Hues of Blue: Oil Painting in Barbados
When I imagined a Caribbean Island I thought of blue skies, white sandy beaches, and turquoise waters. My first trip to the Caribbean, specifically the country of Barbados, felt like the perfect opportunity to finally try my hand at oil painting. The richness of color made me feel like I could ease into painting with a slight advantage—beautiful beachscapes. The landscape did not disappoint and over the course of my oil painting adventure I came to enjoy the flexibility that the medium presented me, in particular the textures I could create, both additive and subtractive to evoke the rough waves crashing on the shore or the crystal-clear waters that revealed marine life and coral beneath.
During my visit I had the great fortune to traverse the island and get to know all sides of the country from the bustling city of Bridgetown and the cultural richness of music and dance to the wilder rugged eastern and northern coasts.
The name Barbados originates from the Portuguese term ‘Bearded Man’ when it was first claimed by the Portuguese in 1533. After a long and arduous past of European invasion and occupation (primarily by the British), Barbados finally established their republic just a few short years ago in 2021.
George Washington House
This yellow house (painted below) was visited in 1751 by George Washington, the only location outside of the United States he ever visited. Today the structure is a museum. Perhaps most interestingly, the grounds sit above some 10,000 feet of tunnels that were built after Washington’s visit in the 19th Century. Today, the tunnels are part of the historic Bridgetown UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sugar Industry
In the 1640s, largely in part to the European demand for sugar, the sugarcane industry in Barbados became the primary economic driver under British rule. However, the drink ‘rumbullion’—today known as rum—made from sugarcane and molasses also gained popularity. Like sugarcane, rum became highly sought after by the British, largely in part to the rum rations they provided their Navy with in the 18 and 19th centuries. The little structure (painted below) resides on the Foursquare Distillery property. The oldest building on the site is a windmill from 1737, which once aided in the molasses-to-rum making process. Today, the factory boasts an incredibly sustainable cycle that includes a waste management plant on site to reuse fermentation mash for animal consumption or fertilizer, and energy conservation that includes both heat capture and solar energy to fuel their run production. The company sets an excellent example for being a sustainably responsible business in the modern day.
Seafood
Bajan food, being a Caribbean island, is very seafood focused. One of the most popular and readily available fish is the flying fish. They can be seen soaring through the air in the ocean. One highlight of the island is the Oistins Fish Market, located in the fishing town of Oistins, it comes alive every night as locals fill the market at night for the fish fry. Although my favorite local snack was a flying fish cutter, a food truck sat opposite the dock (painted below) and served up the salad bread sandwiches loaded with fish, tomato, egg, cheese, and hot sauce.
Eastern Coast
The beach scene most unlike the collection I painted was of the Eastern coast of Barbados. Despite being a small island of just under 170 sq. miles, the eastern side of the country remains rugged, partly due to the windswept coastline, which makes for a less relaxing visit. That said, the drive along the coast was stunningly beautiful and is home to the most famous surf break in the country, The Soup Bowl. The waves are so good that surfing legend Kelly Slater once called it one of his top three waves in the world. While I did get to surf during my visit in Barbados it was in the calmer, gentler waters to the West side of the island.
Caribbean Georgian Architecture
The European influence is immediately evident in the architecture of Barbados and its colorful houses. While artistically crafted with Georgian room orientations and layouts, they are recognizable as Caribbean due to their vivid paint selections. One major difference in Bajan architecture is the structural materials. Particularly the use of coral as it was in abundance and could be made into building blocks.
All in all, it was a beautiful island, and I could not have selected a better location to practice oil painting and, I might add, learn to enjoy oil painting.