Category Archives: Lake Bled
Places where I would like to go! Lake Bled in Slovenia
Hi Everybody
Some years ago some good friends visited Lake Bled in Slovenia. I have never been there but I really do hope to get there in the next year or two.
They sent me a nice photo taken from the south side of the lake showing the fabulous scenery of the area.
The Island of Bled is in the Lake and it has a Pilgrimage Church, The Assumption of Mary with a 171 foot tower, on it together with a baroque stairway of 99 steps leading up to the Church.
I decided that it would be good to try to paint a watercolour of the scene, so after some research and looking at the area on Google Earth and other sites I started the watercolour.
Then during the process some other friends saw the artwork and said how much they too had enjoyed visiting Lake Bled and could I paint another watercolour of the scene. Yes of course! It is such an enjoyable view that a second painting seemed a very good idea. They are never the same of course , which is just as well, as I never reproduce my watercolours as prints.
These are the two paintings.
Lake Bled in Slovenia . The first watercolour.
Lake Bled, the second watercolour painting
A year of two passed and then I had enquiry from the USA for the painting which of course were not available, but again I offered to paint the scene once more.
This I did and the recipient was pleased with the result.
The third version of the Lake Bled Watercolour
Amazingly not more than a few months later the same thing happened again but this time from a different State in the USA. And so a fourth watercolour of the scene was the result (this one was requested to have darker tones to the lake) and another happy recipient too!
And the fourth version of the scene at Lake Bled
So you see I do think it is about time I actually went there, and painted the scene “en plein air” just for myself.
Just need to get on with the planning!
Happy travelling and painting, and a Happy New Year too!
Brian
PS, If you too would like a watercolour of Lake Bled, then just email me at brian@brianswatercolours.com
Places I would really like to visit !! A occasional series of Watercolours. Number 1.
Hi All
Followers of this site will know that I love to travel and to paint watercolours of the places that we have visited.
Occasionally I paint watercolours of places that I haven’t visited , but they may have been visited by friends or people who have asked me to paint a watercolour of a particular place.
Painting these watercolours always leads to me wishing that I might visit and holiday there and paint on the spot!
Sometimes just the planning can be a great way to get there ahead of yourself!
So I thought that now and again I would publish a blog post with a few of these “other places” for you to have look at too.
You could almost say this is my bucket list for the future, but in reality my bucket list is far longer than these watercolours portray.
Many thanks to all our friends ,colleagues, and family for these ideas of future travel and the pleasure that I have had painting “Watercolours from THEIR Travels”!
This month I have picked three places from the ever increasing list. The first one is of Lake Como in Italy, then the South Island of New Zealand, and finally Lake Bled in Slovenia.
First of all Lake Como
I painted this small watercolour as reminder for some friends who had sent me postcard of their stay in Bellagio. We have visited Lake Maggiore and Lake Garda which are very beautiful, but we have not yet been Lake Como. The town of Bellagio looks so delightful so I am sure it will make a great holiday destination, and a base for water taxis around the Lake.
Bellagio on Lake Como.
Watercolour,painted in 2011.
The second place I have chosen for this months blog is in the South island of New Zealand. We have visited the South Island a few years ago and had a wonderful holiday there with friends playing golf and sightseeing, but we were there for only a few weeks and never made it to the Fox Glacier, or the Haast Highway as it winds its way through the Southern Alps of New Zealand . The Haast Highway is thus the subject of this painting. Again painted as a momento for some good friends who did manage to get there it tries to capture the scale on the huge mountains in that part of New Zealand.
Haast Highway in New Zealand. Watercolour,painted in 2010.
Finally for this Post I have chosen a very beautiful place that I really do want to visit.
This is Lake Bled in Slovenia. We have visited the Coastal area of Slovenia, where we found the food and wine terrific and the people very friendly. It is beautiful Country. Two groups of our friends have been to Lake Bled and this larger painting tries to capture the beauty of the Church on the Island in Lake Bled. Bled Castle can be seen in the distance and the Julian Alps are behind.. The Church, a Pilgrimage one, is dedicated to the “Assumption of Mary” and is also used for weddings as well as visits. The church has a 52 m (171 ft) tower and there is a Baroque stairway built in 1655 with 99 stone steps leading up to the building. (don’t try to count my steps, they may not all be there!)
Lake Bled. Watercolour 14 inches by 10. Painted in 2015
I hope you have enjoyed seeing these paintings of really nice places to visit. Some more another time.
Note to self…..I must get the planning underway!
Brian
