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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
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
A Few Days in The Sun!
Hi Everyone
I think by now everyone must know how much we like the South of France, especially the Cote d’Azur.
At the end of November we were able to spend some time there and for the most part the weather was really lovely, warm enough to eat breakfast and lunch outside on the terrace and at the harbour at Villefranche.
Now back in England the weather is cold and wet and so a little reminder seems in order.
I wasn’t too happy with my quick watercolours but as the sun was out I thought I would share them with you.
If it is sunny where you are then that is very nice but if it is wet, cold or snowy then imagine the warm sun and look forward to next summer.
Happy travelling!
Brian
http://www.brianswatercolours.com
Agay on the Esterel Coast in November afternoon sun.
St Tropez
Antibes in November, blue sky and snow on the mountains.
My new website!
Ile de la Cite from a river cruise in Paris. Now for sale on http://www.brianswatercolours.com
Hi Everybody.
At last I have decided to open a personal website where my paintings can be viewed and purchased. I have been thinking about it for some time but only now have I got organised enough to have the site set up.
This past year I have sold a few paintings and received a few commissions for paintings of customer’s favourite scenes.
So the new site brings together these two aims, one to paint watercolours for people of places they have visited, and secondly to display a number of artworks that can be purchased from me of places that I have visited and painted watercolours of.
The new site can be found at
http://www.brianswatercolours.com.
I hope you will enjoy looking at it as well as continuing to look at this blog which of course will continue!
I really do appreciate all the support from friends,followers and readers alike and I hope you will enjoy both sites in the future.
Happy travelling, photographing and painting!
Brian Tucker
brian@brianswatercolours.com
Saint Paul de Vence
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 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
One of the little streets in St Paul de Vence
St Paul viewed from the Vence road
At the heart of the town
Boule players in St Paul de Vence
St Paul de Vence, another day, another painting!
Cruising in the Adriatic.
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
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
A little beach near Dubrovnik
Cavtat in Croatia
Piran in Slovenia
The Rialto Bridge in Venice
Gondolas in Venice. Painted on a previous visit
Just off the Grand Canal in Venice. Painted on a previous visit.
A Week in Northern Ireland-Visits to the “Game of Thrones” Locations
Fair Head from the West
Hi Everyone,
We always seem to be on the go and last week we enjoyed a lovely visit to Northern Ireland, for many reasons one of our favourite places in the World.
It wouldn’t have been authentic if the sun had shone every day , but in mixed weather the countywide was beautiful and we managed to tour around, visit friends and family and also visit both familiar and new destinations.
Some of these were the locations of scenes from the very popular TV series Game of Thrones.
We have not been devotees of the series but seeing locations known to us in dramas is always fascinating, especially when they have been “catapulted” back , many hundreds of years, to become the land of Westeros
So this post features some places that can be seen in the series. These are my interpretations of the scenes, and of course are not as accurate as photos but they are all original!
We stayed in delightful new cottage/apartment in Holywood (http://www.holywoodhill.com), which we would also strongly recommend if you are planning visit to Northern Ireland. Holywood is a nice small town only a few miles from Belfast with galleries,cafes,restaurants and shops and makes a good base to get around the Province.
Whitehead seen from Holywood Hills Cottages. Co Down.
Eventually I will update my guide book to Ulster with these destinations but for now I hope you enjoy seeing them in the blog, together with one or two other places that we visited .
Happy travelling and enjoy the Summer, if it ever reappears!
Brian
The Church and Cliffs at Ballintoy. Co Antrim
The Dark Hedges near Armoy. Co Antrim.
The King’s Highway in Game of Thrones
Strangford Lough and the Mourne Mountains from Greyabbey. Co Down.
Fair Head from Murlough Bay. Co Antrim. Features as the Iron Islands in Game of Thrones
Fair Head seen from Ballycastle. Co Antrim.
Back to the Sun, a week on the Cote d’Azur
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
Antibes
House in Provence
The Esterel Mountains near Agay
Lavender fields in Haut Provence
Farm and Vineyard
The Castle at La Napoule
Sailing boats off the Esterel Coast
At last the sun is out!
Horsmonden Church and Oasts in the Weald
Watercolour 11 inches by 6.5
This winter it seemed as if the rain would never stop, then late last week and since the weather in the South of England has really improved and the sun has been shining.
It inspired me to get out and go to the Weald of Kent and there, near Horsmonden Church your will find this Springtime scene. I hope you like my interpretation of it!
The Church dedicated to St Margaret is about 2 miles from the Village centre. This is attributed to the centre of the village moving in the 17th Century to where a foundry had been established by John Browne. It was a large employer and the village thus migrated to be nearer the foundry. The foundry closed in 1685, but the village has remained at the Heath.
The term Weald is an old English word for Forest as this area was once heavily forested, even today there are many fine woods and copses across the area.
Anyway I hope wherever you are the weather is fine, we certainly hope it stays fine here and everywhere will get a chance to recover from all that winter rain.
Enjoy your travels
Brian
