Impression of La Isleta - Las Palmas, Gran Canaria

Watercolor on paper | 18 x 26 cm | Unframed | La Isleta

A midday moment on the shores of La Isleta

This watercolor was created during a walk along Las Canteras beach, towards the La Isleta district, perfectly capturing the peaceful and captivating atmosphere of this unique place in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The dominant tones in the painting are cool blues and greens, depicting the water with depth and transparency, hinting at the rocky bottom structures below. In the foreground, dark, textured rock formations rise from the water, while in the background, the distant urban structures blend into subdued, muted tones, highlighting a sense of quiet solitude on the edge of the city.

La Isleta is described as a culturally rich neighbourhood surrounded by volcanic, cosmopolitan and supportive nature. It offers a quiet and homely atmosphere, connected to both Las Canteras beach and the wild Playa del Confital. The artist's ability to capture this peaceful coastal atmosphere, reflecting the diverse natural and urban beauty of Gran Canaria, makes this work particularly appealing to those who appreciate quiet island moments.

The artist's story about the painting

As I walk to the right along Las Canteras beach, I reach the La Isleta area, where the coastline becomes more rugged and there are many boulders in the sea. There are nice coves along the beach and the walkway winds along, with a new and exciting view opening up around every bend. There are benches along the path — I landed on one of them during a sunny lunch hour to paint the view that opened up to me.

I like to walk around, observe and take pictures. My head is like a computer constantly working, storing what I see and experience, so that one day I can turn these memories into a painting. I can say that I see the world in watercolor.

It's not important to me to take carefully crafted photos — I prefer to capture the moment on the fly, quickly and directly. My artist's brain creates an artistic image from photos and memories anyway: it balances, adds, subtracts, multiplies, and seemingly messes things up, so that at some point everything merges into one puzzle in the painting.

I think and paint everything beautiful – beautiful in my own way. When I paint directly from the scene, I focus on the process and can never predict the final result. Although I know the behavior of paints, brushes and paper, watercolor is always full of surprises – it likes to go its own way. This is one of the reasons why I love watercolor so much.

Painting ID: PA-3-LasPalmasLaIsleta
Title: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, La Isleta
Artist: Kristiina Roots
Date Painted: April 5th, 2024
Dimensions: 18×26 cm
Medium: Watercolor on paper

Comprehensive Visual Description: The painting primarily features a body of water with varied shades of blue, turquoise, and green, indicative of different depths and light reflections. Several dark, irregular rock formations emerge from the water in the foreground and mid-ground. In the upper left and mid-background, architectural forms are visible, rendered with blocky, abstract shapes in muted tones (light blues, greys, browns), suggesting distant buildings or parts of the urban landscape. The composition creates a sense of openness and tranquility, with the water being the dominant element.

Artistic Technique & Style: The artist employs soft, blended washes for the water and sky, creating a luminous and fluid effect. The rocks are rendered with more defined strokes and darker pigments, providing contrast and texture. The overall style is impressionistic, focusing on capturing the atmospheric conditions and light on the water rather than precise details. The artist's statement mentions observing and filming during walks, then later using "visual memory" to capture the essence of the place, reflecting a process of integrating observation with artistic interpretation.

Gran Canaria Context & External Information: La Isleta is the northernmost part of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, described as a neighborhood with a “special magnetism,” offering a “quiet and familiar atmosphere”. It is a “natural extension of Playa de Las Canteras” and includes Playa del Confital, known for its wild nature and surf. The area is surrounded by "volcanic, cosmopolitan, and supportive nature". The painting captures this blend of natural beauty and urban edge characteristic of Las Palmas.

Keywords: La Isleta, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, watercolor, seascape, coastal landscape, urban environment, Spanish art, impressionism, rocky shore, tranquil scene, blue, turquoise, Gran Canaria travel, island life.