Views
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Bethlehem in Triangles
There is very little that is novel in this picture, except perhaps the fact that it is composed entirely of triangles. This follows on from previous attempts at “triangle” pictures Treeangle and Trencadis(h), which is an absorbing (i.e. takes a long time!) approach that gives interesting results. I have never figured out how a star…
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Two Statues
This unlikely pair are to be found in front of the Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest. The rather casual and lanky Attila Jozsef in the foreground was a very popular local poet writing between the 1st and 2nd World Wars. The more classical equestrian statue behind is of Ferenc Rakoczi, who fought against the Habsburgs…
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Nikko II
The temples in Japan are extremely elegant – none more so than this example in Nikko called Rinno-ji (輪王寺). I suspect that I could have painted a more accurate picture of this building using brushes, or drawn it more cleanly using a pen, but I have to say that spreading these rich colours across the…
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Torii
The island of Naoshima, situated in the Seto Sea just off the mainland coast of Japan, is well known for its contemporary art exhibitions and installations. However, as far as I am aware this torii gate which we saw on that island is not a piece of art, but in fact a real torii gate…
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Nikko (日光市)
Nikko is a popular tourist site in the mountains to the north of Tokyo, full of superb shrines and temples, nearby a picturesque lake and several onsen (hot springs), and at this time of year full of autumn colours. There is also this bridge, which no longer carries any traffic but which (for obvious reasons)…
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Stonehenge
These stones have been here for a very, very long time, and hence exert a fascination on many people. The A303 main road, which passes close by Stonehenge, has only existed for a relatively brief time but already exerts a horror to many drivers because of the seemingly permanent traffic jams near the stones. I…
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Autumnish
We all know autumn well – it is something that occurs every year. This happens to be an autumnal view along the Pilgrims Way as it crosses Reigate Hill, although it could be almost anywhere at this time of year. This also happens to be a picture that I painted four years ago, although it…
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View From A Plane
I suppose most of us have seen this type of view, which is both constantly changing but which also seems to have stayed the same throughout the many hours of the flight. For the record the photo from which this is drawn was taken during the descent of a flight into Singapore, and from the…
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View from Blackfriars
On our way back home recently, after visiting a Van Gogh exhibition in London, we found ourselves waiting for a train at Blackfriars Station. The view from the southbound platform (which spans the Thames) is always inspiring, and on this occasion at dusk the view was more than a bit like Vincent’s painting “Starry Night…
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Plaça Nova
Despite the name. Plaça Nova (New Square) is rather old, as are several of the buildings around it. However, this view is looking resolutely the other way at the newer buildings, in particular the building of the Architects’ Association of Catalonia, which sports a large Catalonian themed frieze designed by Picasso (which I have rather…
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Flamingos
I have seen flamingos several times in bird parks and zoos, but I had always understood that they were native to some far-flung and exotic continent, like Africa perhaps, or one of the Americas. So it was quite a surprise to see them in the wild on the coast near Montpelier. I know they are…
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Walled Garden
A walled garden is usually a haven of peace, and often contains a variety of colours and textures to entertain the eyes. I think I have captured a bit of each of these aspects here, but I am sure that more could have been done. The choice of watercolour as a medium helps with the…
Doodling ... 