Blog Archives
Cambridge and Ely sketches and large watercolours too!
Hi Everybody
We have just had a couple of days in Cambridge and a lovely afternoon in Ely.
Ely is a delightful City with a truly magnificent Cathedral and right next to it there it a great cafe called Julia’s Tea room, very nice soup and scones for lunch!
The whole city is very nice with walks and old houses, including Oliver Cromwell’s to see.
So just a couple of quick sketches to turn into larger watercolours back in the studio.
Ely Cathedral from outside the City. Pen and watercolour sketch 9 by 7 inches. Another view from the river. The Cathedral dominates the City from every angle!
It turned out to our surprise that it was Cambridge Half Marathon weekend , and no I wasn’t entered! It was a bit disruptive and due to COVID or just making life easy many Colleges were closed to visitors which was a great shame. However we were able to visit Kings College and King’s College Chapel which is fantastic with such amazing stained glass windows and a rich history. There are so many great sights outside of the Colleges too so we enjoyed outr time there.
Here are two sketches , one of King’s College and Chapel and a view along the River Cam with some inevitable punters gliding along.
Pen and watercolour sketch of King’s College from the river bank. And a view from one of the many bridges of Colleges’s and Punts.
We also has a superb dinner in a family run Italian restaurant right by the river edge called Mimosa. Really superb and they made us so welcome. A great find. Good Tapas lunch too in La Raza on Rose Crescent. The best meat balls bravas I have ever had!
Since returning I have painted two larger watercolours and so here they are. They don’t fit very well with the Cambridge and Ely theme but I have really enjoyed painting something a bit bigger and bolder than normal.
Firstly a view of the Norfolk Broads called “Big sky over the Broads” Large, by my standards, at 21 inches by 9 and another of a view across the North Downs in Kent in the summer, bright fields and another big sky. Also large and bold!
I hope you like them
A large watercolour 21 inches by 9 on Arches paper. “Big sky over the Norfolk Broads”
Across the North Downs in Kent in high summer. Watercolour 21 inches by 9.
They are both on Artfinder (www.artfinder.com/Brianswatercolours) if you think you would like to hang them in your home!
Now with a third jab received travel seems a bit nearer, let’s hope so!
Do stay safe and well
Brian
Faversham – A gem in Kent
Hi Everybody
Faversham in Kent is a very old, and historic town well worth a visit.
Mentioned in the Domesday Book and settled for many centuries Faversham was a favoured town as far back as King Stephen in the early 12th century. He established Faversham Abbey and Faversham has for centuries been an important seaport and market town. Once a centre of the explosives industry and still the home of a major UK brewer , Shepherd Neame
Today Faversham has many charming old houses and a thriving market as well as a Quay where barges and other craft can be seen.
It is favourite place of mine to paint and enjoy the quaintness of the area, including the nearby marshes and the creeks leading out to the Thames Estuary.
It has a fine local Art centre in Creek Creative ( and a very nice cafe too!) and shortly Faversham will be hosting a exhibition called ” Home is a Feeling” at which some of my artworks will be on show along with many items created by local artists and crafts people.
Here is the flyer for it
So today I have included some of my watercolours of Faversham which I hope you will enjoy. If you get a chance do visit Faversham and enjoy the town , it’s Quay and the excellent hostelries and shops to be found there.
Barges at Standard Quay in Faversham Watercolour 15 inches by 11 on Arches paper
Market day in Faversham. Sketch 11 by 8 inches
Oare Creek near Faversham
A Barge at Hollowshore near Faversham
Faversham Guildhall and Market. Sketch 11 inches by 9
Boatyard at Oare Creek near Faversham. Watercolour 14 by 10 inches
Evening at Standard Quay. Watercolour 14 inches by 10.
I hope you have enjoyed these watercolours of the Faversham area and that you will find the time to visit this very interesting town.
Happy travelling
Brian
The Lake District – Studio Watercolours
Hi Everbody
Over the past while and both before and since our recent visit to the Lake District I have been painting fairly large watercolours in my studio of the area.
Some are based on the sketches in my previous post but others are from photos of the area.
One, of Scafell Pike has already been sold, but the others are all available, so do contact me if you think one would go well in your home.
Also recently I sold a painting of The Mourne Mountains with all four seasons on the one wide watercolour.
This has encouraged me to try another, This time of Derwentwater and so this is the first of the Studio Watercolours
Four seasons at Derwentwater, in the Lake District. Watercolour 45 by 20 cms on Arches 300gsm watercolour Paper.
This next watercolour is an impressionistic watercolour of Buttermere, a beautiful Lake in the area.
Buttermere. Watercolour on Arches paper . 33 by 23 cms.
Next the sold watercolour of Scafell Pike, quite impressionistic too.
