Your Turn to Row the Boat Ashore, En Plein Air Watercolour Painting Boats

Beautiful Watercolour En Plein Air Painting Boats, Marine scene

For some reason, I like oar boats. I like to go close and look at them..they look like big toys. .. after searching for some thoughts, I understand why I like them. They reminded me of the boats in baby bath tub!.. when the baby grows up, the bath tub grows into ocean.. and the toy boats become oar boats.. I remember the children song.. " row, row the boat ashore...we all tumbling down.." ... As kids many do not give away their toys. Many keep toys for years. Many keep toys for generations. I used to get fascinated when I look at collectible toys. They hold so much memories. Many live in their boats so they can have things both way or many ways! An oar boat is like a baby to the little yacht or a house boat. The main boat offers a hug, a hold and the sea, a lullaby.. the ocean grows and grows.. so big to make sure many people can't escape... 

The stack of oar boats was the sign of boat owners who went inshore shopping for supplies, doing some maintenance or just simply having a rest.

Because I think boats are difficult subjects for outdoor painting, I had hesitation. but I found every time I see them, I thought to myself I would like to try to paint them one day. Walking around to find a composition, then I came back and decided today was the day I was going to paint them. "Who could resist the temptation of things that bring them back to the fun of magical baby time?" I thought if I had not, I would have had to wait for another time, maybe another year. The sun was hot. I had a good start then came the wind. It certainly added some movement to the painting! :-)

Painting at this boat yard several times, I had chances to listen to stories of boat owners. Many live in their boats. I have not heard by their words but by what I know. I can see why many grow old with their boats.. people here do not own much.. maybe just a hug, a hold from their boats and an ocean lullaby .. some peace and comfort in the sunset...

It is love and being loved... Life is simple!

I am not a boater. I do not live in boats. The boats live inside me! That's what I discovered, when I sat with this piece of paper, it turned itself into a boat.. an oar boat...Now, my friends, it is your turn to row the boat ashore!.. :-)

Like a Man Loves a Woman, En Plein Air Watercolour Painting Marine

If the weather is a bit flippant, we go painting in this boat yard near the river. It was the season when boaters having their boat for repair and maintenance. Seeing so many of them together, so many choices, I was so excited. Walking around, I fell for this chubby boat. She looks so homely. I am not anywhere to be a boater but just look at her, big bold and cuddly! She is beautiful... and she is mine! I took a pencil and paper, leaving the rest of my gear behind, walked toward her for details and the feel of forms! :-).. I gazed and kept on drawing... I went back to my gear and started painting. The day was good, hot and sunny. The paper was drying fast.. just work faster..

As painting in progress, I heard " like a man loves a woman..", my favourite song from a radio in this chubby boat.. The owner was playing it for us. I thought. She's big, bold and beautiful! who wouldn't fall for her? especially in the coming summer, the summer sea!.. she's made of steel, she's heavy .. she's steady.. she offer stability, minimum disruption from sea conditions.. she offer perfect sleeps with sunset and sunrise on ocean.. she makes people feel home.. She even has satellite disc!

I tried to make the feel of the yard feel real, old concretes with greys and rusty old steel boat with a bit of Indian red and bars with darken viridian.. When I packed up and went home. I forgot boats are one of the most challenging subjects for en plein air!..

" ..Like a man loves a woman..." I know the feel of home in open sea is irresistible! .. someone just lives the dream.. but I am not jealous.. with imagination, I had gone a trip with her during the process of this painting... this is something special about en plein air, something about direct interaction..

"I put my heart and my soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process." - Vincent Van Gogh

People said " Love is blind" or I had "lost my mind in the process" Both maybe true, I couldn't have seen the scene I painted was a challenge.. maybe because of the song " ..Like a man loves a woman..." was playing at least twice.. taking my mind away... and what I got left were "heart and soul" in the process..

Wonderful Marine Watercolour Painting, Boats

Boats and Puddle, Watercolour Painting, Marine

En Plein Aire painting at the Royal Akarana Boat Club is always technically challenging.  There are so much to choose.  To keep going at painting art, I have to find varieties to stretch boundaries. That is probably the reason I feel excited at the opportunity.  This time I chose the close view of the boat yard.  Gazing, drawing, painting in a nice day with fine weather on the seaside like this is very hard because on the other side of me is just wanting to sit on a comfortable chair with a drink and a view.  I kept on regardless.  It was hard work but I felt happy that I had tried!

A little persistence and discipline can go a long way!

