a few days and enjoyed Normandy, it’s people, food, cider and scenery.

So just two watercolours so far but more to follow as we managed a visit to Honfleur as we travelled back to Calais and the Channel Tunnel.

From the beach at Arromanches you can still see the mannificent artifical harbour created in June 1944 and some of these colosal structures are shown in the painting.

The Beach at Arromanches Watercolour 14 inches by 12

The Beach at Arromanches
Watercolour 14 inches by 12

Inland just a few miles away is Bayeux, famous for the Tapestry but a really lovely town with a wonderful Cathedral.

Bayeux

The Mill Wheel in Bayeaux. Watercolour 14 inches by 12.

This mill wheel and the river are in the heart of Bayeux with a view across to the Cathedral.

If you ever can, do visit Normandy and the landing beaches. They are amazing memories of a crucial time in the ending of World War 2.

Happy travelling!

Brian

Posted in France, Ireland, Mourne Mountains, Paintings from our travels, Ulster

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Breakfast in the Sun!

May 5

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Hi Everbody

Readers of this blog will know how much we like to spend time  in Mandelieu, near Cannes on the Cote d’Azur

The past couple of weeks there have, as always, been great and warm enough to sit outside on our terrace and eat our breakfasts and lunches. How nice to do this in April!

Visits there always give me some time for painting watercolours, either on the spot,or from new photos from our daily jaunts or from reference photos from the past few years.

This holiday was no exception and so here are the paintings that I managed to do on this trip.

Nearby to us is the hill top town of Cagnes and close by is the former home of Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Renoir lived and worked there in the 19th and 20th centuries until his death in 1919.  It is lovely place to visit and there is real sense of his love of the house and it’s gardens and views. There are number of his paintings and sculptures on display and many photos too.

This painting is the view from the bedroom of Alice Renoir, his wife, looking across to Cagnes.

 

Cagnes from Renoir's former Home

Cagnes from Renoir’s former Home

This watercolour is 14″ by 10″ on Arches rough paper. All these paintings are this size as I use an Arches glued edge pad when travelling mostly.

As we travel into the hills and mountains of Provence there are many rural scenes that I love to paint. Usually they are a mixture of reality and composites of several photos and these two watercolours fall into that category.

Spring in Provence

Spring in Provence

The Vineyard, Haut Provence

The Vineyard, Haut Provence

Really nearby us is the seaside town of Mandelieu – La Napoule. It has large marina with many yachts and boats moored there of all sizes. From the marina there is a good view of The Castle, which today is an art gallery and a nice place to visit.

The Castle at La Napoule

The Castle at La Napoule

From nearby Theoule there are fine views across to Cannes and the Iles de Lerin. The second of these, St Honorat is seen in this painting , painted  from a zoomed photo of the island, taken from Theoule.

Ile St Honorat

Ile St Honorat

Further East of Cannes is Antibes. I love to paint at Antibes and this particular painting is of the large Fortress which guards the harbour, Fort Carré,  with some of the many moored yachts in the harbour.

Fort Carre at Antibes

Fort Carre at Antibes

Its seems that we often take the ferry from St Maxime to St Tropez for lunch, and a  wander round the old part of the town. I love to paint the small unspoilt harbour at le Ponche, Port de Pêche, and our recent trip was no exception to this. So here is another view of Port de Pêche, just a few minutes walk from the bustling and glitzy harbour on the main front at St Tropez.Porte de peche, St Tropez

I hope you enjoy these paintings from the land of warm sun and beautiful scenery, it is such a nice place to be!

Happy travelling and Painting!

Brian

Posted in France, Landscape, Paintings from our travels, Provence, The Cote d'Azur, Travel, Travels with a Brush

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New Year on the Cote d’Azur

Jan 10

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Hi Everybody,

Digging in the sand at Mandelieu La Napoule

Digging in the sand at Mandelieu La Napoule

We were very fortunate this year to spend New Year in Mandelieu, on the Cote d’Azur. As you all know we really enjoy this lovely part of France.

The weather was really lovely, sunny enough to eat lunch on the terrace and play golf and paint in the sun.

Especially nice too, as our Grandaughter, aged 2,  and her parents were with us which inspired one of the paintings. A quick dig on a lovely sandy beach is something for any time on the year!

We didn’t actually visit Haut Provence this time but I managed to paint a couple of watercolours from older reference photos.

