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

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

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

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.

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

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