Wonderful En Plein Air Painting day at the Royal Akarana Yatch Club, Auckland, NZ

VENICE GONDOLAS (1), Postcards Watercolor Painting Venice, Italy

The gondolas were designed for riders to have fun with the sea.  Guests do not have to wait for the waves.  The shape of the gondolas with skilled boat men can offer any type of waves to please the visitors.  The sea was waiting at the door of the hotel room...  After a ride, I guest the night would be filled with dreams from the sea!  Once again, it was a fun and challenging painting process!  One can easily sweep the scene with monotone moody colors.  But I wanted the scene with tone, atmospheric.. excitement and passion!  It was tough!  I wonder who would not wanted the same thing when hitting the scene like this in Venice! Enjoy!

Gondola,Venice, Italy Seascapes Watercolor Painting on paper
Popular Classic Postcard or Pochade size 6 x 8 inches or 15 x 20 cm 

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GONDOLAS AND THE PRINCESS WINDOW, Postcards Watercolor Painting Venice

I love this painting because I always love fancy features on old buildings.  They gave a hint of the presence of a little princess somewhere.  It was a notion of dream.  I love the window above the waiting gondolas.  It was a bit like the story of Cinderella with the pumpkin carriage hence, the title the picture.  I like the little bridge too.  I added two little figures to complete the romance scene of the place

Venice, Italy Watercolor Painting on paper
Popular Classic Postcard or Pochade size 6 x 8 inches or 15 x 20 cm 

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GONDOLAS OF VENICE, Postcards Watercolor Painting Venice, Italy

Together the gondolas created an interesting shapes with their reflection onto the colorful water of Venice.  Circled by character period buildings with old features, the gondolas created a sleepy cozy feel of a sleeping city.  It was another intense painting process. Mood, atmospheric, character .. and everything that can seep into wonderful memories! 

Gondola,Venice, Italy Seascapes Watercolor Painting on paper
Popular Classic Postcard or Pochade size 6 x 8 inches or 15 x 20 cm

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MORNING IN VENICE WITH GONDOLAS, Postcards Watercolor Painting Venice

I tried to balance the mood and atmospheric of Venice and deep vibration colors of the scene.  I gazed at the organic feel of Venice water, the feature and the architecture of old building, the rich texture of the old brick wall and their reflection onto the deep water.  The pair of gondolas moored cozily close together in front of the three star hotel, Lisnona, toward the open sea echoed the romance of the place.  It was an intense painting process.  Finally, I got to enjoy the treat of the finishing touch, a few strokes on the wall of the hotel to note the brick work!.

Gondola,Venice, Italy Seascapes Watercolor Painting on paper
Popular Classic Postcard or Pochade size 6 x 8 inches or 15 x 20 cm 

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QUIET WATER AUCKLAND HARBOR, Watercolor Painting Cities, Towns, Villages

Time for another outdoor painting,  time to synchronize with natural elements in nature.  It's the morning at a quiet harbor in the city while everyone else heading to work.  I sat and sip in the atmosphere and set to paint.  Love the way sky and clouds were brought down on to water surface.  It made the boats float in heaven!  A moment like this I think it's heaven on earth!  I feel lucky!

Beautiful New Zealand Seaside Village Watercolor Painting on paper size 29.5 x 42 cm

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After the Storm (2),Watercolor Painting Landscape

Postcard from Auckland

 En Plein Air painting at the Royal Akarana Yatch Club

New Zealand Landscape Watercolor Painting on paper
Popular Classic Postcard or Pochade size 6 x 8 inches or 15 x 20 cm , USD $95
Ideal as gift, hanging on its own or in groups due to small size

After a heavy storm sweeping North of the North Island leaving 5,000 hectares of farmland under water, we went to paint.  There wasn't much damage at the boat club except a little yacht was tilled over.  It made a good pose with a bit of sunlight on it.  I captured this image as a record for the memory of the surprised storm July 2014 which broke the local perception of a Winterless North Island!  It was probably the first time few thousand homes of the population experienced a few winter night without electricity!  A cool grayish tone was used for the lingering effect of the storm, warm colors were used in the foreground to depict the warm light that we enjoyed at the moment of painting.  We had a great time.  I am happy finishing the picture with a warm cup of herbal tea and a nut bar.  It was a wonderful treat!

If you have any queries relating to the painting, please leave me a message via the contact form gadget on the top right corner of the blog.  Thank you for your interest. 

By the Sea

watercolor, 42x29.5cm
My favorite place!  I love the tree cladding with little houses along the shore.  They provide a sense of privacy for the place.  The little bucket at the back of the boat indicated someone was at home in the house boat.