I hope you enjoy these new paintings and that if you know this part of the world it will remind you of it’s beauty ,or if you haven’t yet visited this lovely coast and mountain region get it on your list!

Happy painting, and travelling to you all and may 2015 be a good year!

Brian

 

“Have look at my other site too.”

http://www.brianswatercolours.com

Lavender at the village in Provence

Lavender at the village in Provence

Winter in the mountains of Provence

Winter in the mountains of Provence

Cottage in Haut Provence

Cottage in Haut Provence

 

Posted in France, Landscape, Paintings from our travels, Provence, The Cote d'Azur, Travels with a Brush, Villages in France

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Saint Paul de Vence

Sep 23

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Hi Everybody,

There are some places that we never tire of visiting. For us Saint Paul de Vence is one of them.

St Paul de Vence

St Paul de Vence viewed from the North

Alas it is so popular that it is often teeming with visitors, but at the right time of day the lovely little streets and the town can be enjoyed to it’s full.

The views of the town as you approach it are lovely too and and each time I visit there seems a new aspect to paint a watercolour of.

This visit was no exception so I thought I would look back through previous paintings and gather them together in the blog post dedicated to the town.

Recently a new creperie has opened near to the Church in the town and I can really recommend it. The best crepes that I have ever eaten, prepared in the Normandy way. If you are there, try one, they are delicious!

St Paul is also full of art galleries and shops with items to tempt the tourist as you would expect but somehow they  add something to the town and  a extra dimension to the lovely architecture and the narrow streets.

Nearby  too is the bigger town of Vence , which has a very nice old town to discover too.

There are so many lovely places in this beautiful, and our favourite, part of France.

I hope you will enjoy these paintings of the town and if you haven’t visited  St Paul then do so one day. Crowds or not you will enjoy it.

Happy travelling

Brian

Bourgainvillia in St Paul

In St Paul de Vence

One of the little streets in St Paul de Vence

IMG_6640

St Paul viewed from the Vence road

IMG_6647

At the heart of the town

St Paul de Vence

Boule players in St Paul de Vence

St Paul de Vence

St Paul de Vence, another day, another painting!

Posted in France, Paintings from our travels, Perched Villages, Provence, The Cote d'Azur, Travel, Travels with a Brush, Villages in France, Watercolours

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Cruising in the Adriatic.

Jul 30

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Hi Everbody

A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to be able to go on an Adriatic Cruise with four very good friends.

Before that we had spent a lovely week in Paris in beautiful weather and it was all very enjoyable. Good food, good wine and above all great company just makes a holiday so terrific.

Ile de la Cite from a river cruise in Paris

Ile de la Cite from a river cruise in Paris

Our cruise departed from Venice and visited Ravenna, famous for it’s wonderful 6th Century Byzantine mosaics, Split where had delightful day visiting Trogir, a World Heritage Town, and Split too.

From there we sailed to Dubrovnik, where we visited the old town but as we had been there before also took a trip to Cavtat, a beautiful small village by the sea. After Dubrovnik we sailed on to Zadar, which has a very historic and lovely old town right by the sea. Our last port of call was Koper in Slovenia, and there we took a tour along the coast to Piran, a really delightful town on a little peninsula into the Adriatic. And then on into the hills to Istrian , where we met the local stall holders and sampled there excellent food, oil and wine. Slovenia seems areally lovely place as was Croatia for our earlier ports of call. Everyone was very friendly and we really enjoyed our very short time in these Countries. Good reason to go back for much longer!

Finally we arrived back in Venice and you can never tire of wandering the little back streets and crossing the many waterways cthat make Venice what it is. Away from the main areas it is often very quiet and peaceful and every corner brings a new and interesting scene. The opportunies to paint are everywhere and it will take me long time to try my hand at some of the photos that I have returned with.

That said there was some time on the cruise for a little sketching and watercolour painting and below are some of my attempts. Often done very quickly, so I hope over the winter to revisit these photos and paint some more reminders of our cruise. For those interested the cruise line was Silverseas and the ship the Spirit. All really lovely!

I hope you enjoy these paintings, and if you have been to these beautiful places that they will serve as a reminder, if you have yet to go there I know you will enjoy the whole area of the Adriatic.

Happy travelling and painting.

