... and again in a distant land

This watercolour is based on a photograph I took last October whilst out on an anniversary holiday in the Azores. This is a typical street in the town of Mosteiros which is just about the most western point on Sao Miguel island. The residents of this little group of typical Azorean rural houses must have one of the best views on earth, looking as they do out across the vast Atlantic ocean which batters this low lying part of the island and several massive rock formations formed from ancient sunken volcanoes lying just a hundred metres or so out at sea! Behind the houses rises the rim of the 12km crater which holds the town of Sete Cidades, the seven cities, with its mesmerising twin lakes of blue and green. The crater is believed to have formed in the 1440s when an eruption destroyed the peak of the volcano that formed the western part of the island. We walked part of the way around the crater rim one morning - pretty awesome stuff!


For all the pigment and paper junkies out there,  I used Schmincke single pigment watercolours on Arches 140lb CP. No unintentional mud was used in the creation of this painting ;). Happy Sunday to all :)

Mosteiros, Sao Miguel, The Azores, watercolour, 7" x 10"

PS If you want to see the real place then take a look here and here. Beautiful yes?

Distant lands

 For today, I offer you a glimpse of what to me is another land; a distant land, almost another planet ! Last October, we went to the Azores, way out in the middle of the Atlantic. It's the most beautful place I've ever been, with Capri and Venice an equal second. The islands sit on the junction of the African, American and Eurasian tectonic plates and so are of geologically recent volcanic origin. We travelled to two towns on the main island of Sao Miguel, built in two of the three main volcanoes: one is still active and the other contains two adjoining lakes which appear to be eerily different in colour: one green, one blue. Absolutely stunning.

So the place is very special to me and I wanted to try to capture some of my memories of that beautiful place in oils. On our last full day, we took a whale and dolphin watching trip with a lovely skipper who spoke almost fluent English. This painting is based on a photograph, from the many I took on that trip, taken as we were arriving back into the main harbour of the island's capital, Ponta Delgada. The mountainous backdrop is full of calderas, some  small and cone shaped, some flatter and more vast; quite a contrast between the humble modern concrete towers of man's creation and the massive ancient mountains of nature's creation.

The food and local wine was absolutely gorgeous by the way ! Hopefully off to the coast with sketchbook and beach-hating Louie the Beagle today so no more blogging for me for a while ;). Have a happy Sunday :)

Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel, The Azores - oil on paper, 7" x 10"

And finally, Louie wanted to say 'Hi' in his inimitable way!

I ain't going to no stupid beach today!