Rue de la Grande Fontaine, Saint-Émilion, France

I love these street scenes that have a bit of a slope and some older buildings, as they give you great opportunities to play with light and shadow.

For this painting, I really focused on the contrast between the sunny parts and the deep shadows. The sunlight catches the tops of the buildings and the light-coloured walls, which I painted using warm colours like a mix of yellow ochre and maybe a touch of burnt sienna. Then, for those deep, cool shadows that give the painting its depth, I used a wash of darker pigments, probably a combination of ultramarine blue and a little bit of burnt umber or even neutral tint. That dark wash in the street and under the cars is what makes the light areas pop out so much.

I try to keep my brushstrokes loose and suggestive, especially for the background buildings and the cars. I want you to feel the scene without me painting every single detail. Notice the bits of green, like the viridian green on the left side, which helps to break up all the warm browns and reds of the old stone. And the little figures walking up the street are just a few simple shapes and colours, but they tell the story that the street is alive.

I think the cobalt blue and cerulean blue in the sky gives it that bright, hot summer feel, even though the scene is mostly about the warm stone of the town. This painting is all about the feeling of that moment in time, with the sun low and the shadows growing long. It’s what I love most about watercolour painting.

This original watercolour painting, Rue de la Grande Fontaine, Saint-Émilion, is available for sale. Please contact me if you would like to know more details about owning it.

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