Original Watercolours by Tim Wilmot

Various Holiday Sketches from 2012

I don't often paint on holiday, but here's a few from last year, and all from my 10" x 7" sketchbook.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cadeques Spain 10

Landscape Watercolour of Cadeques, Spain, 15" x 11"

Another sketch of Cadeques and the Eastern side of this pretty bay.  There were two key things I wanted to achieve with this painting: 1) Try to get a warm glow on the central buildings, closest to the light. This was done with a little yellow ochre dropped into the initial wash, and 2) the sparkle of the sunlight on the sea with some patches of white paper left and a few drops of gouache.

 

Brixham Town from the Harbour, 2

Landscape Watercolour of Brixham, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

The harbour, looking towards Brixham town and one of the old restored double masted sailing boats which take part in the annual festivals here in Devon.  I suppose the composition is fairly simple. An initial wash went over the top half of the picture, then the lower half, getting darker towards the bottom.  While the sea wash was moist, thicker, darker pigment was dragged over to form the waves and foreground interest.  When the top half was dry, I continued with the background town buildings, again kept simple and just indicating some roof tops and lighter patches.  Last stage was the boats, boat reflections and then the masts.

 

Cadeques Spain 8

Landscape Watercolour of Cadeques, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

At the western end of this pretty coastal town the narrow road snakes around a final corner to eventually run north.  All the numerous tiny bays that make up Cadeques have their picture postcard views of small boats tethered to the shore and the mountains as a back drop.  They almost look as if they are staged.

 

Promenade in Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote

Landscape Watercolour of Lanzarote, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140lbs

Late afternoon sun coming in on a short promenade in Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote, looking towards the south western tip of the island.  Biggest challenge on this painting was timing of the shadows of the palms trees, which were painted in before the trees and leaves themselves.  A bit of "wet in wet" to make sure the edges are not too sharp.  The alternative approach could have been to wait until the promenade wash was dry and then do some dry brush strokes for shadows.

 A rigger brush was used for the leaves, with the brush well loaded with paint.

Fishermen, Alexandria Egypt

Landscape Watercolour of Alexandria, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

A study of some fishermen attending their nets or maybe discussing the day's campaign.  Close to the main harbour in Alexandria and towards the citadel there's many types of boats congregated together, maybe for the shelter here or maybe it's proximity to the markets nearby.  I tried to convey the heat here of the midday sun and the not so blue colour of the sky, which many times in Egypt has an ochre tinge to it maybe because of sands blown in from the South.

 

St Ives Harbour, Cornwall

Landscape Watercolour of St Ives, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

Probably a more unusual view of this much painted part of Cornwall, standing on the pier and looking in towards the town and the front promenade.  The town rises to the right and there's a great temptation to paint detailed roof tops and you have to watch out for those traps and just state a few of them catching the late afternoon sun.

 

Olhao Marina, Algarve, Portugal

Landscape Watercolour of the Algarve, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

The busy marina at Olhao (pronounced "oll Yow") on the Algarve and the pier stretching out to the main ferry point for the islands in the Ria Formosa natural park. Olhao. This is the biggest fishing port on the Algarve, and if you ignore the shabby appearance of the town centre there's a great daily fish market here on the waterfront and loads of restaurants along the Outubro Promenade serving fish and shell fish dishes.  I am gradually getting used to the Saunders paper now away from my usual Bockingford and doing wet in wet on Saunders is a hell of a lot easier.

 

St Ives Lighthouse, Cornwall

Landscape Watercolour of St Ives, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

Thought I would have a go at reflections and water. The subject is the small, white lighthouse on the end of the pier in St Ives harbour. Casting it's reflection into the harbour waters, the lighthouse is unusually constructed of cast iron - so it must be a regular job to keep it painted to stop it rusting.

 

Cadeques Spain 6

Landscape Watercolour of Cadeques, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

The end of the main bay (called Gran Playa) in Cadeques looking sort of South West down the Costa Brava. A focal point for local fishermens' boats and other pleasure craft, the beach here is gravel and rough sand, and there's a couple of nice beach bars.  Since the beginning of the 20th century this beautiful village attracted the world of artists, Max Ernst and Pablo Picasso, to Gabriel García Márquez and Mick Jagger. But it's thanks to Salvador Dalí that the coastline still has it's old white houses.