Blog Archives
A Weekend in Amsterdam.
Tulip Fields and a Windmill in the Netherlands inspired by a postcard I saw which is I believe from an original photo by Jaap Hart.
Hi Everybody
We have just had the pleasure of a long weekend in Amsterdam with some good friends.
It was really very enjoyable and our travel on Eurostar was excellent as was the hotel we stayed in called the INK Hotel. It was only about 15 minutes walk from the Central Station and is very good, I would recommend it if you are there. I would also recommend three restaurants too that we found whilst there. They were Haesje Claes, a great Dutch food restaurant, Indrapura, a terrific Indonesian style restaurant with music and BakkersWinkel a great place for breakfast near to our hotel.
As well as looking around Amsterdam and taking a Canal tour we spent a day at Keukenhof Gardens where each spring they display their fabulous collections of flowers but especially Tulips. These displays of Tulips are nothing short of fantastic!
So in amongst the eating, walking, and museum visits, I managed just two very quick watercolours of the buildings of Amsterdam and one of some bulb fields and countryside which was inspired by a postcard I saw in the shops!
The building ones are in a style I don’t often employ using pen and ink and washes which seemed appropriate for these subjects.
Amsterdam Houses by a Canal
Houses and Shops by a Canal in Amsterdam
I hope you will like these and our Amsterdam recommendations
Happy travelling!
Brian
A few days in France
Hi
We have just spent a few days in the South of France sorting out one or two things at our apartment. With some rainy as well as sunny weather there was just time for couple of watercolours, one from a photo in a newspaper which caught my eye as a basis for a painting and one from an earlier photo of the beach at Juan les Pins. I wish our few days had all been as sunny as the Juan les Pins painting but after all it is February!
I hope you like them both and maybe I will be able to post again soon.
Heres looking forward to Spring
Brian
Juan les Pins
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
Cruising the St Lawrence and New England
Hi Everyone, thanks for reading this post.
We have just spent great 2 weeks meeting up with very good friends and together cruising down the St Lawrence Seaway and out into the Gulf and then on to New England.
It is a journey we have been looking forward to for some time and the places visited and the scenery were terrific.
It is our 15th year cruising with our four good friends and as always there is lots to talk about and to enjoy, both on and off the cruise ship.
Naturally it is great opportunity for photography, and for me, a time to paint some watercolours of the places we have visited on the Cruise, and afterwards in a short stay in Kennebunkport in Maine.
This year the vivid autumn colours are little later than usual but we did still manage to catch some views of the trees turning to gold, bronze, and red as we travelled.
Vainly we watched for whales which do frequent this region, but alas 3 spouts was the only glimpse we got, and a potential whale watching trip in Bar Harbor was sabotaged by bad weather.
Anyway I have lots of photos to turn into watercolours but here are the paintings that I managed to complete on the cruise.
More updates to this blog in the future as I sift through the photos and turn some into watercolours.
I have included a couple of extra paintings from previous trips to New England for you to see until I can get round to some new watercolours of New England.
We started the cruise in Montreal and this evening skyline painting didn’t work too well but it gives glimpse of this interesting and large city. Montreal is I am told the second largest French speaking City in the world, second only to Paris!
Evening at Montreal
On leaving Montreal we were treated to a spectacular sunset which gave me an interesting challenge as a watercolour.
Sunset on the St Lawrence near Montreal
Overnight we sailed to Quebec where even though it was our second visit there we enjoyed walking around this lovely City. On our second day we took a “Foodie Tour”, which was really good. Local food and wine and stops many tasting places and restaurant finished up by beer and Cheese tasting in the Frontenac Hotel. Our guide was excellent and the combination of Food and history of the City was very interesting.
I strongly recommend this if you are planning some time in Quebec. Have look at http://www.toursvoirquebec.com, our guide was Jocelyn Belle.
On the tour the view of the Frontenac Hotel from the older and beautifully restored lower town inspired this watercolour.
The Frontenac Hotel from Quebec’s Old Town
Our cruise took us past the pretty Ile d’Orleans and Montmorency Falls ( paintings at a later date!)
Our next port of call was Saguenay, a town at the end of a 32 mile Canadian Fjiord. Despite watching for whales at the entrance to the fjord we didn’t manage any sightings.
From Saguenay we sailed over night to Baie Commeau, a small but interesting town on the North bank of the St Lawrence. A highlight there was our time spent at the Glacier visitor centre with amazing information about, and photos of Glaciers around the World.
From here we went on to Gaspe where we took to opportunity to visit Perce and its famous Rock. This vast rocky island lies just offshore and dominates the town. Here is my painting from a photo taken just out of the town at the lighthouse.
Pierce Rock. Watercolour 14 inches by 10.
From Gaspe we sailed to Prince Edward Island , but alas due to strong winds we were unable to dock there. However these two lighthouses passed by the ship as we sailed and approached the island and so on the extra day at sea I painted these two watercolours.
