TRAVEL WITH MY ART #11: DANCE OF THE SAILS ( JELSA, CROATIA)

Hello! Time for another TRAVEL WITH MY ART feature. Once again, I'm taking you to island Hvar, Croatia- more precisely to Jelsa city. I'm very excited to share this new canvas painting with you. This is the second night seascape I made (you can see the first one here). The reason why this painting is so special to me is because it captures an amazing event I witnessed last year- Dance of the Sails. You see, during the summer (every Thursday) the traditional fishing boats sail from Vrboska to Jelsa and there they put on a show. You know how much I love boats. So, why should I miss the chance to paint this amazing sailing event and share it with you?


These traditional boats actually perform to music. The boats sail in the rhythm of music and it's really such a lovely spectacle to witness. The light effects are beautiful and the music is amazing. I enjoyed this event so much last summer. So, I simply had to paint it. Painting night is a special challenge. I tried to capture all the lights and their reflection on water. Indeed, I spent a lot of time studying the reference photograph, especially the way light bounces of the surface of the water and other surfaces. There is a lot of artificial light on this seascape: the cafes, the houses and the boats themselves. They all had interesting light to paint and often these light merged onto into another. The more I looked at the reference photograph, the more I noticed more and more details.  I'm happy that I've decided upon this scene because it is beautiful. Bellow you can see the work in progress photographs as well as the reference photograph I took.  


 This 'Dance of the Sails' was such an amazing thing to see. The first time my husband and I saw this event was actually from our balcony (from the house we rented at the time) and we were amazed on spot. However, by the time we stopped taking photographs and climbed down, the event was over and the boats sailed away. We were relieved to learn that this was a weekly event and that we would be able to see it again next Thursday. We were fortunate to attend and see 'the Dance of the Sails' two more times. Moreover, we had the chance of seeing and photographing boats up close. During one of these sailing events, I bought that handmade bag I showed you. A local lady designed and sewed it. I love this bag so much and now that I think of it- doesn't it look a bit like a sail? I was also dressed appropriately for this event. I was wearing my nautical print dress. 



ALL THE 'TRAVEL WITH MY ART' POSTS BELLOW (WITH LINKS )

#10 HVAR TOWN, ISLAND HVAR ( CROATIA)



Post update: I made more posts in the Travel With my Art series!



In the eight post in this series, I shared a canvas painting of Sucuraj. As usual, I used one of my own photographs as a reference for this acrylic painting. 

For the the ninth post in the series, I repeated a location. It must be a special location, you might be thinking and you'd be right. I'd already illustrated bay Mala Stiniva on island Hvar once, when I decided to paint it again.  



My tenth painting in the series saw me returning to magical island Hvar. In the centre of this painting there is a 12.5 meters long traditional wooden fishing boat and in the background you can see Hvar town (where we first spotted this boat about a year ago). I invested a lot of time and effort into this painting. 





In my eleventh post in the series, I returned to Jelsa on island Hvar to paint a nightscape. The medium was acrylic paintings on canvas. This painting was also gifted, so it's not available for sale any more (even if the original post implies it is). This is the second night seascape I made (you can see the first one here). 




For my the twelfth post in my series, I returned to Zavala to paint another acrylic seascape canvas. I typically invest more time into my canvases, as opposed to landscapes painted in my sketchbooks. 


The thirteenth painting in the series is more of a sketch. I wasn't completely happy with it and wasn't sure where I went wrong. Maybe it was the number 13 that brought me bad luck. 


In the fourteenth painting in the series, I depicted island Hvar again and this time a bay that is not widely known. 

In my fifteenth post in the series, I illustrated bay Lozna on island Hvar. Another sketchbook seascape painting that turned out very satisfactory.  I worked on this painting for about two days. 


Another attempt at capturing the sea in the small frame with acrylic paints on paper.


In my seventeenth post, I illustrated island Brač and more precisely to- Bol. 


 Planinica hill in Bosnia and Herzegovina. You might remember this place from my numerous posts about it. Like Goranci, Planinica is only a short drive away from Mostar. If you are lucky, you might even come across semi-wild horses.  I've been meaning to paint Planinica for a long time.


The nineteenth painting in the series was an ambitious acrylic canvas  that was again all about island Hvar. This time I painted boats in a harbour.

Sometimes nothing beats a quick painting. In the twentieth post in my travelling art series, I shared a quick painting of Soline beach in Vrbovska.


This painting was inspired by photographs taken in April a few years ago near hotel Arkada, Stari Grad city (island Hvar). Like the last painting in my series, this acrylic painting was done on mixed media paper in  A4 format is. Therefore, it's neither a large painting nor a very detailed one.


Another acrylic on paper. This time my inspiration was Makarska town in Dalmatia (Croatia).


I have put  so much effort into this painting but I think it paid off. 


This Žnjan painting was painted on plain air which was a fun experience. I remember one lady approached me to talk to me. I painted it on beach Žnjan in Split city, Croatia. I don't do a lot of painting in the open but sometimes I do venture outdoors, for example HERE.



I used one of my own photographs as a reference. The medium was acrylic paints on mixed media paper.  



This was a super quick oil pastel sketch and I liked how it turned out.



This one is a little different because it's more a drawing than a painting.



This watercolour painting can perhaps be categorized as both destination and fashion illustration. It depicts a certain location- Basina bay on island Hvar, so you could call it a landscape or a location painting. 


