Vilcabamba: a hill above a river

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Vilcabamba: a hill above a river, watercolour, A3

 

 

 

 

 

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My Colombia and Ecuador trip: one more painting from Cuenca

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Cuenca

 

This painting still had to be published:

 

 

Cuenca, river view, watercolour on paper, A3

 

 

 

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Vilcabamba, the river from a bridge

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Vilcabamba, the river from a bridge

 watercolour on paper, A3

Vilcabamba, the river from a bridge - detail

Vilcabamba, the river from a bridge - detail

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Vilcabamba, rocks above

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Vilcabamba, rocks above, watercolour on paper, A3

Vilcabamba, rocks above - detail

Vilcabamba, rocks above - detail

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Vilcabamba, rocks above a river

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Vilcabamba, rocks above a river

 watercolour on paper, A3

Vilcabamba, rocks above a river- detail

Vilcabamba, rocks above a river- detail

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Vilcabamba, river

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Vilcabamba, river, watercolour on paper, A3

Vilcabamba, river - detail

Vilcabamba, river - detail

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Vilcabamba, a forest path

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Vilcabamba, a forest path

 watercolour on paper, A3

Vilcabamba, a forest path- detail

Just over a week more here.

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Vilcabamba, big hill

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Vilcabamba, big hill, watercolour on paper, A3

Vilcabamba, big hill - detail

Vilcabamba, big hill - detail

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Vilcabamba, mountains

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Vilcabamba, mountains, watercolour, A3

Vilcabamba, mountains - detail

Vilcabamba, mountains - detail

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Vilcabamba, Ecuador

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Vilcabamba, a bridge, watercolour on paper, A3

Vilcabamba, a bridge - detail

Vilcabamba, a bridge - detail

I arrived here yesterday afternoon- I can already see that Vilcabamba has been more or less totally colonised by Americans, often hippy.  

But it is extremely pleasant for nature and I think I`ll be able to work easily in from my little cabin which is rather romantically situated near this river.

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Cuenca, Eucalyptus trees

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Cuenca, Eucalyptus trees

watercolour on paper, A3

Cuenca, Eucalyptus trees - detail

Cuenca, Eucalyptus trees - detail

Painted with new, much larger brushes- these allow me to stand back to work, and force me to focus on the general, not the details.

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Cuenca, a bridge over the river

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Cuenca, a bridge over the river, watercolour on paper, A3

Cuenca, a bridge over the river - detail

I`m going to experiment more with this cross-hatching style. 

I much prefer it to large washes. I like how it allows, or encourages quick reactions, and how the picture builds up over the session.

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Cuenca, by the river

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Cuenca, by the river, watercolour on paper, A3

Cuenca, by the river - detail

Cuenca, by the river - detail

This is on the excellent Hahnemühle 300gsm paper. It allows much more subtle layering, a little erasing of errors (by rubbing with a wet brush onto the paper to remove a mark) and doesn`t buckle. 

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Latacunga- from the Central Hotel - 2

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Latacunga- from the Central Hotel - 2, watercolour on paper, A4

Latacunga- from the Central Hotel - 2 - detail

Latacunga- from the Central Hotel - 2 - detail

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Latacunga, from the Central Hotel -1

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Latacunga, from the Central Hotel- 1

 watercolour on paper, A4

Latacunga, from the Central Hotel -1- detail

This was painted on  thin paper- the effect of this is that  I`m forced to use a limited technique with single washes and little working in, and  forced to be clear in my objectives.

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Latacunga has some wonderful architecture- fine whitewashed churches- and is very friendly.

 I have been blessed with a wonderful hotel room overlooking the square, from which I shall continue to work. Fortunately it is not at all cold, like Quito.

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Quito, from the church near Parque El Ejido

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Quito, from the church near Parque El Ejido

 watercolour on paper, A4

Quito, from the church near Parque El Ejido - detail

Quito, from the church near Parque El Ejido - detail

It`s been cold, grey and wet for days- rotten painting weather. 

Today for a few hours the sun shone. 

Bliss.

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Quito, Alameda

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Quito,  Alameda, watercolour on paper, A3

Quito,  Alameda, watercolour on paper - detail

I am not sure if the pencil marks are distracting or should be kept. 

This is on a new paper, and actually slightly larger than A3.

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Central Quito is very well preserved with stunning architecture and is lovely to walk around. It is pleasingly hilly and offers many fine views. I hope I can find a way to depict these, often intricate, Baroque buildings.

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A Journey round Colombia and Ecuador

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December 2022 to February 2023: 

journeys in Colombia and Ecuador

 

 

 

Colombia and Ecuador

 

 

 

This trip is only just being sketched out: so far, I know I fly into Medellín.

 

 

 

 

Map showing Medellin to Bogotá via Manizales  and Ibagué.

 

 

 Then, I think I take the bus from Medellin to Bogotá via Manizales,  Pereira and Ibagué. Maybe also Salento?

Next, I fly from Bogotá to Quito.

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 In Ecuador I make my way down to Cuenca by bus: from there returning a couple of weeks later.

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I'm travelling light. And I'm taking watercolours, a medium I haven't used for over a decade.

 

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Ecuador or Peru in January?

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Northern Peru, taken from The Rough Guide

The distance from Cajamarca to Chachapoyas is 330 km and takes just over eight hours by car and about eleven by bus. The journey ca be broken at Leymebamba where there is an ethnographic museum. 

The situation in Ecuador is quite alarming with roads blocked and unrest. There have been five deaths. It should surely return to normal by January, in which case I am ready to go for a good long trip there.

But if not, it will be back to Peru, this time to the north- a trip to include Cajamarca, Chachapoyas, Tarapoto, Chiclayo, Moyobamba and maybe Tarapoto.

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Lima, three paintings; my fourth Peruvian trip

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Lima, Rimac, Santo Liberato, oil on card, 19.5 x 25.5 cm  available

 Lima, the park near the Art Museum, oil on card, 21 x 24 cm  SOLD

 Lima, Rimac, street, oil on card, 19 x 25 cm - unavailable

Lima is full of great architecture. It`s filthy and everywhere stinks. The light is often hazy, poor for painting. But it`s fascinating to wander around. 

This painting trip was a great success with many fine paintings. I`m always dubious about saying such things in case I jinx myself.  

I wasn't intending to come here. I was planning on going to Ecuador. But because they need Yellow Fever Certification to enter Ecuador from a tropical country, and I didn't have this, I couldn`t board the flight to Quito. 

Luckily I had a b-plan, the the b-plan was southern Peru- Arequipa and the mountains there. 

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