Bergerac, France, 15" x 11"
A little side street close to the Dordogne River in Bergerac and a sunny corner. A few watercolour techniques used here - wet in wet on the left hand building and some dry brush strokes on the road and building in shade on the right. Had to slip in a couple of figures in the shade.
Painted on Saunders Waterford, Cold Press, NOT
St Foy la Grande, France, 15" x 11"
St Foy has a very busy and popular Saturday Market in SW France. I took a photo of the main street on a Saturday afternoon, after the market had cleared up, and the town is really quiet compared to the morning's hustle and bustle. My photo looked like Armageddon had happened, so I added in some people and a few cars. I love bunting across the street. A great way of connecting the two sides and adds a little bit of framing over the top.
Painted on Saunders Waterford, Cold Press, 140lbs.
Watercolour 15" x 11"
Bristol Savages Sketch Night and the topic for the evening - "The promise of things to come". So you then have two hours to do a painting based on that topic, without the use of any reference material! I decided to go with a French Cafe scene and a waiter emerging from the shadows with a bottle of Bordeaux for a couple of customers. Quite a simple composition and the shadows repeating the edge of the roof.
Painted on Saunders Waterford, Cold Press 300gms
St Foy la Grande, France, 15" x 11"
The focus for this one were the lovely colourful umbrellas and bunting strung across the street here on market day. So less focus on the foreground and market stalls and trying to capture the bright sunlight reaching the narrow streets below. A few tricky bits to paint around, but kept it fairly loose.
I have recorded a video of this one. Worth publishing?
Painted on Saunders Waterford, Cold Press paper, 300 gms.
Villefranche-de-Lonchat, France, 15" x 11"
I think I have used quite a few watercolour techniques for this one! Wet in wet, negative painting, dry brush strokes, splattering and washes of course. Also plenty of different edges - soft and hard. A little courtyard in a cafe in the charming village of Villefranche-de-Lonchat in SW France.
Painted on Saunders Waterford, Cold Press, 300 gms
Marseille, France, 15" x 11"
A view along the harbourside in Marseille with a fish market on the left and some small fishing craft moored up on the right. Another exercise in simplifying what you see. Reduce the background buildings to shapes, and just put in a few windows. The market on the left has to be just suggested, or I think it would take the eye of the viewer away from the centre and the boats.
Painted on Saunders Waterford, Cold Press, 300gms
Marseille, France, 15" x 11"
The Avenue Vaudoyer in Marseille, looking towards the Grand basilica, the city's highest point. As regards composition, I frame the view left and right by the high walls of the fortress and a large retaining wall on the left. In the middle ground is the harbour and just a hint of a few masts. In front of that are a couple of cars, painted in quite a loose style and also two figures on either side for balance.
Painted on Saunders Waterford, Cold Press Paper, 300 gms.
Biarritz, France, 15" x 11"
A study of some boats in the Port des Pêcheurs, Biarritz, France. Quite a loose approach to this one and a big use of Neutral Tint. Yet, the neutral tint was always added to some other colour - a yellow in the upper part of the picture to give some dark greens (combine Neutral tint with a bright yelloe gives some interesting green for foliage effects). The boats had their upper structure painted, and then while still moist I went in with darker shadows for the bottom of the hull and shadows below.
Painted on Saunders Waterford, Cold Press 300 gms
Watercolour, 15" x 11"
I am trying to do some very rural scenes now and again - try and get away from the normal street scene, bright sunlight sort of thing. So just picking an ordinary country lane, trees in the background. The time of the year would be I think mid winter - still a few russet leaves on the oak trees and some fallen debris on the ground. But I had to have a little sunlight coming into the scene.
Painted on Saunders Waterford Cold Press, 300 gms
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