It’s almost 5 years since I first visited Sur in Oman. It had been badly hit by Cyclone Gonu a few months previously and there was still much evidence of the damage caused. Sur has been associated with ship building for centuries. Today there is a Dhow Maritime Museum dedicated to Oman’s history of sea trade.
I had been asked to do some paintings of Omani doors as well as dhows. I spent a few hours wandering around getting reference and making sketchbook studies of these Arabian vessels. I’ve published a number of my paintings of Dhows as limited edition prints since then which have proved to be popular. Some of the sketchbook studies have also been published in my signed limited edition Sketchbook of Oman.
The watercolour above is one of several new paintings to be exhibited at my Studio & Gallery in Ponteland. It’s part of my Christmas Exhibition starting 9th November. I took time to video myself painting this watercolour which you can watch on YouTube. I explain in detail the sequence of washes which is critical to achieve this type of sky. Although it does look simple, it’s not as easy as it looks. However, once you have painted the sky, it provides the perfect backdrop for the resting dhows. It’s probably a good idea to practise the sky first before drawing out the dhows.