Category Archives: Rye in East Sussex

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

A new painting for December 2020.  “A cold walk on a Winters Day” Watercolour 14 inches by 10.

A walk in the snow

Hi Everybody

I am always most amused when the weather forecasters give us long term predictions and this year is no exception. Apparently we will always get less snow in the future. Aha! I think they said that in 1987 when we had the Great Storm in England followed by 3 feet of snow that lasted weeks and weeks, closed schools and businesses and was a lot of fun for some!

So I am not holding my breath, but as I look out on a dreary, foggy December day here in Kent I do wonder if a bit of snow might liven things up a bit, at least that would be a better reason for huddling round the fire than Covid!

Thus I am thinking that I will preempt the now inevitable snow ( now that the forecasters say we might not have any!!) by putting some of some Kent and Sussex winter scenes that I have painted watercolours of in the past and maybe then I can settle down at the easel to paint a couple of new wintry scenes as well for a follow up Christmas time blog.

Here then are a selection from what turns out to be about 23 watercolours to chose from.

Horsmonden in Kent

Leeds Castle in Kent in the snow

Kentish Oasts in the snow

The Mill pond at Wateringbury

 

Rye from the marshes on a cold winters day.

West Malling in Kent

 

Horsmonden again!

So there you are ,will we get any snow this year? Might be fun!

Best regards ‘to everyone

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

 

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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A visit to Rye

We ar going to Rye this week to visit some good friends so I thought a quick post of two recent Rye watercolours would be a good idea.

Rye in East Sussex is a great little town, once a smugglers haunt and one of the most picturesque places of the south coast of England

Here are the watercolours

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The Landgate in Rye A Pena and wash watercolour 14 inches by 10

Rye Harbour A watercolour called “THe Catch is In” 10 inches by 14

 

 

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