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.