Landscape Watercolour, Staithes, Yorkshire, 15" x 11" on Bockingford Paper 140 lbs.
One of my favourites sketches of Staithes and capturing a rare sunny afternoon (well rare for the summer of 2012 in the UK anyway!). It's a fantastic location to paint and this was picture/composition was adapted from a holiday photo of mine. I think if I had painted from this viewpoint, I would have been blocking the main street running down to the sea.
Landscape Watercolour of Staithes, 15" x 11" on Bockingford Rough Paper 140 lbs.
Known to the locals as Steers, Staithes is a popular destination for those looking for a break in a picturesque North Yorkshire village. Steeped in history, the town is the former home of Captain James Cook who moved to Staithes in 1744, and who soon fell in love with the sea. If you come to the town by car, be prepared for a fairly steep walk down from the car parks above town (unless you can be dropped off of course).
Landscape Watercolour of Staithes, N Yorkshire, 15" x 11" on Bockingford Rough Paper 140 lbs.
The pretty village of Staithes on the wild North Yorkshire coast is protected by impressive high red sand stone cliffs and 2 long breakwaters. The Cowbar Nab is the strange local name for the cliffs I painted here and of interest I guess to anyone studying coastal erosion in the evidence of breakwater damage at sea level. The cliffs were created over millions of years with many tiers and contain of course fossils of long extinct marine life (ammonites are popular finds along the coasts round Staithes).
Landscape Watercolour of Huddersfield, 15" x 11" on Bockingford Rough Paper 140lbs
A view looking west up Westgate Street in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. The Town has the third highest number of listed buildings in the UK, with architectural styles ranging from classical, to victorian and modern. Overall you are struck by the warm ochre and reddish tones of the stonework in much of the construction.
Landscape Watercolour 15" x 11" on Bockingford Rough Paper 140 lbs
Low tide at Staithes and the banks of the Roxby Beck, the smallish river that flows through Staithes exposing it's banks of mud and algae. The 'coble' fishing boats are a trademark of Staithes and used to be the traditional boat of the local fishermen there, but now they're more of a static prop and feature in all of the postcards of the town.
Watercolour 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Paper 300 gms Rough
Last day of the Alvaro workshop and a trip into the nearby seaside town of Scarborough. It poured down with rain all the time we were there, so had to do this from a photo I took on the day. Anyway lessons learned:
Watercolour 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Paper 300 gms Rough
A second picture of Whitby, this time I perched myself on the swing bridge with a view up the side of the harbour with the red top roofs of the old town and it's pleasure boats coming and going (tried to capture a large yellow boat that moored there). Thousands of holiday makers were making the most of the June sunshine. Lesson practiced this time was 'lost and found', along the tops of the harbour walls. Hope I pulled it off.
Watercolour 11" x 15" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 300 gms
Our painting trip to Whitby brough the sun and the day trippers out. The sight of our party of 14 painters all grouped together doing 'Plein Air' certainly attracted on lookers peering over your shoulders and normally positive comments for all of us. I thought the street scene here with the bunting helping the perspective, made a good composition. Just had to get the Fish and Chip sign in as there's plenty of them about in Whitby!
Watercolour 11" x 15" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 300 gms
My fourth painting on my Alvaro Workshop and this time looking up the river at Staithes, and the lovely cottages on the river's bend catching the light - I think a popular aspect for all visiting artists. Lesson learnt on this one, think more about composition and maybe tone down those greens and not make them so green.
Watercolour 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Paper 300 gms Rough
A follow up painting of Staithes, this time on the front, at low tide looking up to the 'Cob & Lobster' pub (which was closed at the time - arghhh). I think Alvaro's comment was this painting was too 'tight' and maybe lacked his 'loose' style.