A Lighthouse near Gaspe in Canada. Watercolour 14 inches by 10.
Blockhouse road Lighthouse on Prince Edward Island. Watercolour 14 inches by 10.
After the dissapointmetnof not landing at Prince Edward Island we sailed on for 2 days to Halifax, Nova Scotia. They have made the board walk a real feature of Halifax and it is very pleasant stroll along it into the town and up to the Citadel if you have the energy for the climb!
There are some lovely old yachts and small ships in the port at Halifax and fine views across to Fort George.
Here is a painting of vintage yacht sailing past Fort George, just a little bit of artistic licence here to bring them together at the island!
George Fort and a vintage sailing ship at Halifax, Nova Scotia
From Halifax we sailed overnight to Bar Harbor. Bar Harbor is lovely town with nice shops, and galleries, as well as being on the beautiful Mount Desert Island. Alas, it was pouring and windy when we were there, but luckily we had been there is good weather some years ago so we could imagine it in the sun. Our plan of a whale watching trip was impossible in such rough weather too.
Thus my painting of the Mount Desert Lighthouse is from an archive photo and is on sunny day!
Lighthouse on Mount Desert Island near Bar Harbor.
It was really rough weather leaving Bar Harbor and the night to Boston was the roughest cruise night we have encountered, not bad after so many cruises, we have been lucky!
We didn’t stop in Boston but picked up a car and drove with our friends to Kennebunkport where we stayed in the very nice “Captain Lord Mansion”. We really like Kennebunkport and the whole area.
In the centre of the town by the bridge you can see these 3 Dories slowly swinging together with the tide. Thought they made good subject for a watercolour.
“The Three Dories” at Kennebunkport.
We took a trip the next day to Ogunquit and Perkins Cove and the Nubble light house near York. I have many more paintings of New England to do now but here is one I did 10 years ago of The Nubble which will do until I can paint a few new ones.
The Nubble Lighthouse – New England, painting in 2006
So from Kennebunkport it was back home, farewells to our friends till next time and a flight back to the UK.
A great holiday with such good friends, lots of food, wine and great times.
What’s not to like!
Happy travelling
Brian
Brian@brianswatercolours.com
Holiday in France, A Journey in Watercolours
Hi Everybody
We have just spent a lovely few weeks in France, both in Provence and the Lot et Garonne, and a lot of places in between!
Very hot weather and lovely times with friends and family , at the pool, on the beaches, in the mountains, and visiting some beautiful places as we travelled around.
Now back I can get down to creating a blog of the paintings I managed to fit in during our travels, and I hope you will enjoy looking at them. In such hot weather watercolour paintings becomes a bit tricky and speed is really necessary if the paint is not to dry out too quickly. Of course many photos have yet to make it to watercolours but over the next few months I should be able to produce some more!
The Lot and Garonne is a quiet part of France in the South West, not far from Bordeaux in the Aquitaine region. It has many lovely small towns and villages and wonderful rolling countryside covered in farms and homes. It is popular as a holiday home , or permanent home for many UK people who enjoy the relaxed life style of the region.
In the past we have visited this area quite few times and this time we once again stayed with some good friends who live there all the time.
I have included a painting in this blog from previous visits to give you flavour of the towns and villages.
Of course our first stop was at our usual haunt on the Cote d’Azur where the temperatures were really high. I managed a few paintings whilst there and these are some of them.
Evening in Haut Provence. Watercolour 14 inches by 10.
A Yacht approaching St Tropez. Watercolour 14 inches by 10.
Yachts racing at St Tropez. Watercolour 14 inches by 10.
And so to the Lot et Garonne
Quite near where we were staying is the market town of Villeneuve sur Lot.
It has a good position at the river and this watercolour shows the view back towards the town.
Villeneuve sur Lot
Only a few kilometres from Villeneuve is the small village of Pujols en Haut. This is one of the prettiest villages in the region and maybe in all of France. A good place to browse,have coffee and admire the lovely Village. Pujols was sacked many centuries ago which apparently led to the creation of Villeneuve.
International banners flying in Pujols en Haut. Watercolour 14 by 10 inches.
One of the features of the towns in Lot et Garonne is that many are Bastide Towns. They often have a surrounding wall and are laid out in a regular pattern. One such town, and one well worth visiting, is Monpazier, this painting was done on a previous visit but it gives a flavour of the Town Square in the centre of Monpazier.
The Square in Monpazier. Watercolour 12 by 9 inches.
After visiting Lot et Garonne we returned to Fayence in Provence for another great weekend with friends.
Fayence is a hill town and boasts many fine restaurants nearby. We really love “Temps de Cerise” and “La Table d’Yves” where the food served and the service are just great.
Enjoy your travels
Brian
Fayence. Watercolour 9 inches by 7.
More Painting in The South of France
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!
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.
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
The Lavender Farm.
Watercolour 14 by 10 inches.
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
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.
Two weekends in May
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.
