Sunday, 10 July 2011

... 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?


Posted by at 15:06
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18 comments:

  1. Judy10 July 2011 at 16:19

    What a lovely sketch of a lovely scene! I love the shadows, the perspective of street and sky, and the mud. :-)

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  2. Barbra Joan10 July 2011 at 18:42

    Me too. ! I'm a big fan of 'mud'
    thats the main reason I don't do landscapes. Yours is good mud .LOL !
    Your lucky to be able to travel and see things that are hundreds and thousands of years old.
    In Florida if a building was erected in 1920 it's considered OLD ! no kidding.. !
    alright I'll stik with the flowers and you do the landscapes. BJ

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  3. Unknown10 July 2011 at 18:47

    Thank you very much, Judy. I drew construction lines freehand for this to get the perspective about right. Yes indeed, mud is good if that's what's intended :o)

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  4. Unknown10 July 2011 at 18:57

    Hi BJ and thanks for the thumbs up on the good mud! I bet you have some gorgeous buildings. I really like colonial style US architecture - if you see any then I'd love to see your impressions of it - in paint or pencil :-)

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  5. Anonymous10 July 2011 at 20:16

    This is excellent painted Michael. Really beautiful!

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  6. Unknown10 July 2011 at 20:50

    Renske, thank you very much. I'm pleased that you like it :)

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  7. Pat11 July 2011 at 08:24

    Very nice, Michael. Love the way you have caught the sunlight and shadows on either side of the street! Well done :) xx

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  8. Unknown11 July 2011 at 09:19

    Good morning Pat and thank you! It was quite bracing by the beach and a little inclement although my photo definitely had light and shadow and I did use a little license in this too! The Azoreans often refer to the weather as "four seasons in one day" :)

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  9. Sandra Busby11 July 2011 at 15:27

    Wow - A masterpiece! This really draws me in to the picture. This is (and pardon the pun) right up my street! Love it! :0)

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  10. Unknown11 July 2011 at 16:17

    Hi Sandra, and thank you for your wonderful comments! I'm delighted the composition worked and that it drew you in :o)

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  11. Ingrid Ormestad12 July 2011 at 07:05

    Great composition, great painting Michael. :)

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  12. Unknown12 July 2011 at 08:37

    Thank you Ingrid, especially for taking the time to add lovely comments on several pieces :)

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  13. Crystal Cook12 July 2011 at 18:35

    No intentional mud! lol! I really love this Michael and see no mud here. I like seeing your dry brush strokes, that adds so much interest. :)

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  14. Unknown12 July 2011 at 18:50

    Hi Crystal and thank you very much indeed! I've always struggled with getting dry brush but I'm now more able to call for it when I need it :)

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  15. Victor Errington12 July 2011 at 20:22

    Just spotted this one Michael, nice one. I particulary like the two people. So simply done but very effective. Thats the way to paint figures mate. I also like your Huntingdon Market painting. Lovely and bright colours. Well done. All the best.
    Vic.
    P.S. I have just answered your comment on my blog and asked you a question.

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  16. Unknown12 July 2011 at 21:24

    Thank you very much for your lovely comments Vic. Just in case you come back here first, I've tried to answer your question. All the best mate, Michael :)

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  17. António Manuel13 September 2011 at 05:56

    Beautiful composition, I lived one year in São Miguel and I agree that it is one of the best views on earth… well, i love this picture. The best regards.
    TóManel

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  18. Unknown13 September 2011 at 09:04

    TóManel, a very big hello and thank you for visiting my blog and leaving such a lovely comment! How wonderful to have lived there for a year! It is a truly beautiful place and I fully intend to return there and to the main land of Portugal too. I hope to do some more paintings of the Açores soon so do come back to visit! Kindest regards, Michael :)

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