Scafell Pike in the Lakes. Watercolour on Arches paper 34 by 23 cms.
In Ambleside the House on the Bridge is one of the famous sights of the Lake District.
Here as a studio watercolour.
The House on the Bridge in Ambleside. Watercolour 34 cms by 23.
Near Ambleside is the beautiful Langdale Valley and the Langdale Pikes. Here is a watercolour of the scene at dawn as the sun breaks into the valley.
The Langdale Pikes and Valley at Dawn. Watercolour 42 cms by 30 on Arches paper.
And now Ullswater as the evening sets in
Sunset in the Lakes. Watercolour 45 by 20 cms
This next watercolour is again of Derwentwater but now in full summer, just as we saw it.
Reflection at Derwentwater. Watercolour 54 by 25 cms.On Arches watercolour 300gsm paper. The largest of this series of watercolours.
And lastly Stockley Packhorse Bridge
Stockley Bridge in the Lake District. Watercolour 34 by 23 cms on Arches paper.
I will continue to paint more watercolours from my sketches in the Studio of the Lake District but this is the work so far.
I do hope you enjoy them , it is a wonderful area to visit and to paint!
Happy travelling!
Brian
Sketching in The Lake District
Well,it’s seems amazing but we have just had a nice 6 day holiday in the Lake District of England, and with really nice weather too, whilst our home county of Kent was suffering heavy rain and thunderstorms!
The area around Windermere was very busy and fortunately I had pre booked very nice restaurants some of which I have mentioned below.
The visit gave me an opportunity for some watercolour pen and wash sketches and due to the nice weather I was able to paint them “en plein air” which was very enjoyable.
In the next post I will include so more formal studio watercolour paintings of the Lakes but here are the sketches that I have so far completed.
I hope you enjoy looking at them.
Firstly near to Windermere is Ambleside , although we didn’t realise that Ambleside at the lake is a mile or more from the town.
We went there on a Windermere lake cruise but having to wear a mask all the time on the boat was both unpleasant and in my opinion totally unnecessary as we were all distanced and out in the open air!
The House on the bridge in Ambleside.Sketch, pen and wash 10 inches by 9
In Ambleside I managed to sketch the famous House on the Bridge, which is quite extraordinary and dates back to collecting tolls , I believe mainly to do with the sheep trade.
The next day we went to Derwentwater where parking at the Lakeside is a very tricky thing to do, but on the way we spent some time at Ashness Bridge, a very old Packhorse bridge near to Derwentwater.
I was able to two quick sketches of this very picturesque scene one from the South side and one from the North.
Ashness packhorse Bridge looking South
The road there is very narrow but there is a National Trust car park thank goodness!
Ashness Packhorse bridge looking North
Not far away from Asness bridge is Derwnetwater and there is a lovely walk along the South shore of the lake, with views across the lake to Skiddaw mountain.
I managed to capture this view in this sketch and of course there are many more photos for future paintings.
Derwentwater with Skiddaw Mountain in the distance. Sketch, pen and wash 10 inches by 9
Our next day was spent at Ullswater after a beautiful mountainous drive from Windermere across the fells.
Ullswater was much quieter and thus more enjoyable for a quiet time sitting and painting by the lake and watching the steamer gliding over the Lake. While at Ullswater we also visited The Airs Force waterfall and felt quite elated that we climbed the 220 feet to get to this marvellous waterfall.I will be doing a sketch of it shortly, as I didn’t carry anything up to the viewing point.
Ullswater. Sketch, pen and wash 20 inches by 9
On our final day we spent a few hours on the west shore of Coniston Water and i managed to paint this sketch with the very old Coniston Steamer on the lake.
Coniston Water. Sketch, pen and wash 20 inches by 9
I have arrived back with lots of ideas for future paintings which will appear on this blog in a while.
In th mean time should you venture to the Lake District I would strongly recommend these restaurants, but do book well ahead!
In Windermere – Francine’s (brilliant) and San Pietro.
In Bowness – Villa Positano (great food and atmosphere)
Beyond Ambleside The Drunken Duck (very good food but more expensive)
I hope you will one day enjoy them.
Happy travelling once again!
Brian
A few recent watercolours, Summer is here!
Hi Everybody,
With no travel outside of the UK really possible for us yet I have been painting a few watercolours of places that I love or would like be going too.
Firstly a watercolour pen and wash sketch of Polpero in Cornwall, somewhere we have been to, but, I am indebted to “The Hungry Travellers Blog” (https://www.thehungrytravellers.blog) for their permission to use the photograph from which this watercolour is based. I like the verticality of the buildings that they captured in the photo.
Polpero in Cornwall. Watercolour sketch 10 inches by 9.
Next two recent commissions of Tuscany and Umbria. I have painted these scenes before but I do love to paint scenes like these again and again! Of course they are always a bit different.
