View on Burg Reifferscheid

 

We did stay in Reifferscheid long enough to make some signposted walks. We chose some short walks of five to seven kilometers and after those walks we would take time to rest and relax in our vacation home. That was also the time for me to paint, making the most of the daylight. The evenings were for reading.
The walks started on the parking place where our car was, not far from the vacation home. We just had to pack a lunch, close the door and start walking.

The first walk we chose went downhill from the hilltop and followed a little valley towards a neighbouring village and then back again through a small forest area and the village of Reifferscheid, which is more than just the hilltop with the remains of the old castle (where our vacation home was located).

There were lots of great views and my husband made the reference picture for this watercolour painting. 
The 'horizon' is high in the painting, a change compared to my usual compositional choices.
I made the ruins with the white tower my point of interest and chose to add some drama to the bushes in front of the hill that has the ruins on top.
The path uphill and the sloping fields are suggested, not detailed.

Nowadays a lot of cityscapes are painted in a composition like this and I tried to adapt that style so I could use it 'my way' for this scene. Of course I had to think a little more while painting this one, but I am pleased with the result of my efforts.

More information about this watercolour painting (materials used, size, availability, etc) can be found at my website www.jannekesatelier.webs.com 

View from Burg Reifferscheid

Last week we had our autumnal short vacation and this time we went to a small vacation home in Reifferscheid (Eiffel, Germany) that is part of the old castle complex.
The vacation home was as modern as we wanted it to be but the setting is great.
In a few minutes we could walk up to the ruins of the old castle and the views there were great! The first day we walked there at the time of sunset and the fading light gave the views something special. We made a lot of pictures there.

This painting is made using two reference pictures I have taken of the view to the east, the setting sun in my back.
The hills in the distance cannot be seen very well in the fading light and the evening mist and the ruins of the old castle are also looking like one big mass of stones in which the different structures are not told apart easily.

The watercolour painting was made in our vacation home and I usually do not take all my art materials with me, only those that can be packed and moved in one or two bags.
That is why I have painted on cellulose paper, not my first choice, but I am learning to use it my way. This painting had some 'this will never work' moments but in the end I am happy with the result.
I have tried to paint the atmosphere of an evening in autumn in the fading light after sunset and I think I got what I wanted.

More information about this painting (materials used, size, availability, contact information, etc) can be found at my website www.jannekesatelier.webs.com