Monday, May 2, 2011

Rewind!... Back to the Barbados!















I offer my apologies to regular follower.... for skipping ahead and not addressing her very good question about the appearance of a windmill in my sketchbook... and the windmill's importance in the Barbados.


I made a segway from that plan to wish Allison a "Bon Voyage" ... and to muster interest in for her in the sandwich contest. You can still vote for her fabulous Divine Chicken Pesto entry at www.countryharvest.com/contest/gallery.php for her sandwich daily until May 15th... once vote each day. We enjoyed it on the weekend... SUPERB!!!!


Our visit to the Barbados linked many previously unrelated bits of earlier "school larnin" as we travelled about and became familiar with landmarks and facts about this paradise. When one feels the constant presence of the warm Trade Winds... it becomes much more obvious as the whys that caused the Barbados to be the first point of landfall... and entry to the New World for early European exploration.It explains why the native population there are descendant to the shiploads of slave ship survivors who arrived and were enslaved to form the work force on hundreds of plantations that existed on the West Indies and in the Colonies prior to Independence and the Civil War.


Sugar was king in the Barbadian trade with England up until the mid Twentieth Century. Cane sugar was the major export... along with its bi-products molasses and rum. Rum was first distilled in the early 15oo's. Each plantation's fields of sugar cane was cut by hand and delivered to sites where windmills were used to grind the cane into powder, using the constant power of the Trade Winds to maintain production. Today... only a few remain in their original running condition and are maintained for historic reasons only. Sites to visit for bronzed... sun -worshipping subjects of the new "King"- Tourism!


The mill that I sketched is the Morgan Lewis Mill in the parish of St Thomas which ceased active operation in 1946. One can easily see the Dutch influence in its construction. Sugar cane mills operated for over 200 years in the Barbados... and at the height of the sugar trade it is recorded that the Barbados had 506 mils island wide. Today... the Barbados has the second largest number of windmills per square mile in the world... second only to Holland. I wonder if that will remain so... given the current technological impetus of many countries to create vast fields of wind turbines/windmills to supplement hydro-electric generation!


I am once again including my sketch of the Morgan Lewis Mill.. Like Caroline, I never expected to see such a thing in the Barbados. Along with this sketch... I will include an example that represents what most other windmills look like today. This one was located at Apes Hill where we were staying. It is well-maintained... and serves as a lunch facility for the groundskeepers and security staff at Apes Hill... as well as offering a very panoramic view of the sea coast from the crenellated tower... which no longer house any windmill gear or roof.


I hope that this satisfies your interest and question adequately Friend Caroline. Sorry for the segway!


I am currently working on a not too "largish" canvas... 30x24 inches... my first major piece related to our trip. Something different!.... I will leave further discussion until completion. One never knows where the process goes... sometimes... no where! HAHA!!


Stay tuned!



Good Painting to ALL!

12 comments:

  1. Brilliant, thanks Bruce. Am I right in thinking that most windmills are without their blades and are used only as store houses or places to lunch! Incredible to think that it has almost as many windmills as Holland, for some reason I just never associated windmills and Barbados. I love your windmill watercolour painting. Your watercolours are really delightful. I could see them in a book format.

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  2. Hi Bruce,

    Love your watercolor of the windmill. Sorry about mistaken Allison for a boy. Looking at the photo wearing my glasses, clearly she is a very pretty young lady. Also, love her recipe and placed my vote.

    All the best to you and good luck Allison with the contest.

    Joan

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  3. Absolutely beautiful watercolor, Bruce. I must have not paid as close of attention as I normally do because I can't remember seeing it. (Sigh...) We have the modern day windmill farms quite nearby. Alas, they are not nearly as beautiful as this one; they look like airplane propellers stuck in the sky.

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  4. Hi Caroline!... Glad that my post answered your question to some extent. The Lewis Mill is the only mill in the Barbados that remains in its original working state as I observed them ... and as I could determine.

    The Apes Hill example shows how the original form has been adapted in a way to modern development. The remainder... as with all "relics"... anywhere... are left to moulder away to dust.... unappreciated... and forgotten. C'est la vie... I guess!

    The travel sketches will remain as I produced them. Fond reminders that I can thumb over for pleasure. A couple like the Hen's Ladder sketch could be used to develop a large oil at another time.

    Thanks for your excellent questions...comments and visit!

    Good Painting!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

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  5. Hi Joan!... Thanks for your encouraging comments and constant support!

    Friends need not apologize for many things... good friendship never requires that for such small things!

    I thank "You" ... an Allison's behalf for the vote! Do try the recipe! We truly enjoyed it and I will usee it over and over again!

    Glad to see you continuing to search and "play" with your choices of medium Joan! Keeps things fresh and interesting! Nice work indeed!

    Good Painting!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

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  6. Hi there Sherry!... Thank "You" for the compliment on the watercolour!

    We have the same trend appearing in our part of the world as well. Fields of wind turbines and solar panels ... by the acre upon acre have been proposed... some even underway. Not a pleasant thing to conjur up... to support future plein air painting!

    Loved the dual portraits you posted. Both do capture an aspect of your loveliness on the outside... while the content of your thoughts and words within your posts present an equally portrait of your inward loveliness as well!

    Good Painting and Writing!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

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  7. Hi Bruce,

    Your post is an education, as usual. How fascinating to learn that Barbados has so many windmills, together with a bit about the production of sugar.

    Allison's sandwich is getting my daily vote.

    All the best,
    Keith

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  8. Hello there Keith!.... Thank you for your compliments and for appreciating the historical background offered.

    It would seem that we both enjoy historical context and investigation... in addition to our common preference for off the beaten path subjects and plein air work!

    Allison thanks you... and I thank you for those daily votes for her sandwich! Fingers crossed!

    Good Painting!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

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  9. Lookin' forward to seeing another piece of beautiful work!!

    Do you ever read Bonnie Luria's blog? She lives on St. Croix and did a post on these same windmills.

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  10. You are too kind, Bruce. But I love it.

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  11. Hi there Marian!... Thank you for your visit and encouragement!

    I will indeed scoot over to Bonnie Luria's site to "comapre notes"!HAHA!!! Always interesting to see another artist's "take" on subjects that we share an interest in painting! Never too old to learn!
    Good Painting!

    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

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  12. Hi Sherry!... That's what friends are for!

    There isn't one of us who doesn't feel the full range of human emotions during the course of our separate journeys. There isn't one of us who ... at one time or another hasn't felt "too alone"... too "abused" to fight another day.

    I cannot tell you either... how many times in the course of my own journey that "good" friends... and not family... have buoyed up my spirit and given "Me" the encouragement I needed... to "get back on the horse."

    I value our "connection" and Friendship... and always look forward to the positive... unaffected things that "You" share with your Followers through your blog!

    Write on!.... or is that "Right"... on! HAHA!!

    Stay your course Sherry!

    Good Painting!...Good Writing... Good Hunting!
    Warmest fegards,
    Bruce

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