Brian

Dubrovnik from our cruise ship

Dubrovnik from our cruise ship

A little beach near Dubrovnik

A little beach near Dubrovnik

Cavtat in Croatia

Cavtat in Croatia

Piran in Slovenia

Piran in Slovenia

The Rialto Bridge in Venice

The Rialto Bridge in Venice

Gondolas in Venice. Painted on a previous visit

Gondolas in Venice. Painted on a previous visit

Just off the Grand Canal in Venice. Painted on a previous visit.

Just off the Grand Canal in Venice. Painted on a previous visit.

Posted in Croatia, France, Italy, Paintings from our travels, Seascapes, Slovenia, Watercolours

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Back to the Sun, a week on the Cote d’Azur

May 14

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Hi Everybody

How nice it is to see the sun on daily basis.   That was how our week this May was back at our favourite haunt of the Cote d’Azur!

Not very hot but lovely and dry with the sun breaking through nearly all day.

The combination of scenery, the beautiful Esterel Coast, and the mountains of Provence make this a wonderful part of the world.

We even ventured into Cannes where the mayhem of the preparations for the Cannes Film Festival were well underway, but nobody asked for our autogragh!

We weren’t sorry to be leaving before the Festival started but just a short way from Cannes calm reigns and the roads are peacefulful and beautiful in all directions.

Even time for some quick sketches for future, hopefully larger, paintings.

These watercolours are all just 8 by 5 inches in size and quickly painted after taking some photos, or recalling previous Provence scenery.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I have in painting them.

If you have read the guide books on another page of this blog you will know that we are very familiar with this enchanting part of France.  The local wines, predominantly Rose but also some light and fruity Reds are a great complement to some really good restaurants, some of which we visited again on this trip. If you are ever in Fayence do go to Table d’Yves , one of the finest restaurants we have found in this part of the region.

Happy travelling and if the sun is out where you are enjoy that too!

Brian

Sunset over the Vineyard

Sunset over the Vineyard

Antibes

Antibes

House in Provence

House in Provence

The Esterel Mountains near Agay

The Esterel Mountains near Agay

Lavender fields in Haut Provence

Lavender fields in Haut Provence

Farm and Vineyard

Farm and Vineyard

The Castle at La Napoule

The Castle at La Napoule

Sailing boats off the Esterel Coast

Sailing boats off the Esterel Coast

Posted in France, Landscape, Paintings from our travels, Perched Villages, Provence, Seascapes, The Cote d'Azur, Travel, Travels with a Brush, Villages in France, Watercolours

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A New Venture!

Jan 10

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Travels with a Brush Volume 1

Hi Everybody

Happy New Year to you all!

To start this year I  have decided to try out a new idea based on my paintings.

It began when I created to blog dedicated to my mother in law, Sadie back in 2013. That blog was about the Antrim Coast Road in Northern Ireland and it struck me that I might be able to produce a few Travel Guides of various places we know quite well, illustrated with my watercolours. I always photograph my work so they all reside in my Mac.

 

Apple have produced a great App for Macs that is called iAuthor which allows you to produce books for publishing on the iBook store (for Apple users on iPads and computers etc) or as a pdf that is viewable by all.

 

The first of these book which is titled Travels with a Brush, Volume 1 – The Cote d’Azur  is now available on the ibook store ( search for Cote d’Azur) but is also attached here as a pdf file for anyone to download. (Click on the link at the top of this post).

 

The books are free, I didn’t think anyone would be inclined to pay for my ramblings but nevertheless I hope you might find the books interesting. The second one, on Ulster in Ireland will be published in month or so.

 

I will be back to more normal painting posts soon but in the meantime any feedback is always welcome

 

Happy travelling

 

Brian

Front cover of The Cote d'Azur
Front cover of The Cote d’Azur

Posted in France, Landscape, Paintings from our travels, Perched Villages, Provence, Seascapes, The Cote d'Azur, Travels with Brush, Villages in France, Watercolours

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Brrr! It’s Cold outside!

Dec 3

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Well folks, here we are in December and it is getting decidedly chilly!

Soon they tell us the snow will arrive. It always makes for interesting watercolour scenes!

So here is post of some Snow Scenes, some new and some from my archives, with just hint of the warm sun that will one day return!

Christmas will soon be here, so my best Wishes to you all and a Happy New Year painting!

We have a few trips planned for 2014 and they will provide watercolours for next years blogs.

