Walking in the Mournes may be thirsty work but thirsty walkers are rarely encountered, its very easy to get a drink in the Mountains, of water that is, they are crisscrossed by streams, adorned with mountain pools, brimming with lakes and reservoirs, surrounded by the sea and frequently visited by mist and rain. In addition to quenching thirsts and filling an artist's jam jar, water also provides a varied array of scenes to paint, from violent storm lashed coasts and turbulent white water cascades to gentle ponds, placid lakes and busy harbours. There are many things to bear in mind when painting water, the first being that no two types of water are tackled in the same way; a peaceful scene like St Donards church reflecting in Dundrum dam is all about depicting reflections while waves braking against the rocks invite the portrayal of energy and the force of nature. My chosen subject was all about reducing complexity. A morning spent sketching a single boat in Kilkeel harbour is a challenge, adding another five or six along with a few dockside buildings could keep me busy for the rest of the week trying to make sense of the scene. The surface of the water constantly changes even with a light wind; boats rise and fall or come and go while the gulls are gone in an instant. It's tempting to simply take a photograph and work from home, but an awful lot of the detail has to be suggested, simplified or left out before starting to paint the harbour. The best way of reducing this complexity is simply to sketch the scene on site. A few photographs will act as a handy reference for a subsequent painting but nothing more. Cars filled with artists or other onlookers lining the dockside cause a nuisance and so if you prefer to work unseen or weather conditions are unpleasant then park in front of the Nautilus centre were your activity wont get in the way and you can enjoy a great view of the Harbour. A few thumbnail sketches will help to choose a suitable composition then begin the drawing by carefully considering the size of each boat in relation to its neighbours and establish their positions along the dockside by lining them up with the buildings. The reflections and disturbed water surfaces are transient and difficult to capture accurately, determine their position and shape from that of the boats or complete back home based on a photograph. How resolved the sketch turns out to be will depend on the available light and time, plus speed of execution and movement in the harbour. Plan to spend anything from an hour to a lifetime recording activity in the Harbour and working up a thirst but remember only John Dory's mates drink the water here.