It was the in-thing at one time to own an Arniston house painting. People seemed fascinated by them.

Watercolour by Ada Fagan:

Arniston, cape, South Africa:

The days when Arnistyon paintings were popular, the town wasn’t built up as it is today. In those days the fishermen had simple white thatch cottages close to the beach, so as to have quick access to the sea.

The fishermen and their families had a hard life surviving off what they could catch at sea. They never thought they humble homes would attract so many tourists!

Close by:

There is the Arniston Waenhuiskrans Reserve. The area sits next to the town, on the out crop coastline and also has a cave. I haven’t been there myself, but very much would like to.

Artists’ imagination:

Because most artists had never been to Arniston themselves, and the high demand for Arniston paintings, artists use their imagination to supply the demand.

How this watercolour was painted:

First liquid masking was used on the cottage areas and within the tree, sand area, etc.
When the masking was dry, the painting was applied freely, slashed on with happy abandonment. Leaving the colours to merge and blur.
That’s what’s so great about watercolours. The colours running into each other create such lovely atmospheric conditions.
When the masking is removed, you fill in the cottage details, etc. All the time, been aware of tone and colour contrasts to make the painting zing with emotional impact.