Surf's Up, Barbados

On the north shore of Barbados the water is a deep blue and the waves roll in 1 meter high. More rugged than the touristic south shore, this beach was the backdrop for an international surfing competition which I had the chance to see. A surfer hangs ten while spectators watch on.

Painting waves is not easy to do, especially with watercolour. You would thing that the transparency of watercolour paint would make the job easier, but in fact the job of painting waves becomes harder without white paint like you would have in an oil or acrylic set. With white paint, you could paint the waves last, on top of the water, wheras with watercolour you have to leave the white waves blank, i.e. with the paper itself providing the white. On the other hand, the watercolour is easier to blend, so you can create some nice effects....for example if you look at the transition from the deep blue sea to the white crest of the wave, there is a yellow-green fade...this is done by mixing the deep blue and heyellow-green while it is still wet, creating a smooth blend.

7.5x9" cold press, 2002