Southampton, Boats on River Itchen mud flats

Southampton, Boats on River Itchen mud flats

This painting is painted in acrylics on canvas to a size of 16" x 20". It features a well known view from the Northam Bridge at Northam, Southampton, looking up the River Itchen in the direction of St Denys, and onwards to Winchester. Here the tide is out and old, forgotten boats of all ages and sizes rest on the mudflats. Again this is a popular location with photographers and artists, notably with the interesting textures seen on the landscape and the way that the scene is constantly changing in different light and weather conditions. Painting the reflections in the water of the boats and sky is fun to do and helps to bring the artwork together.

Northam, Southampton,boats on River Itchen

Bursledon Brickworks open day, Southampton, 2011

Bursledon Brickworks open day, Southampton, 2011

This is a painting of an open day at Bursledon Brickworks, Southampton UK during the early morning start up of vintage traction engines. It is a heritage museum site, based in a old brickworks. This  display of traction engines takes place during the spring each year, and this artwork depicts the line up during April 2011. The engine in front is called 'Little Lucy', and is a Wallis Traction Engine. The tall brick chimney seen in the background is a local landmark, although it is shorter than it used to be when the brickworks was in operation. It was fun painting the shining brass, copper and the paintwork on the engines. The woman polishing part of an axle adds extra interest and scale to the scene. Getting the perspective correct in a scene like this is very important. It helps to sell the viewer of the painting the scale and weight of the machinery. Mechanical objects can not be cheated on when trying to ignore perspective, it has to be done right. The ariel perspective (colour fading in the distance) helps to sell the scene and create a smoky atmosphere. The painting is done in oils on a 16" x 20" canvas. 

Bursledon Brickworks open day, Southampton, painting1

This is a 2nd painting of an open day at Bursledon Brickworks, Southampton UK. It is a heritage museum site, based in a old brickworks. This is a display of traction engines put on during April 2011. The engine featured is a Aveling and Porter traction engine (TA  1063).  It was fun painting the shining brass, copper and the paintwork on the engines. The woman on the right photographing the engine was added later to add extra interest and scale to the scene, as was the boy in the trailer on the left. Getting the perspective correct in a scene like this is very important. It helps to sell the viewer of the painting the scale and weight of the machinery. Mechanical objects can not be cheated on when trying to ignore perspective, it has to be done right. Getting the ellipses right within a painting like this is very important.

Bursledon Brickworks open day, Southampton, painting 2

 

Cunard Queen Mary at Weston shore, Southampton

Cunard Queen Mary at Weston shore, Southampton

This acrylic painting shows the Cunard ship, Queen Mary, at Southampton docks during an evening in spring, 2012. The ship, the largest of the 'three Queens', is seen from the view point along Weston shore. Weston Shore is a shingle beach on the outskirts of Southampton city, on Southampton water leading in to the Solent. All ships entering and leaving this port can be seen here. The painting is based on a number of photographs taken one evening, and recomposed in photoshop. The image is then scaled up and transferred to a canvas measuring 20" x 16". The sun is getting low in the sky so the ship is becoming a silhouette, the waves now having bright, sparkly crests as they catch the low sun. The two children swimming in the Solent, with their mother watching, help to give scale to the shingle beach and the layout of the painting. Painted in 2012.

Cunard Queen Mary at Weston shore, Southampton

Southampton Docks from Weston Shore winter sunset

Southampton Docks from Weston Shore winter sunset

This oil painting was created in the summer of 2012. It is painted on canvas sized at 20”x 16”. The setting is the docks at the port of Southampton (UK), as seen from Weston Shore. The paintings shows a large “Wallenius Wilhelmsen” car transportation ship docked beside a large grain silo, a landmark on the entrance to the port. The oil painting is based on a crude photograph taken with a mobile phone during the early part of January 2012, during the last moments of daylight on a sunny, winters day. There were a number of people walking along the stony beach at Weston Shore. The tide was out and I placed a figure in the scene to help give the setting a sense of scale. The scene is quite bleak, cold and largely in silhouette and a large part of the composition is given over to the dramatic sky. It was painted in oils because of the requirement of painting this large area smoothly.

Southampton docks from Weston Shore winter afternoon

Boats at River Hamble, Southampton

Boats at River Hamble, Southampton

This painting is of the River Hamble, near to the Solent and Southampton, in the UK. It is based on a view photographed during the spring of 2012, and features a view of the marina, near the town of Warsash, packed full of boats. There are a number of marinas down the river. The land is very flat and when the tide goes out the mud flats are revealed, showing a covering of moss and algae, with pockets of water isolated from the river. The River Hamble contains many old shipwrecks of archaeological importance. I was drawn to this scene for my painting by this strong, green landscape, that only appears for part of the day and the way that puddles of water remain creating their own small rivers through the landscape.
This painting is created in acrylic on a canvas measuring 20" x 16".

