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.

Falesia Algarve Paintings

 Falesia and Falesia 1  Olhos d'Agua, Algarve
 acrylics by Tessa Spanton SWA (c)

Framed with a cream mount and light wood frame, approx size 18x22in

The one above will be on show at the Mall Galleries, London with the Society of Women artists July 28th-Aug 7th

These 2 paintings were done in my studio using photos I took and bringing together some of my findings from the earlier explorations and studies when there.

The colours there on a bright day and the smoothness of some of the bands of rock were amazing.

I love the orange blue pairing of complementary colours. We were going to the Algarve so because of the colours I bought W and N Desert collection of watercolours.  Watercolours are more portable and easier to use outside than acrylics so I took these watercolours.

I did several studies and experiments with these colours all done there in front of the views.

The beach is called Falesia which means cliff. The beach stretches for miles and the cliffs are the backdrop have the most stunning colours and patterns.

we stayed at the Portobay Falesia above the beach with views of the rocks and sea.

Watercolours

 Orange Peaks Falesia 1,2,3

Below Cliff top pines  watersoluble inks