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
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
Inland just a few miles away is Bayeux, famous for the Tapestry but a really lovely town with a wonderful Cathedral.
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
Breakfast in the Sun!
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
March in the Peloppones : Golf, Painting, Food and Friends!
Hi Everybody,
Each year we are fortunate to travel overseas for a great golfing week with some wonderful friends.
Over the years we have golfed in South Africa, San Diego, Mauritius, France, New Zeeland and Portugal, and every time we have great fun.
This year was no exception and our golfing group met at the Costa Navarino Resort in the Peloponnese region of Messenia in Greece.
Ian Goldleman who runs Pro Golfing Tours ( www.progolfingtours.com ) creates our trips which include excellent tuition and lots of golf.
The weather this year was a little mixed but we all had great time. Many thanks to Ian for organising everything and Bruce Framer who came along to help us with our golf tuition. Sadly Lynnette Brooky could not be along this year but we look forward to seeing her another time.
Our Golfing Group
I won’t bore you all with the golf outcomes as this is a travel and painting blog after all, however the resort was very nice in a lovely area of Greece. Located near Pylos in the south western end of the Peloppones, it is about 4 hours drive from Athens, and about an hour from Kalamata.
We managed some sightseeing and visits to some ancient monuments in the area too, principally Olympia, Methoni and Messene. Olympia was very atmospheric and really enhanced by the lovely wild spring flowers.
There are also some very good restaurants around the area and two were really outstanding. In Pylos there is the Taverna O’Koukos, and in Gialova, La Cucina Italiana. Two quite different restaurants but both really very good!
O’Koukos was absolutely splendid and the food prepared and organised by Kosta and his mother Maria was delicious, and served by the terrific Roland! If you are ever in this area do go along there as it is such a treat!
Like all our holidays I took the opportunity to take along the watercolours and managed to complete some pictures, which I am delighted to say our group have now taken home with them!
However I always keep a photo record so here are some of my weeks watercolours.
Nearby to Navarino Bay is the extraordinary beach at Voidokilia, here painted from an aerial photo and below from photos taken by me on the beach itself. It is an amazing sight and the clear waters are popular in the summer. No swimming in March though!
The beautiful beach at Voidokilia near Navarino Bay
Voidokilia Bay from the South side
Voidolkilia Bay from the North
South of Pylos there is the quet little town of Methoni. Once an important Venetian port and the scene of many battles. Methoni Castle is vast and at the seaward end has small castle on an island, which can easily be visited. From there the view across to the island of Sapientza gave me a nice back drop for the painting.
Part of the Venetian Fortress at Methoni.
Navaroni Bay is protected by the Island of Sphacteria and a string of smaller islands. They can be seen from all over the area but the view from Pylos castle is the one I have used here for this painting. In the summer I believe there are boat trips from the harbour to the islands which I am sure would be great.
The islands off the coast at Pylos.
Pylos is a very nice little town with a bustling central square and many restaurants. However do not miss going to O’Koukos restaurant at the northern approach to the centre of the town.
Of course our main aim of being at Navarino Bay was to play golf. The Bay Golf Course has many great views of the area and below is just one . Again the islands and Pylos are in the painting but this time from the fairway of the 2nd hole on the Bay Course.
Pylons and the islands from The Bay Golf Course
I have come back with so many more photos that I hope to paint of this lovely and interesting area of Greece but they will have to be for another post.
I hope you enjoy this one and if you have been or plan to be in this area maybe they will serve as reminder of the lovely area and it’s very friendly people.
Happy travelling, (and golfing!)
Brian
Kent, the “Garden of England”
Have look at my new page on Oast Houses in Kent.
Oast Houses at Horsmonden in Kent
Hi everybody
Regular readers of this blog will know how much we love the south of France, and I seem to post about that area quite a bit.
But this week driving around our native Kent I was reminded how beautiful the countryside is right here , just on our doorstep.
We are lucky to live in this lovely part of the UK with it’s green fields, Oast houses, Castles and Gardens.
With the weather being cold I have been painting some local scenes from photos and looking back at some paintings from the past year or two and so I thought it was about time I shared a little bit of Kent with you all.
Quite nearby we have several fine National Trust properties. Two in particular, Sissinghurst Castle and gardens, and Scotney Castle have exceptional gardens. Each has unique features but they fit in so well to the lovely countryside around them.
Kent has been known as the Garden of England since Tudor times I believe, and it remains a County that produces a lot of soft fruit, apples, pears, cherries and vegetables. The Spring blossom is spectacular but that is for another day.
These watercolours try to capture a little of the beauty of the area. Scotney with its collections of Azaleas, and Sissinghust famous for it’s gardens and colour.
I hope you like these watercolours and enjoy this quick “visit” to Kent.
Happy travelling and painting!
Brian
http://www.brianswatercolours.com
Part of the gardens at Sissinghurst Castle
The ruined castle and gardens at Scotney Castle in Kent
Fields of rape seed near West Malling in Kent
