Small Watercolor Paintings of 2016

My paintings seem to fall into two categories... the larger finished works (with their own postings on this blog) and smaller sketches that I group together for postings such as this.  So here is another group made throughout 2016, but mostly during the summer.  I enjoyed the ability to do many of these on vacation days while sitting outside.  The subject materials were drawn from my memories of growing up in Cardiff, Wales.  These are all made using a 5x8 inch Canson Montval paper sketchbook using Cotman pan-based watercolors over graphite pencil drawings.

As a child I would often visit a small grocery store with my mom on Mill Road in Ely. I found a picture showing the original old cottage, circa 1900, that became the store.

St. Fagans Castle was a frequent destination for day trips.  The Elizabethan manor house is a special feature of the property.  And I remember the beautiful grounds that extends down to the National History Museum with its many attractions.  Keeping with the historical theme, I created this painting with characters walking the gardens as they may have appeared around 1620.

The Cardiff docks were once the busiest in the world.  I chose to paint a composite view of the docks from several images to illustrate the rich history of the port.  This shows the Terra Nova sailing with the Captain Robert Scott expedition to the Antarctic on June 15, 1910.  The ill-fated trip sailed from Cardiff because of the need to take on coal.

Even closer closer to home, this was the old railway station (now dismantled) in Ely, close to the Ely Bridge.  I barely remember the station, but strongly remember crossing the railway tracks via a nearby pedestrian bridge.

Despite the heavy losses of domestic ships, there were many ships unloading supplies and troops at the Cardiff docks during the Second World War.  Following on from my painting of Joe Desch, I thought it was appropriate to show the other side of the supply line as ships traveled to Britain from around the world, but especially from the US and Canada.  Here ships are unloading even as a blitz is underway.

A more tranquil scene of the same docks, further back in time - around the 1880's.  With big sailing ships lined up for loading of coal from the valleys.

A frequent destination for me and my brothers while shopping in Cardiff City center, was the Bud Morgan aeroplane shop in the Castle Arcade.  We assembled many of the model kits available from this small store.  I cannot think of the arcades in Cardiff without remembering the anticipation of shopping there.

Perhaps the most pleasant "town square" in Cardiff that I can remember is the Hayes.  Although it has changed many times, I sketched it as it appeared before my time (around 1905) - but containing the elements I remember.  James Howells on the left, the library and St. Johns church in the distance and the statue of John Bachelor.

Although I remember visiting only one time, I was impressed with the age and significance of the neolithic tomb (cromlech) at Tinkinswood, not too far from my high school. 

A view of the bridge crossing the Ely River looking West down Cowbridge Road towards the intersection of Mill Road and Riverside Terrace.  My grandparents and parents home can be seen as part of the terrace of houses on the extreme left.  This would have been the view around 1900 - with a narrow version of the bridge suited for the slower pace of horse-drawn vehicles.