Tarragona, Spain, 15" x 11"
I wish I could get back to Tarragona sometime. So many nice views in the old part of town and this one, a gentle sweeping curve up to a high part of town and the light just right, casting shadows across the street. Quite a loose one apart from some careful negative painting around the 3 lights against the wall.
Painted on Saunders Waterford, Cold Press, 300 gms
Arrecife, Lanzarote, 15" x 11"
It's always a bit tricky tackling a scene when there is bright light behind you. Often you can have in front of you a scene where many things are the same values or tones, making it a challenge with watercolour. So I needed in this scene to add in some lights against the darks as in the figure against the dark trees or the white car with partial shadow.
Painted on Saunders Waterford, Cold Press, 140lbs
Torrevieja, Spain, 15" x 11"
I think this one could be categorized as loose and connected. Those were the two things I was focusing on in this painting. Mainly connections and something I tend to think about more and more now. To link different elements and shapes together just seems the natural thing to do and it just works. So here I use shadows to create those connections - to figures, the bollards, etc...
Painted on Saunders Waterford, Cold Press, 300 gms
La Cala Mijas, Spain, 15" x 11"
A study of a beach bar in the seaside town of La Cala on the Costa del Sol. A large area like the sandy beach has to have something added to it as regards subtle changes in colour, tone and texture (maybe dry brush strokes or some splattering). Here also I have dragged some shadows across the beach. Those shadows along the side of the bar, connect with the silhouetted shapes of seated figures inside. The last touch was to go in with some real dark darks to add a bit more detail to shadows and the building.
Painted on Saunders Waterford, Cold Press, 300 gms
Malaga, Spain, 15" x 11"
While waiting at the bus stop in central Malaga, I did a quick sketch which then later became the basis for this painting. Still really a sketch and a simple study of the edge of a building, cars and people emerging from the shadows. A key part of this painting are the washes - the graded wash on the sky (slightly stronger away from the sun) and the foreground street inheriting the colour of the buildings above.
Painted on Saunders Waterford, Cold Press, 300 gms
Las Palmas, Spain. 15" x 11"
The end of the long beach in Las Palmas and raised open square beyond overlooking the bay. A beach has many colours when I observe them. The more I look, the more colours I see. Painting done with my trusty 3 colour palette (with a neutral tint added for the darks), which I enjoy using more than my full palette to be honest. It's interesting sometimes to see the output of some colour combinations without it getting to green/brown/muddy.
Painted on Saunders Waterford, Cold Press 300 gms.
Cala de Mijas, Spain, 15" x 11"
Maybe a midday scene this one and off season, so quite streets and just a solitary figure out in the sun. I normally like to have figures going into or out of the shadows rather than having then in isolation and also rarely paint with the sun behind me as in this one. So I decided to go in heavy with the shade on the left to balance the brightness on the right. A bit of wet on wet with the soft edges on the buildings on the right and the skyline.
Painted on Saunders Waterford, Cold Press, 300 gms
San Sebastian, Spain, 15" x 11"
A street scene based on the Avenida de Descubridores in La Gomera, Spain. From a composition point of view, I had these dominant white shapes on the left, so I balanced this with some figures on the right. The largest figure, I try not to have too close to the middle, again thinking about balance and to me "just looking right". Quite a simple background - palm trees in silhouette are so much easier than deciduous trees in my opinion!
Painted on Saunders Waterford, Cold Press, 300 gms.
Mijas, Spain, 15" x 11"
The Plaza de la Constitución in Mijas - a spacious square in amongst the narrow streets of this pretty hillside town on the Costa del Sol. Done with my 3-colour palette and quite a simple composition with the corner of the square, looking into the sunlight and the palm tree almost mirror-imaged in its own shadow. The major fronds point towards the figures in the street. Very loose detailing of the windows on the buildings.
Painted on Saunders Waterford, Cold Press, 300 gms.
Calle de Mijas, Spain, 15" x 11"
The main street in this coastal town on the Costa del Sol, Spain. As usual with pedestrian crossings, I like to rough them up a bit by either doing some dirty dry brush strokes at the outset, or in this case, splattering in a few directions to let the wet wash of the road travel down the paper and stripes a bit. Just a little. Also, a touch of lost and found with the trunks of the palm trees in the distance.
Painted on Saunders Waterford, Cold Press, 300 gms.
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