Hi everyone

We have just retuned from a great 10 days with some very good friends from a Viking cruise of the Rhine that started with 3 days at Lake Como in Italy.

We enjoyed really great weather and mostly blue skies and nice white clouds.

It was a trip that we had been looking forward to for quite a while and it was very good with the most spectacular views at Lake Come and on the Rhine.

Many photos were taken and each day I managed to find time to paint some watercolours of scenes we had seen as we travelled on the Viking Longship and on a smaller boat around Lake Como.

Most of these watercolours were sketch book size pen and ink studies which I hope will prove to be subjects for larger studio paintings in the future.

3 were larger 14 inch by 10 watercolours more traditionally painted with a few ink highlights. I have titled each one with their details.

The sparking water of Lake Como and the Rhine made the scenes really great and the Rhine Gorge area was spectacular with it’s many Castles and lovely towns by the river. Our lake  trip around Lake Como was wonderful too with time at Bellagio and stops  at many interesting vistas around the lake.

So here are my Watercolours of the trip, I do hope you like them as they were all fun to paint.

LAKE COMO

In Como itself we ascended the funicular to Brunate for Great Lake views but Como Town itself is a very nice and ancient place.

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, better know as Como Cathedral, caught my eye and so this is the first watercolour.

The Cathedral in Como, Italy. Watercolour ,Pen and wash. 10 inches by 7.5, on Arches Rough Paper.

A view of a lakeside residence from the Como to Cernobbio ferry is the subject of this next painting with a water fountain being enjoyed by some local boys.

From the Ferry. Watercolour sketch in Pen and Wash.10 by 7.5 inches.

On our way to Bellagio we paused at some great vistas. This very tiny town of Nesso with a waterfall cascading through it to the lake was just one of many.

Here is my interpretation of the scene

Nesso  by the lake. Pen and Wash, 9 by 7.5 inches.

Bellagio is very nice lakeside town to wander around ,enjoy  a coffee and the stunning views. From there you can see and visit Varenna

Varenna from Bellagio

i have also painted these two larger watercolours of Varenna

They are both 14 by 10 inches on Arches NOT watercolour paper.

Here they are

Varenna, Watercolour 14 inches by 10 on Arches NOT paper

Varenna,Watercolour 14 inches by 10 on Arches NOT paper

Lastly while on Lake Como I painted this watercolour of a lovely town as seen from our tour boat. It is called San Giovanni. Really a lovely looking town but so far only seen from the water. Maybe on the next visit….

San Giovanni on Lake Como. Pen and wash sketch 10 by 7.5 inches

We eventually left Lake Como and were driven across the Alps to Lucerne. A truly spectacular drive over the passes and not through the tunnels.

THE RHINE

We boarded the ship at Basel, itself a very lovely town but no paintings from there as yet

We  traversed 600 miles of the Rhine to Amsterdam and the passage through the Rhine Gorge was terrific with many castles and towns to see.

These two painting are of Kaub Castle, Pfalz. This was once a tollgate on the Rhine and dates back many hundreds of years.

Kaub Castle sketch 10 by 7.5

Kaub  Castle PFalz on the Rhine. Watercolour 14 by 10 inches on Arches NOT paper

On the way to the Rhine Gorge we stopped at Strasbourg and took a detour to Heidelberg on the River Neckar. I managed a quick sketch of the impressive bridge at Heidelberg with its towers.

The Bridge at Heidelberg.Pen and Wash sketch 10 by 7.5 inches.

From the Rhine Gorge we travelled to Amsterdam and stopped at Kinderdijk to see the lovely windmills there. That painting and some others are now awaiting action in the studio so another Rhine post should be coming soon.There were so many wonderful scenes to paint that I may be busy for while!

And so here is an update. This watercolour was painted today. October 1st.

This is Kinderdijk in The Netherlands. Our final stop before Amsterdam

This watercolour is 14 by 10 inches on Rough watercolour paper.

Title : “Kinderdijk Windmills on a blustery evening”

Kinderdijk Windmills on a Blustery evening.

Happy Travelling

Brian