Journey with a Handmade Book part 2

The book has now been with me approx 3000 miles, to Madeira and back.

It is small and light to carry with just a pencil and rubber and protected by a cellophane sleeve. It came with me to the beach, the cliffs, the mountains and the gardens. I used cobalt blue watercolour and a blue ink pen. I mostly drew in the book with pencil on location then painted them later back at the room. I built up the blue washes first and added the pen last as the ink is not waterproof.

I am finding it a good way of getting into daily painting. They don't take long and the process generates new ideas. 

al images (c) Tessa Spanton

 From the balcony overlooking the subtropical gardens of Vila Porto Mare

Reids Palace Hotel, Madeira

                                     
 above Sao Vicente on the North coast of Madeira, where dramatic waves roll in over rocks and black sand.

above  views from Ponta de São Lourenço

some flowers from the beautiful sutropical gardens at Vila Porto Mare

More to come in part 3.

In the Garden at Reids Palace

I had a third session painting in the garden and here is the finished painting. What a pleasure it was to be painting in this beautiful and peaceful garden. The giant leaves of the Strelitzia nicolai are silhouetted against the light and frame the view to Funchal and the steps down to the sea. There was the sound of the sea, the scents of the garden, a mild breeze and dappled sunshine which for me brings so much more to the experience of painting than working from a photo. I do work from my own photos and as I was in the place can bring some memories and imagination to the work. I very rarely work from other people's photos. It's nice to think that the paint from those washes dried in the warm Madeiran January sunshine especially as I am back home now and looking out of the window at a grey sky and half melted patches of snow.

  For this painting I used a block of Schollershammer hot pressed paper. This is convenient for working out doors as the block is rigid like a drawing board and the paper stretched to avoid cockling. It is very different from the paper I usually use as it is very highly sized so the paint skids over the surface and dries in puddles which makes some interesting effects. It has its pros and cons. Paint can be easily washed off to make alterations. However this can also happen when working in layers as I usually do when building up one wash over another. So it's best to mix the paint to the full strength from the start and use just one or two washes

The buffet lunch there was fantastic, much to be recommended.

From Madeira

This is a first! I am blogging from Madeira on an ipad.
Today I have been to the gardens of Reids Palace Hotel to do some painting in the beautiful garden. It is sunny but also very windy. I started by doing a sketch and may make a painting of it. I got cold so moved to another spot and started something else, a view through some interesting foliage with a
 glimpse of the sea and Funchal beyond and  I am part way through the painting. The leaves that I have started painting are those of the giant bird of paradise, Strelitzia nicolai.