Thanks for all your support this year and enjoy these paintings and the coming festivities!

“Yule”ly yours

Brian

First snow in Provence

First snow in Provence

Gourdon in provence in the snow

Gourdon in provence in the snow

The Frozen Fountain at Mons in Provence

The Frozen Fountain at Mons in Provence

Rye in Kent at Christmas

Rye in Kent at Christmas

Horsmonden in Kent

Horsmonden in Kent

Snow at Leeds Castle in Kent

Snow at Leeds Castle in Kent

Kent, Minster Abbey on the Isle of Sheppey

Kent, Minster Abbey on the Isle of Sheppey

St Margaret's Church at Barming in Kent

St Margaret’s Church at Barming in Kent

A village in Kent

A village in Kent

Mount Cook in New Zeeland- Lucky for them it's Summer there now!

Mount Cook in New Zealand- Lucky for them it’s Summer there now!

And so for a bit of sunshine!     This December we were lucky enough to be able to sit on the Quay at Villefranche sur Mere on the Cote d’Azur and enjoy sunshine while we ate lunch. This is the view from there across to Cap Ferrat.

Cap Ferrat from Villefranche

Cap Ferrat from Villefranche

Posted in England, France, Kent in the UK, Landscape, New Zealand, Paintings from our travels, Paintings with snow, Provence, Villages in France, Watercolours

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Perched Villages of Provence

Hello everybody

First of all thanks for looking at this blog, I really enjoy putting some of my paintings here and hope they will encourage you to visit some of these places, or if you already know them to remember them.

I have blogged many times about Provence and the Cote d’Azur.  It is a truly beautiful part of the world with sun, sea and mountains, not to mention it’s great food and wine!

One feature of the area, and of course many other areas around the Mediterranean, are the “perched’ villages and towns. They are always very interesting.   Some of course are much better known than others.   Over the years we have visited quite a lot and they always provide an interesting subject for my watercolours. 

I thought therefore that it was about time to collect a number of my watercolours together under this title.

I hope you will like them as a collection and feel the warmth of the Mediterranean sun!

Enjoy your travels wherever you may be.

Brian

St Paul de Vence

St Paul de Vence

The Grand Fountaine in St Paul de Vence

The Grand Fountaine in St Paul de Vence

A street in St Paul de Vence

Rue de Bresc in St Paul de Vence

St Paul de VenceSt Paul de Vence

Bourgainvillia in St Paul

Bourgainvillia in St Paul

Gourdon commands fabulous position high above the Cot dAzur

Gourdon commands fabulous position high above the Cot dAzur

Gourdon, Farmhouse on the hill above the town.

Gourdon, Farmhouse on the hill above the town.

Gourdon in the Snow

Gourdon in the Snow

the route into Gourdon in Winter

the route into Gourdon in Winter

Near Lac St Croix is the beautiful Moustiers St Marie

Near Lac St Croix is the beautiful Moustiers St Marie

Inside Moustiers St Marie

Inside Moustiers St Marie

The Chpel at Moustiers St Marie from the town

The Chapel at Moustiers St Marie from the town

Looking up towards Fayence
Looking up towards Fayence

In the heart of Fayence the Hotel de Ville is amn impressive sight.

In the heart of Fayence the Hotel de Ville is an impressive sight.

Just past Fayence is the little town of Seillans

Just past Fayence is the little town of Seillans

High op in the mountains is the town of Mons en Provence

High up in the mountains is the town of Mons en Provence

The fountain in Mons freezes in the winter

The fountain in Mons freezes in the winter

By the coast but high above it is the delightful town of Eze.

By the coast but high above it is the delightful town of Eze.

On the ridge from Vence towards Fayence lies Callian and it's castle

On the ridge from Vence towards Fayence lies Callian and it’s castle

Callian can be seen clearly from the Terre Blanche Golf course

Callian can be seen clearly from the Terre Blanche Golf course

Anoth view of Callian

Anoth view of Callian

A little street in Biot. Biot is famous for its Glass making.

A little street in Biot. Biot is famous for its Glass making.

A sunny day in Mougins
A sunny day in Mougins

Tourrettes sur Loup

Tourrettes sur Loup

The small streets of Tourrettes Sur loupe

The small streets of Tourrettes Sur loupe

One of my first painting,taken from a postcard photo, of Vence

One of my first painting,taken from a postcard photo, of Vence

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