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

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