Go! Rhino 'Southampton dock rhino'

Go! Rhino 'Southampton dock rhino'

The City of Southampton has been invaded by Rhinos!

Well actually they are not real ones, but 3D fibreglass ones painted by local artists and schools. Marwell Zoo is behind the initiative 'Go! Rhinos' to help with the protection of wildlife. Each Rhino has been sponsored by a company or organisation. After their public display on the streets of Southampton, the Rhinos are due to be auctioned off and the proceeds put toward wildlife protection, plus two local charities.

The Rhinos are on display around the City from July 13 to 22 September. There are 36 large rhinos, painted by local artists to see on the 'GoRhino' trail, plus around 80 smaller ones painted by local schools, which can be found in many shops and public buildings in the City. The Rhinos are all beautifully painted and look great on the streets. I'm pleased to say that the public, especially, children, seem to be enjoying them. I often see children cuddling them or having their picture taken by, or under them!

I was commissioned to paint a Rhino and I took the theme of the Southampton skyline, which in one direction is dominated by the large cranes working at the Docks. There are several types of cranes. Some are used for general cargo, some with containers and one distinctive design is a floating crane. I thought that this would make an interesting design theme for a Rhino as it incorporates something that everyone in the city has seen in reality but not pictured as an artwork. It was decided to make the skyline be seen as a silhouette against an evening sky. This would make it easier to paint and give the design more 'punch'. Some famous buildings were added in to the skyline, such as the SeaCity museum, and the clock tower of the Civic Centre, in which the actual clock became the Rhinos eye. The sky was kept as one shade of orange to keep things simple. Stars were added as were clouds to add interest. The dark red clouds had highlights on them to help 'crispen' up the design and add contrast to the silhouette cranes and other details.

It took just over a week to do and I was quite worried about doing something as large as this. I usually paint at quite smalls scales on canvas. Painting one of these Rhinos is more like a DIY job!

I used household paint and masting tape to try to get straight lines. Because of the technical nature of the cranes, I needed to paint them reasonably accurately, particularly as it was to be sponsored by DP World, and Associated British Ports, the owners of the dock cranes. I initially started with drawing a grid over my design in photoshop. This grid was them carefully mapped out on to the rhino, so that I did not have to do much guesswork and freehand drawing on the Rhino of these complicated shapes. Each colour had several coats of paint, and after completion several coats of varnish were applied. The paint was matt, but once the varnish was applied the colours sprang in to life and made the design look dynamic!

dock rhino in situ

 

dock rhino studio shot

Southampton Watts Park in the Snow

Southampton Watts Park in the Snow

 

This painting was created in early 2013 and is based on a crude photograph taken with my mobile phone a few weeks before of Watts Park (also known as West Park) when covered with snow. I took a number of pictures at the time and the romantic couple seen here were added from one of those to help give a sense of scale and interest. The statue is of Issac Watts, a famous resident of the town of Southampton. Born in 1674, Watts was a leading nonconformist. I thought the dark, bare trees made an interesting contrast to the fresh white snow.

The painting has a base of red acrylic paint, followed with the actual painting done in oil. It its painted at size of 16” x 20” on canvas. 

Southampton Watts Park in the Snow

Southampton People in Park

Southampton People in Park

 

This Oil painting was done in May 2013, and shows a young family out in a Southampton Park during an Autumn.

The painting is created on canvas board, sized to 16” x 20”. Initially the board is painted a bright, Acrylic red ground. Then the actual painting, done in Oil, is worked on top.

Southampton People in Park

Southampton Blue Anchor Lane

Southampton Blue Anchor Lane

This painting was done in March 2013. It shows Blue Anchor Lane in the boundaries of the old part of Southampton City. On the right can be seen the Tudor House Museum and King John's Palace. On the left are flat built c1980s, but originally on the site were other Tudor dwellings, with the upper floors overhanging the street, which were pulled down during the Victorian era. The street, built on a slope down to where the sea was originally, was known locally as 'Piss Pot Alley'. The occupants of the houses would throw out waste water, etc, straight out in to the street where it would go run down to the sea. St. Michael's church, founded in 1070, can be seen in the distance.

