This weekend, I ventured to Xyliatos Dam for a plein air painting session, eager to test my new Charvin 12-pan travel watercolor set—a thoughtful gift I recently received.
While the dam’s water levels were dishearteningly low after a dry season in Cyprus, the scene was still captivating. The reflections in the remaining water, framed by shadows of dense trees, rugged mountains, and scattered clouds, offered a challenge I couldn’t resist.
The Landscape: Nature in Reflection
Xyliatos Dam sits quietly in the heart of the forest, where the stillness is broken only by the whisper of the wind and the occasional bird song. The water, though sparse, was like a mirror for the world above it. The dark greens of the pines, earthy browns of the mountains, and fleeting patches of sunlight created shifting reflections that felt both melancholic and beautiful. While the lack of water was a poignant reminder of the struggles with drought in Cyprus, it also emphasized the resilience of the forest surrounding the dam.
Testing the Charvin Watercolor Set
This plein air session also served as my first test of the Charvin watercolors. While the 12-pan set offers a charming and very interesting range of colors, I quickly noticed a few quirks:
• The paints are slightly sticky in texture, which made them harder to control for fine details.
• Blues and greens, though vibrant, have a tendency to bleed through layers, even after significant drying time. This was most evident when building up reflections and layering shadows in the water.
• On the plus side, the yellows and earth tones handled beautifully, blending seamlessly into the natural tones of the landscape.
To prepare for the session, I created a small color palette with swatches of each shade, noting how they behaved and their tendency to bleed. I’ll include the palette below for anyone curious about how these paints perform in practice.
The Painting Experience
Despite the challenges with the paints, plein air painting at Xyliatos was a deeply rewarding experience. The low water levels meant I had to focus more on the textures and shadows of the surrounding landscape, letting the reflections tell their own fragmented story. The sticky nature of the paints forced me to adopt a looser style, which brought its own charm to the piece.
If you’ve visited Xyliatos Dam or have tried Charvin watercolors, I’d love to hear your thoughts! How do you adapt to supplies with quirks? Or what’s your favorite plein air spot in Cyprus?