The story behind my Kingswear watercolour painting: An homage to a little pink house

From Warfleet Creek, just south of Dartmouth Castle, the view of Kingswear is always beautiful. The village climbs the steep banks of the River Dart. The houses are built into the hillside to command stunning views.

When I started to plan this Kingswear watercolour painting, one iconic feature was missing: the beloved little pink house on the left, which had proudly stood on the Dart bank for decades, had just been demolished.

To include, or not to include? I couldn't decide and so asked my Instagram followers for their opinion, the verdict was unanimous: the house should be included. This piece is a reminder that art isn't just about what is, but also about what is remembered and cherished. In this illustration, the little pink house lives on.

Choosing how much detail to include was another artistic puzzle. To draw the eye toward the heart of the village and the newly resurrected pink house, I left some of the outer buildings as simple line suggestions.

This is the first part of the Kingswear story. I'm already planning the next painting from a different viewpoint, attempting to document the view before it looses any more iconic buildings.

Watercolour illustration of Kingswear, South Devon, by Quayscape Designs