The painting is created on canvas board, sized to 16” x 20”. Initially the board is painted a bright red ground. Then the actual painting, done in Acrylics, worked on top.

Southampton Blue Anchor Lane

Southampton Riverside park oak tree with cyclist

Southampton Riverside park oak tree with cyclist

This is painted in Oils on a 16" x 20" canvas. The subject is Riverside Park, on the outskirts of Southampton, Hampshire, UK. A very large,old Oak tree can be seen beside the River Itchen. A cycle lane runes along the river bank and a cyclist can be seen resting on a bench, his bicycle resting against the tree. It is late afternoon and the light within the scene in soft and golden. 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.
I was drawn to the interesting form of the Oak tree and the way the evening light was creating a silhouette of it.
Painted in late 2012.

Southampton Riverside park oak tree with cyclist

Southampton Palmerston Park Autumn sun

Southampton Palmerston Park Autumn sun

This painting was done in febuary 2013 as a small exercise, on a piece of canvas board, sized at 10” x 12”. It is based on a photo taken of a corner of Palmerston Park, in the centre of Southampton, during the Autumn of 2011. I was struck by the colour full scene illuminated by the low autumn light. The park is right next to a busy traffic junction, which cannot be seen from this angle.

 

Southampton Palmerston Park Autumn sun

Southampton Hillier Gardens late summer

Southampton Hillier Gardens late summer

This oil painting of one of the beautiful landscaped gardens in the county of Hampshire, at Hillier Gardens, near to Romsey and Southampton, in the UK. The garden was set up in 1953 by Sir Harold Hillier and now covers 180 acres. The collection covers a diverse collection of hardy trees and shrubs from around the world. This oil painting illustrates the main lake in the center of the gardens, during late summer. The large amount of trees makes the landscape seem quite dark, but the bright reflection in the water helps to balance out the tones within the painting. A woman standing on the small, wooden bridge, adds a focus point within the composition. I had painted a similar view a few months before using acrylics rather than oil paint.

Painted in 2012 on a 16" x 20" canvas. 

Southampton Hillier Gardens late summer

 

Southampton Northam River Itchen old jetty with sea birds

Southampton Northam River Itchen old jetty with sea birds

This oil painting is a view of the River Itchen, in the county of Hampshire UK. Here it is seen in the area of Northam, in the City of Southampton heading towards the port. Local business can be seen in the background, including a scrap metal merchant. The metal is piled up in several mounts on the berth, awaiting collection by ship, usually about once a week. In the foreground is an old jetty, now reduced to 'wooden bones'. However the local seagulls use it to enjoy the view and sunshine on this summer evening. A swan in circling around the base of the jetty.
The painting is done on a canvas measuring 16" x 20". A bright red acrylic paint base was initially applied to the canvas, followed by a drawing in brown acrylic. A colour wash was then applied, again in thinned acrylic paint. Finally the painting itself is done in oil paint, straight from the tube. Painted in 2012.

Southampton Northam River Itchen old jetty with sea birds

Duke of Wellington Tudor pub Southampton

Duke of Wellington Tudor pub Southampton

This acrylic painting depicts a famous Tudor public house within the historic City of Southampton, UK. This old building was built upon Norman cellars during 1220. It became a pub in 1494.
In 1815 the pub was renamed, from the Shipwrights Arms, to the Duke of Wellington, after the victory of the Battle of Waterloo in that year. The pub can be seen at 36 Bugle St, SO14 2AH .
I feel that acrylic painting techniques work well with man made subjects, because of the technical aspects of painting straight lines, perspective, and the mechanical processes that can be achieved with the quick drying nature of the paint. Painting scenes like this in oil paint can be done, but it requires a lot more time and possibly not so effective. In this case the entire composition is one made up of the challenges of perspective, and capturing a subject that is mechanically based.
The day is a sunny one and the bold, blue sky helps to emphasise the clean and large areas of white, separated by dark wood beams, that typifies buildings of the Tudor period. The collection of people enjoying a drink at the bar help to give the painting life and scale, and show the true use that the Duke of Wellington pub offers the public. A seagull is seen perched on the roof, enjoying the sun.
Painted on a canvas measuring 16" x 20",during 2012.

Duke of Wellington Tudor pub Southampton