In the twenty- ninth post in this destination art series, I painted bay Torac using acrylic paints on canvas. As far as the making of this painting, it was a pretty standard affair. 


In my thirtieth post in my travel and destination art series, I shared an illustration that I made  for and gifted to a friend of mine who lives in Malta. The medium is  water pastels on paper. 

This was a commission painting. This is a big painting! 


This super quick painting was another painting inspired by Zavala on island Hvar (Croatia). It is not nearly as elaborative or challenging as the last piece I shared in my destination art series. 

#33:TRAVEL WITH MY ART  LOZNA COMISSIONED, ISLAND HVAR

This seascape was another commissioned painting of bay Lozna (the second bay next to cape Kabal) on island Hvar. Some of you might remember I have already painted this gorgeous seascape location with acrylics on a A4 mixed media paper. 


In  the thirty-forth post in this series, I painted a beautiful spot in Vrboska. I was really happy with how this one turned out. The medium was acrylic paints on paper. 



Today I'm sharing with you an A4 acrylic seascape inspired by a photograph taken by my husband. It's a typical quick 'Ivana' seascape. Painted pretty quickly, it is not very detailed. 



This painting took me about three months to finish for multiple reasons. 


I used my old photographs as a  reference. I took these two photograph last year while I was walking through this park.


*THIS PAINTING IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR SALE! Similar paintings are available (email for details)



Post update 2026: There is a YouTube short with this painting....




Thank you so much for reading and visiting. Take care. 

Comments

  1. Wow, a fantastic show and your amazing view and an even better picture ... It has to be watched live, I think it's unrepeatable

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  2. Me encanto tu pintura es muy bella como captas la luces y el color. Eres una artista genial. Te mando un beso

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a wonderful post, Ivana! I am so excited about the 'Dance of the Sails' again because I saw it on your Instagram before:) That handmade bag is super fantastic<3

    akiko
    https://kimonosnack.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lovely painting. What a great memory on canvas! Love what you've created, especially the water and boats in the night.

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  5. Fantastic! Such beautiful creativity. You really captured the night and the sea.

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  6. Hello Ivana! I hope you had a nice week :)!

    Such a magical experience! You were really lucky to see the "Dance of the Sails", actually the concept behind this show sounds so magical You were also really lucky to watch the show from a balcony, I imagine it was so special that you had to explore the event beyond and use it as inspiration for your art, which looks impressive!

    And you picked the perfect outfit for the venue by the way!

    Pablo
    www.HeyFungi.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Aww, gorgeous!! You are so talented, I just love your paintings. xx

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a wonderful sight the SDance With the Sails must have been. I love your art, you've captured the refections perfectly! x

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  9. I think this is one of my favourites ever of yours, Ivana! I'm sure your painting captures the magic of the Dance of the Sails events perfectly. Absolutely enchanting! xxx

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  10. Wow, Ivana, you're just getting better with every paining! I love the night colours, and your detail in the water is stunning!

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  11. I just love the nighttime art on this one Ivana!! The color and darkness make it so fabulous.
    XOOX
    Jodie
    www.jtouchofstyle.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow! Your paintings looks absolutely amazing. Congrats

    ReplyDelete
  13. Predivna slika. Kombinacija nijansi i kako si vjerno prenijela fotografiju na platno je savršenstvo. Oduševljena sam.

    www.exclusivebeautydiary.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Ivana,
    Very, very beautiful canvas painting. I enjoyed it very much.
    This dancing of the sails is realy very amazing.
    thank you so much for taking me on this journey through the Croatia.
    Kisses
    Chris


    Inventando com a Mamãe / Instagram  / Facebook / Pinterest

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi
    I believe that your work is substantially more complex to paint an event that occurs at night, the lights and the reflections in the water!
    But you managed to capture that dance perfectly!
    xoxo

    marisasclosetblog.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. The Dance of the Sails sounds like such a lively and fun show. You have captured the scene beautifully. The detail on the movement of the water and the reflections is especially impressive.

    ReplyDelete
  17. wow the painting is very beautiful! i really love it ivana!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Oh I LOVE this painting I really feel like this your calling, these landscapes are so vibrant. I love how you capture the movement of the water and the wind and the play of light. Keep it up!!

    Allie of
    www.allienyc.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Just stopping to say hi! Happy to see that you're creating a lot on Instagram :)!

    Pablo
    www.HeyFungi.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, I'm still not sure whether to stay on Instagram or not.

      Delete
  20. This sounds like such an interesting event, it must be so beautiful to watch the enlightened boats float to the music. You've transformed that experience to canvas so beautifully! Hopefully I'll get a chance to see this for myself one day.

    LackaDaisy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. I hope you'll be able to visit island Hvar, I'm sure you would like it.

      Delete
  21. I am amazined how far you have come, the painting is spectacular. Thanks so much for sharing; the event also sounds great. <3 Makes me excited for summertime events outdoors.

    New Post! FASHION TALES

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  22. Great work, Ivana! The painting is beautiful! Love your attention to details.
    xoxo
    Lovely
    www.mynameislovely.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. Mnogo volim ovu tvoju rubriku na blogu, čak mogu reći da se njoj najviše obradujem, jer me isto tako najviše oduševi. Radovi su impresivni i tvoj talenat je nevjerovatan. Prelijep post. <3

    ReplyDelete

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