Vineyards Sante Margarida Alentege Painting by Rob Miller

Watercolor painting ein plein aire Portugal

Nice to be painting outside in the cool, I know, sounds funny but Lancashire UK  was warmer last week than Portugal was today. This was my first real day out painting in Portugal and I was determined to paint some vineyards;  So we checked out the Google satellite map and located a couple of interesting fields near an old river. Manuel's local knowledge identified the place as a wonderful 11Centuray Chapel, Santa Margarida (d is a pronounced t in Portuguese)  and we drove along some dust roads to the spot. Glorious, organic vine fields with all kinds of wild flowers and trees. Even better, the sun started shining at the end of our session. Tomorrow is looking good, can't wait, up early at 6am, can't wait to get the canvas boards out of the case and the acrylic paints. On the down side I really wanted to bring Pochade along;   today I was a bit lost without that French guy and Julian from Paris would have loved this place; But, airplanes and luggage and paints and easels don't really mix as I discovered when stopped and questioned at Liverpool's John Lennon Airport, glad I packed water based  acrylics I could have lost £80 worth of paint, all I could think of saying to security was " All I am saying is give paints a chance!" but I didn't, thankfully.