In this article, we go on a journey of discovery with Neil Pittaway NEAC who tells us all about his recent painting and trekking trip to Marrakesh and the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco.
"I have wanted to visit and paint this part of North Africa since I saw the distant Atlas Mountains from the sierras of Andalucía in Southern Spain in the early 1990s. They seemed to have a romantic allure of afar – a remote and romantic land with its famous Berber culture and history.
So when I saw a trekking trip destined for that area, with the added challenge of climbing the highest mountain in North Africa (Mount Toubkal at 4,167m / 13,671ft), I jumped at the chance to go.
I have trekked and painted in many remote mountainous regions around the world including the Andes, the Alps, the Transylvanian Alps, the Georgian Caucasus, Jordan’s Wadi Rum and Petra, the Himalayas of India, Ladakh and Nepal, so the High Atlas Mountains were the next logical step in my journeying and painting high mountains.
Marrakesh (The gateway to the Atlas Mountains)
Marrakesh was the start and end point of the trek. I spent a few days exploring this fascinating and beautiful thriving city. To me the name Marrakesh conjures up imaginary connotations of history, colour and adventure that I have tried to capture in my paintings and sketches of the city, two of which you can see below . . .
View of the Kutubiyya minaret from the old town of Marrakesh (watercolour on Amalfi paper, 30 x 41 cm) - available to buy online
Sunrise in Marrakesh, Morocco (watercolour, 36 x 50 cm)
The High Atlas Mountains
The High Atlas Mountains are one of the remote mountainous regions in the
world yet it is relatively easy to access from the UK. The region’s unique colour and Berber culture is what drew me to want to paint and sketch it. You can see some of the results below in some of my sketches made on the trail . . . 
Images of Neil's Moroccan Mountain sketchbook pages and images taken in situ in the High Atlas Mountains
Morocco is known for its vibrancy and colour. Not only in the souks of Marrakesh but also in the mountains, formed of colourful shades of granite rock. We painted and photographed from full sunlight to dusk whilst trekking and wild camping in the mountains. Since my return, I have been creating a series of paintings based on my sketches and photographs.
View from near the summit of Mount Toubkal, Morocco (acrylic on board, 41cm x 81cm) - available to buy online
Painting at high altitude
Painting at altitude is challenging as the air is thinner and the terrain is more difficult, however ascending gradually helped me acclimatise and to be able to paint more of the views from the mountain paths and rocky terrain.
I carried a small compact camera and all my art equipment, including a 24-pan watercolour paint set, a small water container, a holder with a range of brushes, drawing equipment, a set of Posca pens, my sketchbook and loose sheets of paper.
I worked directly from observation during my time in Morocco, working en plein air. I used a sketchbook to observe and create sketches and paintings of the mountains and mountain views. Challenges included balancing time between painting and trekking from A to B and keeping the colour clean as I only had one small water jar.
Mountain ridge view from the dining tent in the high Atlas Mountains, Morocco (watercolour on paper, 51cm x 73 cm) - available to buy online
Painting from the summit of North Africa’s tallest mountain
Reaching and painting from the top was a true achievement and the standout highlight of the trip. At 4167m (13670 ft) it was a tough climb but well worth it as the views were spectacular. You could see way into the distance, a 360-degree panoramic view from the planes down toward Marrakesh on one side and towards the southwestern desert planes and Atlantic Ocean of North Africa on the other.
We had the summit to ourselves making the experience even more amazing and magical. I had time to paint and chose to capture the direction looking down to the southern western desert planes of Morocco and North Africa with its spectacular granite rocky terrain and sheer drops on either side. I tried to capture this essence and scale in my sketches and paintings of the view.
Finished sketch on the summit of Mount Toubkal at 4167 m (Italian-made sketchbook page watercolour on handmade Amalfi watercolour paper, August 2024)
In my pictures and sketchbook, I aimed to capture the remote beauty of this special high-altitude place, particularly the colour and shapes of the granite mountains. I created watercolours and acrylic paintings, painted in layers of complexity and glazed colour washes. I worked both on location in Morocco and back at home in my studio, trying to emulate the plein air immediacy which is important in capturing the true essence and raw beauty of the subject.
Looking out from the summit of Mount Toubkal at 4167 m, Morocco (watercolour with acrylic, 48 x 64cm)
The process is very different to how I create my other types of artworks which are often detailed works based on visual history and culture. The mountain subjects offer me a much freer, more enigmatic approach that is more elusive and bolder.
Working at different scales
I generally do not work to standard sizes as I find this too restrictive and it does not suit the varied subjects, approaches and methods I use in my work. I always take a sketchbook with me when I travel, particularly when I go on my treks in remote regions of the world.
I use a variety of sizes and weight of sketchbooks varying from heavy Italian-bound 500-page sketchbooks to lighter-weight sketchbooks that are easier to carry when trekking. On my Morocco trek I took a lightweight sketchbook of Amalfi paper which I had bought earlier this year in Venice.
The days were very long with seven to nine hours of trekking a day. But I tried to capture every moment, painting and photographing the scenery wherever I could. I have trained myself to be able to work very quickly from nature. And to support this, I take at least 3000 photographs on these trips which I then edit and use as additional subject matter when I get home.
Left: photo of the view from the second camp looking towards Marrakesh. Right: Night Camp in the High Atlas Mountains with Distant View of Marrakesh, Morocco (watercolour with body colour, 25cm x 36cm)
Wild camping
I find the whole wild camping experience truly magical but challenging as it demands a very different mindset to staying in teahouses or hotels. You have to cope with extreme conditions, but it is often the only way to see and capture these remote areas. Morocco was no exception. It made the experience even more enriching, being at one with nature as if you are the only one there witnessing and recording the magnificent spectacle that is all around you.
View from the Aguelzim Pass high in the Atlas mountains (acrylic on board, 41 cm x 51 cm) - available to buy online
Inspiration from other mountain painters
As an artist and educator, I have always been inspired by the natural world and those who paint it. I particularly admire (for a variety of reasons) Caspar David Friedrich, Edward Theodore Compton, Gabriel Loppé, Thomas Moran and J. M. W. Turner."
See more of my Morocco paintings
Since my return, I have been working on a series of paintings a selection of which you can view and buy on my artist profile page, here on the NEAC website.
I will also be exhibiting some of my mountain pictures along with other NEAC members at the Alpine Club in London (18 February to 31 March 2025).