River Hamble, Southampton

Southampton, Northam, river Itchen mud flats, UK

Southampton, Northam, River Itchen mud flats, UK

This landscape painting portrays a well known view from the Northam Bridge at Northam, Southampton, looking down the River Itchen in the direction of the docks and Solent. Here the tide is out and exposes a sea of wrecked boats of all ages and sizes. I was drawn to the interesting things that the location has to offer that would make an interesting painting, like the rotting hulls and the large area of green algae that covers the mudflats, the sea birds looking for food, and the distant features on the horizon. Again this is a popular location with photographers and artists, notably with the interesting textures seen on the landscape and the way that the scene is constantly changing in different light and weather conditions.
This painting is in oils. It is on a canvas that's sized at 16" x 20".

Northam Southampton

SS Shieldhall at Southampton east docks, UK

SS Shieldhall at Southampton east docks, UK

This is an oil painting of a steam ship called 'SS Shieldhall'. It is painted in oils on a 16" x 20" canvas. She was launched 7th July 1955 and was built by Lobnitz & Co of Renfrew, UK. The ship was withdrawn from service during 1985 and entered preservation. It is the largest working steam ship in Europe. It is part of the National Historic Fleet and is based at Southampton East docks, where it is moored in this painting. It is owned by the Solent Steam Packet Ltd and ABP Southampton. The view is looking south, toward the Solent. The little dingy was added to give the ship scale. The grain silos are a land mark at Southampton docks and can be seen in the background, and are to be seen in some of my other paintings. The colour and reflections of the water were fun to paint, although quite difficult. Painted in 2010.

SS shieldhall at Southampton

Autumn trees in Palmerston Park, Southampton

Autumn trees in Palmerston Park, Southampton

This painting is of Palmerston Park, in Southampton, UK. It is named after the former Prime Minster the 3rd Viscount Palmerston. Autumn is well embedded, the sky clear and the light sharp. I was attracted to the combination of the colour of the trees and the vivid blue sky. The line of dead red leaves either side makes a nice border between the tarmac path and the green grass. It is painted on canvas in oils, measuring 20" x 16".

Palmerston Park Southampton

Boats at Weston Shore, Southampton, UK

Boats at Weston Shore, Southampton, UK

This painting depicts the area of Weston Shore, Southampton. The beach is covered in shingle, rather than sand but is a popular location for residents of the Southampton area. The large river (estuary) is the Solent and sees large commercial ships and passenger liners heading towards or away from Southampton, seen in the background. The distinctive tall grain silos of the docks can be seen on the left, located on the southernmost part of the dockyard area. Netley Abbey ruins are close by. The painting is created in oils, with an initial acrylic base layer. It is based on a number of photographs taken on a cold but sunny autumn afternoon. The large foreground boat, the sailing boat in the distance and the family on the beach were all photographed on the same day and location, but added later to the composition. Painted in 2012 on a 16" x 20" canvas.

Weston Shore

Barge on River Itchen, Northam, Southampton, UK

Barge on River Itchen, Northam, Southampton

This oil painting depicts the area of Northam, Southampton. It is the river Itchen, facing in the direction of Southampton. On the sky line can be seen cranes and in the centre can be seen the tower block that is featured in this painting of the area. On the left is the Northam Bridge, one of the first prestressed concrete bridges, built in the 1950s. The view is from the local boardwalk. The image is based on a photograph, and was a very cold and sunny day, quite late, during the winter months. The water was particularly still, like a mirror. The crane and barge have since been removed. The area is quite popular with photographers and although not a pretty location is still visually interesting. Many varieties of sea bird can be seen clearly from the location.

barge with crane on River Itchen, Northam.

Southampton City, Civic Centre, UK

Southampton City, Civic Centre, UK

The painting is of Southampton Civic Centre during the autumn. It was painted in 2010 on a canvas, 20" x 16", in oils. The building is an art-deco grade II listed structure, designed by Ernest Berry Webber. It contains a police station, art gallery, library, Guildhall and council offices. The painting does not shy away from the typical things found in the street. We have here cars, waste bins, bus stops, and even a parking zone notice. I think these everyday items things seem to add character in a painting! The painting is in oils on a 16"x20" canvas.

Southampton Civic Centre

Swans and Boats at Riverside Park Southampton

Swans & Boats at Riverside park, Southampton

This is painted in Acrylics on a 16" x 20" canvas. The subject is Riverside Park, on the outskirts of Southampton, Hampshire,UK. Plenty of swans can be seen on the featured river, known as the River Itchen. The water still has a large salt content at this stage and many sea birds can be seen as well as fresh water varieties. The area is popular with canoeists and yachtsmen using the water, and families and friends walking through the park or fishing from the banks of the River Itchen.
The painting is based on a number of poor quality mobile phone images, taken during a summer evening. A complete composition is built up in photoshop and then redrawn on the canvas.