Lucca in Tuscany. Watercolour on Arches paper. 18 inches by 8.
A view of evening in Umbria. Watercolour on Arches paper. 18 inches by 8.
The Lake District of England is very spectacular and so here is recent watercolour of Derwentwater there.
Derwentwater in The Lake District. Watercolour on Arches 19 by 9 inches
A quiet day in Venice. Watercolour 14 inches by 10.
Again and again I love to try to capture Venetian scenes and this one, quite near to the Rialto Bridge is a view that I love with the Church tower adding height to the waterfront view.
Lastly two more views of Engalnd
This first one is a view across the Suffolk Fens and the second of a farm and Oast Houses in Kent. I hope you like them.
Across the Fens. Watercolour 16 inches by 12.
Oasts and Farm in kent. Watercolour 14 inches by 10.
Maybe soon some real travel will let me post some “plein air” watercolours.
In the mean time stay safe and well and enjoy the summer if it is that time of year for you.
Best regards to all
Brian
PS Don’t forget if you see a watercolour here you would like to buy or commission a similar version just email me at –
brian@brianswatercolours.com
Tall and Thin, Watercolours in a vertical format.
Hi Everybody
One kind reader remarked that a recent one of my posted watercolours seemed a bit of a departure from my normal style, and that was so although now and again I do like to paint tall watercolours rather than the more common Landscape format I usually use.
This format seems to me to lead me to a to a “wet into wet”, reflection style and so here I have gathered some together for you to have look at.
Some recent and some not so recent but all a bit different.
The first one , painted very recently is of the beautiful Scotney Castle , here in Kent in the UK. At the bottom of a valley, often covered in late spring with a lot of Rhododendrons and Azealeas blooms lies the old Castle and Folly.
It is a subject I do like to paint and we do visit there quite often
Scotney Castle . Watercolour, 52 cms by 22 on Arches 300gsm watercolour paper.
Here are three watercolours with a common theme.
The Pond,1,2 and 3 All about 50 by 20 cms.
The Pond 1
The Pond 2
The Pond 3
This watercolour was inspired by a painting session with a local friend who had photographed this spot whilst in Scotland.
A Scottish river in Winter. Watercolour 50 by 30 cms
Some years ago we voted Portofino in Italy and this was painted from sjhetches and phots of that visit. The colourful buildings and the tranquil bay just seemed to fit this aspect ratio.
Portofino in Italy. Watercolour on Arches paper 55 by 20 cms.
This last watercolour is purely from the imagination and an exercise in a bright focal point in a watercolour.
Sunlight on the Pond
I hope you have enjoyed seeing these watercolours in a somewhat different aspect ration to my normal landscape mode.
Stay safe and well
Brian
The Master’s Golf at Augusta in Georgia
At last , The Masters Golf Championship returns at it’s normal time of the year!
The 12th Green, Ray’s Creek and The Hogan bridge at Augusta Watercolour sketch 20 inches by 9.
Whilst it was good to watch the Masters last November it is so much better in April with the course looking so beautiful, the Azaleas in bloom and the greens once again playing very fast to make the golf even more interesting.
It has become a habit for me to post some of my Augusta watercolours whilst the Tournament is progressing but this year I have just painted a new one.
The view is from behind the 12th Green looking toward Ray’s Creek and The Hogan bridge. The 11th fairway is in the background.
Some patrons are back watching again, lucky them!
So here a few from the past and the new one above for you to enjoy as we all watch the drama unfold over the next few days.
Hogan Bridge . Sketch 10 inches by 8
The 12th green from the Teebox. Sketch 10inches by 8
The 16th green from the Teebox. Watercolour sketch 10 inches by 8
The 12th green and two bridges. Sketch 9 by 7 inches
I do hope you get to see some of the golf and the marvellous scenery. Maybe one day I will get there to see it at first hand!
In the meant time, stay safe and well, and I hope we can all look forward to better days and travel once again.
Brian
A new idea- Crazy or exciting?
Hi Everybody
Last week I posted about the beautiful Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland.
It started me thinking that a series of the same panorama for each season might be fun to paint and then I wondered, how about just doing one watercolour with all four seasons in the one painting!
Crazy or Exciting?
Well I decided to have a go today and here is the result, hot as they say , off the press!
It starts from left to right with summer first so that I could include some yachts sailing below a cobalt blue sky. Then comes Autumn with a softer ultramarine and cerulean blue cloudy sky before winter with dark skies and rain and snow landing on the Mourne’s highest peak, Slieve Donard and below it a colder sea foaming up on to the beautiful sandy beach. Lastly we are back to spring with big clouds in a cobalt sky.
I know it’s a bit weird but it was a lot of fine to try to paint and maybe you will like it.
I would love to get your comments.
