Joyeuse S and MIn Private Collection

Watercolour on Bockingford
19 x 12 ½ inches

I've enjoyed doing this painting - it’s been fun drawing it out, working out where I was going to hide the initials of the people receiving the painting – their initials of "s" and the "m". I think they're quite well hidden if you don't know what you're looking for, and obvious if you do - which appeals to me very much!!

I've taken photos as I've gone through the different stages, and have used this as my demonstration piece on my website so that you can see the process of creating a painting from start to finish.

I love the fact that the completed painting is better than the photograph I worked from. The photo flattened the distance but I've given more of an illusion of depth in the painting, so that you really feel that you're looking at a valley with the houses leading along towards the church. The colours requested were ochres, Mediterranean blues, light blues and greens, with only a few splashes of reds and oranges. I think it has a fresh quality to it, and I love the clarity of the blue shadows on the houses and the faded terracottas of the roof tiles.

So..............can you see them? .................the s and m?