Riverside Park Southampton

Bursledon windmill, Southampton, UK

Bursledon windmill, Southampton, UK

This is an oil painting of the working windmill at Bursledon, Southampton. It is the only working windmill in the county of Hampshire, UK, and is currently undergoing maintenance. It is hoped that the restoration will be complete in 2014, when the mill celebrates its 200th anniversary. Visitors are able to see flour being produced at Bursledon windmill, and view the other vintage farm buildings on the site, as well as the nature reserve.
This was painted in the winter of 2012 in oils on a canvas measuring 16" x 20". It is based on a photograph taken during September 2011. The image is quite timeless in a way, with nothing from the 20th century in the scene.
It was surprising to the artist to find that the windmill is painted in matt and gloss black paint, rather than a more 'woody' appearance. He believed that it could create a flat looking painting with the black colour reducing the amount of construction that could be shown, and meaning that the overall image would be dull. Fortunately the autumn light did help to show the form of the building however.

Bursledon Windmill, Southampton

Southampton River Itchen, boat slipway, UK

Southampton River Itchen, boat slipway, UK

This painting is a view of one of the slipways at the docks at Southampton, along the River Itchen. It is named as the Tredegar Wharf, and is very close to Ocean Village and the Itchen bridge. The artist was drawn to the interesting industrial landscape, a combination of flats, cranes, warehouses and water. The bright green algae on the slipway was colourful, and the two children standing on the slipway add interest and scale. The tower block in the back ground is a local landmark and can be seen in other paintings. It is painted on a canvas in oils at a size of 18"x14" during 2011.

Tredegar Wharf

Yachts at Ocean Village, Southampton, UK

Yachts at Ocean Village, Southampton, UK 

This was painted in oils on a 20" x 16" canvas. This depicts the recent redevelopment of part of the docks at Southampton, UK. This part of the docks was the first to open in 1842 and used for commercial shipping. It was redeveloped in 1986 for leisure use. The development is known as Ocean Village and is popular with tourists and those interested in yachts. Often the area can be packed with boats squeezed in to any available space. Luxury flats, cinemas and bars populate the surrounding marina. I was drawn to the interesting mix of buildings in the distance, separated for the viewer by the expanse of water. The yachts always have their own interest when painting them-the elegant hulls and the details of the rigging. The reflections in the water are always difficult, but satisfying to paint. The artwork was completed in early 2011.

Ocean village Southampton

Rockstone Lane, Southampton

Rockstone Lane

This oil painting depicts a small, quiet road in Southampton called Rockstone Lane. The terrace houses are all very small, mid Victorian examples, though they all have very large chimneys for their size. The painting is based on a photograph taken in the autumn so the shadows are very long and the light bright and clear. The cyclist was added from another picture taken a few moments later on the same street. Interest to the composition is added with the fact that the lane is built on a hill, and in addition has a bend, causing the road to curve away from the viewer. It is of interest so see how the houses, originally the to be the same, are now in different colours, and fitted with various types of windows. The normally mundane telephone cabinet and waste bins add extra interest. 
The artist has often spotted the man on the cycle going up the street, but not as yet told him of his inclusion within the painting!
This is painted in oils on a canvas sized at 16" x 20", during early 2011.

Rockstone Lane, Southampton

Introduction

This blog contains paintings of the City of Southampton, situated on the south coast of the UK. Paintings depicting the local area around Southampton are also included.

Southampton is believed to have its earliest inhabitants in the area during the stone age but it is from the 11^th century that the town became a port. Today it is the second largest port in the UK, and a gateway for many cruises. Many famous ships have visited the port, including the Titanic which began its maiden voyage from there.

The town of Southampton became a city in 1964. Despite its industrial background the city boasts many interesting and beautiful locations and buildings, some of which are featured in paintings on this site. The oldest buildings have parts of Medieval architecture within them, but the earliest recognisable buildings tend to be Tudor.

The artist started capturing the area in paint from the year 2010, and hopefully this project will continue for some time. As the pictures are created they will be placed here on this blog. Some of the paintings have been exhibited in the local area, at museums, gallery, art shows and cafés.

The paintings are mostly done in oil paint. Some are done using acrylic paint, but all are painted on to stretched canvas. The size of the pictures are generally 20” x 16”. The artist tends to use his own photographic reference to begin with, taking pictures through out the year. Sometimes it may take over a year before the photograph is looked at again with regard to it forming a base for a painting.

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