Original Watercolours by Tim Wilmot

Monte dei Bianchi - Tuscany

Tuscany, Italy, 22" x 15"

A plein air demonstration painting from my 2017 workshop in Tuscany, care of the Watermill at Posara.   The Monte dei Bianchi is a quiet picturesque village with plenty of panoramic views across the surrounding valleys.  What attracted me to this scene (apart from being in the shade on a rather warm morning) was the framing of the view left and right, a focal point of the palm tree and shadow cast over to the wall.  I balance this and add in a bit more detail with a figure on the left coming into the shade of the church.

Painted on Saunders Waterford 300gms paper, NOT surface

 

Vernazza Cinque Terre Boats

Cinque Terre, Italy, 15" x 22".

I decided to go portrait orientation with this 2nd plein air in the fishing village of Vernazza, one of the Cinque Terre locations.  Quite a bit busier here being on the quayside and looking back across the bay to the square on the front.  The sun came out and you forget how quickly everything dries when you're outside compared to painting indoors.  Painted with my travel 3-colour palette.

Also, painted on Saunders Waterford Paper, 300 gms and Cold Press surface.

 

Fivizzano Market Day

Fivizzano, Italy, 15" x 22".

Fivizzano Market Day is Tuesday - the morning offers an open air market spread around the Medici fountain in the centre of town.  This was a plein air looking up towards the square and the bell tower of  Santuario Della B.V. Maria Dell'Adorazione.  I tend to not overdue the figures' legs if they're in deep shade.  Just a hint of them.

Painted on Saunders Waterford Paper, 300gms and NOT surface.

 

 

Vernazza Cinque Terre

Vernazza, Italy, 22" x 11".

Vernazza is one of the 5 centuries-old villages that make up the Cinque Terre, on northwest Italy’s rugged Ligurian coast. Colourful houses surround its small marina.  A lovely day out and did this plein air from the shady part of the little bay here.  I think I nice feature for me to paint was the washing hanging out to dry, creating nice shadows across the building replicated by the larger diagonal shadows.

Painted of Saunders Waterford Paper, 300 gms, NOT surface.

 

Steps to the Fortress of Verrucola, Tuscany

Verrucola, Tuscany, 15" x 22".

A plein air painting from the recent workshop I ran in Tuscany with the Watermill at Posara.  Painted in the afternoon after a hearty stew lunch at the Castillo restaurant.  Quite changing lighting conditions and you had to memorise how the shadows were when you first embarked on the painting.  Luckily we had a group of people who went up the steps to the Fortress so we had an inclination how the figure's shadow would fall.  Being a portrait orientation, what worked well I think were the vertical bands of light and shade, and the shadows coming across the foreground.

Painted on Saunders Waterford paper, 300 gms NOT surface.

 

Venice Practice #9 - Not all boats and canals

Venice, Italy, 15" x 11".

Another non-canal/boat Venice painting for my up and coming workshop there.  Had a bit of fun this one with the splattering and dark shadows on the right.  Putting a bit more dark in the centre background, between the buildings, hopefully made the two figures pop out a bit more.  I think with Venice you have to treat the architecture and windows in either a very loose way, or maybe like and illustrator and take time with all the details.  Being loose helps that weathered look....

Venice Practice #8 - Using my 3-colour palette

Venice, Italy, 11" x 15".

Another practice for my up and coming Venice Workshop.  Looking down a canal with high buildings either side, I had to do a portrait orientation sooner or later.  I don't mind that and it's one of the first decision I make about a scene - landscape or portrait, and painting quarter imperial lends itself to either.  Here I have a bot of foreground, middle and background interest for a bit of balance

Venice Practice #7 - Using my 3-colour palette

Venice, Italy, 15" x 11".

Well I tried not to get the bridge dead centre, and I think it's just off.  Maybe distracted by the left hand boat and figures.  With the narrow canals and bright sunshine, reflected light can light up buildings which otherwise could be quite dark compared to the values on the other side of the canal.  I decided right at the end to have a foreground shadow crossing the whole scene - just a very faint glaze of a greyish wash when everything was dry.

 

Venice Practice #6 - Using my 3-colour palette

Venice, Italy, 15" x 11".

A sort of made up scene.  Just practising bridges from different angle.  It made me think, how many types of Venice bridges are there?  Did a Google search and all that comes up are many images of the Rialto bridge.  I prefer scenes in Venice away from the normal tourist areas although I suppose the whole city is one big tourist area.  If anyone who lives in Venice knows of good places to paint off the beaten track, please let me know!

 

Venice Practice #5

Venice Italy, 15" x 11".

It's not all architecture, boats and canals in Venice.  Off the beaten track this might be.  A simple scene, perhaps a kiosk in a pedestrian area and some angular light to help the composition.  I had to be careful with the figures to get some highlights without my normal white gouache.  Travelling light with my 3-colour palette.