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This is the finished watercolour with the rainbow, palm tree on the left and buildings completed. The song ‘Look for me in Rainbows’, sung by Vicki Brown, now has a special place in my heart as we used it at my father's funeral on Wednesday 13 May 2020. This painting is dedicated to the memory of my father, Colin Tyler (13 July 1932 - 29 April 2020). He passed away in his sleep at Merlin Court Care Home in Wiltshire having contracted pneumonia and Covid-19. He was a great father and achieved a great deal in his 87 plus years. From a working class background, he got a state scholarship to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, to read Law. He became a senior partner at Wragge & Co in Birmingham and was recognised as one of the most accomplished corporate lawyers in the UK outside of London. His four grandchildren managed to attend the funeral along with my brother, Richard.

Stage one of this watercolour which depicts a stormy view out over the Mediterranean from our apartment at The San Roque Club in Spain during the Coronavirus lockdown. Masking tape was used to protect the area for the rainbow, the palm tree on the left and the buildings in the middle distance. Quite fiddly to do and probably easier to accomplish with masking fluid.

Seve won his second Masters title at Augusta in April 1983. It was his third major title. He finished four strokes ahead of runners-up Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite. Bad weather caused the final round to be played on Monday 11 April 1983. Seve finished on -8 with rounds of 68, 70, 73 and 69. On the Monday, Seve got off to a fast start with a birdie on the first hole, an eagle on the second, another birdie on the difficult par 3 fourth hole, followed by four pars and another birdie on the ninth, a five under par 31 on the front nine. He cruised to victory as Stadler, Floyd and Watson failed to break par and Crenshaw, Kite and Irwin were all too far back to mount a decisive challenge. The dog-leg par 5 13th hole at Augusta is a wonderful risk/reward hole with danger down the left and a stream in front of the green.

This tricky par 3 is played across a deep tree-lined ravine so any ball not reaching the green will drop into the waiting bunker, front left, or disappear into the barranca. There is a dropping zone in front of the forward teeing area. The green is surrounded by seven bunkers so there is no easy bail out if you err to the right. Even if you find the putting surface with your tee shot, par is no simple matter as the green is over 40 yards deep and full of undulations. It is very easy to three putt. If you do not think the challenge from the yellow tee (179 yards) or the white tee (194 yards) is hard enough, there is always the Seve tee adjacent to the third green (255 yards from the middle of the green). From here you have one of the best views on the golf course.

The tall, white bell tower is the most striking feature of the church of Santa Bárbara de Nexe, which was developed from a chapel dating back to 1444, supported by the Order of St. James. Inside, the vaulted ceiling has a complex Gothic-like spine.

There is a golfing theme to my December 2019 offering. It is an exciting time at The San Roque Club. The Old Course closed on November 3 for an extensive 12-month refurbishment with the installation of a new irrigation system and significant changes to several holes. Also, the order of the two nines will be switched when the Old Course re-opens, so the eighteenth signature hole, with its water hazards, will become the ninth. My painting attempts to depict this famous dog-leg par 4, with water left off the tee, bunkers down the right, a stream to cross on the approach to the large, long green, and not forgetting a dangerous pond to the right of the putting surface, which will capture any errant shot. bordered on the right by a large pond. It’s a classic risk reward creation, by original course architect Dave Thomas. Apologies to non-golfers, but for those interested, it plays 428 yards from the back tees and an equally challenging 346 yards from the red tee markers.

Oil on canvas block; 73cm x 54cm. With the current closure of the Old Course we are starting to get to know the New Course which is a tough championship links like set-up with severe bunkering and plenty of water! It was designed by Perry Dye and Seve Ballesteros. It is more exposed to the autumn winds, but has exquisite views of sea, mountains, and surrounding ravines and hillsides. The day often begins with breakfast at the Tony Jacklin House which is being used as the clubhouse whilst all the refurbishments are carried out. The painting is an attempt to capture the morning light, the delicate mauve hue of the distant mountains and the play of the sun’s rays filtering through the trees which line the buggy path in the foreground. Two of the pot bunkers to the left of the first fairway are visible.