Menton Sketches

Menton on the French Riviera is one of those places where you can easily retire to. Wandering around the old town and seeing the warm rendering of buildings is a great inspiration. Here are a few watercolour sketches.

Plein Air Painting No.8 Late Afternoon Light near Sospel, French Riviera

When you drive inland from the French Cote D’Azur, you find some stunning mountain scenery with wild herbs growing by the roadside. When I found this great view of a provence style building with cyprus trees and distant mountains, I discovered within a few minutes of painting that a colony of ants became very interested in my paintbox, rucsac and myself! This plein air painting was therefore painting very quickly indeed!

Plein Air Painting No.7 Church at Eze, Cote D’Azur

The hilltop vilage of Eze on the French Riviera is usually full of tourists but late afternoon when the cafes and shops start to close around 7pm, the footfall drops off and I managed to find a quiet spot to paint the colourful rendered church. Eze is really geared up for tourists, almost too perfect. Cross over the border into Italy and a similar hilltop village would be deserted with exposed wires and hanging washing.

Derbyshire Moorland Paintings

Last week in Hebden Bridge was a busy time. Four large canvasses produced and delivered to The Derwent Gallery in Derbyshire. A few days rest before back in Italy and then up to Western Liguria and the French Riviera.

Plein Air Paintings Nos. 5 and 6 South Pennines, England

Whilst I was back in the UK, I ordered a small pochade painting box from an online art retailer. Arrived in 3 working days and great value for money. If I had purchased back in Italy would have been twice as much and may have been lost in the post or delivered to a local bar! Now the weather is good, I will be out with my pochade painting box, many of these paintings will be used for a few forthcoming exhibitions in Italy and the UK. This box takes 20cm x 16cm boards. These two paintings were done just above Hebden Bridge and as you can see the weather was amazing. I focused more on the landscape as the sky was not very interesting. Blue skies are great for sunbathing but a bit boring for the painter.

Sketches from Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire, England

The past few weeks have been spent back in the UK. The first week in London for my solo fundraising charity exhibition and the second week in the Yorkshire pennine town of Hebden Bridge. A beautiful, friendly and creative place with the canal running right through the centre. The weather was warm and sunny. This time last year they had floods! Here are three sketches of the canal.