Painting Project Photo Gallery: Portree Harbour

One of the reasons I chose Portree harbour as the subject for September’s painting project was to motivate myself to paint it. It’s a very distinctive location, with its line of colourful buildings along the shore and the tree-covered hillside and Gathering Hall behind. It’s a complicated subject to paint because there’s so much going on, not least all that architecture. I’m sure the paintings in this photo gallery will inspire you to give it a go if you haven’t already.

First up is Robb, who I met as a painter through the projects and forum of Painting.About.com. Over the past few years Robb’s been focusing on his ceramics, but has now combined both in this pictorial tile:

By Robb: Thanks for the inspiration! My ceramic rendition of Portree on tile form. I used a mid-fire clay, creating multiple layers from the tree line to the quay. The glaze is an under-glaze, left on “over glazed” because I like the matt finish of the under glaze.

From Marion: Exciting to see you combining your painting and ceramics!

By Shirley: “It doesn’t resemble your photo project for September but at least it got me painting which I can’t find much time to do anymore.”

From Marion: “The photo is but a starting point, and the end result doesn’t have to resemble it. Just by getting you painting again, the project has done its job!

By Bee: A rather a quick attempt at September’s subject.

From Marion: A fineliner pen gives a consistent width of mark, which I think suits the subject, adding a sense of rigid, solid bricks and mortar and tile. With just enough wobble to some of the lines to give it personality.

By Bee: Watercolour and pen. Realise now I should have put more trees behind the meeting hall and toned down the end of the church.

From Marion: I agree about lightening the tone on the church and its belltower, possibly reducing the latter in size a bit. Then the trees bhind will read as having mist slowly lifting as the day warms.

By Mark: My efforts this month. I found this quite hard.

From Marion: Is is a hard subject as there’ a lot in the scene and a lot of architecture in it. I think you’ve done it justice in both your paintings!

By Claire: “A scene I have always wanted to paint but unable to reconcile loose and expressive with all those straights! I have tilted my painting to make the harbour appear horizontal and I would like to make the trees and large hall less dominant or more abstract. This my reworked painting, my attempt to knock back the trees and stop the Gathering hall ‘looming’ to much after Marion’s advice ”

From Marion: “I like the loose line work on the harbour wall behind the boat. It adds visual intrigue, dances my eye along, and changes the pace from the water and buildings above.”

By Eddie: Inspired by a recent watercolour plein air course I decided I had time to do a fairly quick watercolour version. It looked a bit anaemia so I decided to add some pen work as well.

From Marion: I think the addition of the pen helps bring the foreground closer, sitting well with the stronger colour.

Line drawing of Portree Harbour — By Cathy: Continuous line (almost). All that fabulous perspective so let’s make it a bit more difficult This totally supports the theory that you don’t need to be totally accurate to get a feel for the place. Lost count of the doors and windows and drew a line at including all the cars! Not sure whether to add a suggestion of the colours in the buildings or not. Think I probably will add just a hint of colour.
(See this blog post)

I had several attempts, some more successful than others. This is the one that pleased me most from a “trying to do something different” point of view.