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 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

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

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.

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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