I have popped it on to Artfinder in case someone really likes it!
I am now thinking of other scenes that might work with this idea so who knows you may see some more.
With our second jab due quite soon and half of the UK now vaccinated seeing friends and family and even some travel is becoming a reality, thank goodness.
It is a fantastic UK vaccine achievement which we all are very proud of and congratulate those who have made it happen – well done!
Stay well and safe
Brian
Four Seasons in one watercolour. Summer,Autumn, Winter and Spring Watercolour on Arches paper 54 cms by 25.
Summer
Autumn
Winter
Spring
Two new Sunset Skylines, and the Great Wall too!
Hi Everybody
In the first lockdown I painted quite a few skyline watercolours and recently I had a discussion which has resulted in the creation of two more watercolours with sunsets and the skyline.
I really do enjoy these type of watercolours which are 45 by 19 cms in size to try to get the panorama of the cities.
So here they are and as we start to see the easing of our UK lockdown we may even be able to think more about some travel once again.
Firstly Singapore which is continually changing and is such a terrific place to visit.
I recall that we ate on the top of the Marina Bay Sands building, the one that looks like a ship on three 57 storey towers. Quite an experience.
Singapore with a magical pink sunset. Watercolour 45.5 cms by 19Secondly Kuala Lumpur, an astounding Asian Capital City ,once again in the early evening.
Kuala Lumpur in the early evening.watercolour 45.5 by 19 cms.Both of these are for sale for £180 each with free shipping.
contact me for details at brian@brianswatercolours.com
Just for fun last week I had a look through some photos of the Great Wall of China which we visited in 2007, how time flies.
We had such a wonderful time there with some great US friends and also managed to go to see the Terracotta Warriors at Xian and visit Shanghai too.
Surprisingly I hadn’t sketched the Great Wall when we were there so I decided to paint two pen and was watercolours last week.
So here they are, they are both about 27 by 24 cms
The Great Wall of China, just a small part! Watercolour pen and was sketch
Another part of the Great Wall Watercolour pen and wash sketch I hope you will enjoy this short post and that you keep well and optimistic for the future!
Brian
Places I would like to be – The Lake District of England.
Hi Everybody
As I sit here in continued lockdown and recall our many and varied travel plans that have all come to nothing, I remember how for the past few years we had planned a short break in the The Lake District of England. To cap it all we now have snow! , not a lot just a few inches but that is enough to cause some travel chaos here, not that we can go anywhere anyway!
Frustrated by not being able to go anywhere or even meet people I resorted this week to guide books and the web for inspiration of the English Lakes and so for the past three days I have painted four watercolours of some of the many places that we would love to visit in and around the area of Cumbria, with its magnificent scenery.
Maybe later this year or next we will be able to visit and enjoy the scenery at first hand.
The Lake District today lies entirely in Cumbria and is home to the highest peaks in England. It covers over 1200 square miles of mountains and lakes.
The highest peak is Scafell Pike at 3,209 feet and this first watercolour tries to capture Scafell Pike and Scafell and the lake before them called Wasdale. With around 20 lakes and many Fells and Peaks the Lake District area is a very popular destination for visitors, hikers, painters, photographers and all outdoor pursuits as well as for it’s good accommodation ,and great food, and a warm welcome.
Scafell and Scafell Pike with Wasdale lake in the foreground. Watercolour 13 inches by 9.5 on Arches Rough Watercolour paper. Available for purchase on Artfinder
My second watercolour is of the delightful small town of Ambleside which lies at the Northern end of Lake Windermere and is very famous for the “Bridge House”.
The 17th Century house, originally built to store produce from fields on the far side of the Stock Beck, is one of the most curious and often painted houses in the Lake District.
The Bridge House in Ambleside, a Pen and Wash Watercolour. 13 inches by 9.5 on Arches Rough watercolour paper. Available for purchase on Artfinder.com/Brianswatercolours
Other bridge scene in the Lake District, this time of Stockley Bridge in Borrowdale. This very old packhorse bridge is one of many in the Lkae District.
Stockley Pack Horse Bridge . 18th Century. Watercolour 14 inches by 10
My last watercolour, for now anyway, (there will be more when I can actually go there), is the view across Buttermere which is another popular watercolour artist’s view.
My inspiration here comes from photos and also a wonderful watercolour painting by Edward Wesson, an amazing 20th century English watercolorist who is an inspiration to myself and many artists.
Across Buttermere. Watercolour 9.5 by 13 inches on Arches Rough watercolour paper. Also available for sale on Artfinder
Lockdown has reminded us of how many beautiful places we have to visit in the UK and with International travel some way off, even though we have now had the Covid Vaccine, there will be many places to plan visits to over the next year.
Wherever you are stay safe and well and like us please look forward to travel in the future.
Best regards
Brian
