7" x 5" studies - headstones

This collection of small studies were done during summer 2022 at the 'Old' cemetery, Southampton. The area is 27 acres, and contains approximately 116,800 graves. 
Each of these oil painted studies is sized at 7" x 5", and painted alla prima.

Plein air painting 55 

Painted one Sunday afternoon in August 2022 this old, long dead fallen tree was seen in the 'old' cemetery at Southampton. Covered in ivy and surrounded by tall undergrowth it made a great subject for the size of a piece of board that was in my 'pochade box', different to the usual size I work at.
Painted in oils on mounting board sized at 12" x 7.5".

Plein air painting 37

Southampton 'old' cemetery is a large and mostly disused public site situated next to Southampton common. It is a very popular and peaceful place for people to visit and stroll around. It contains a few Victorian buildings now used for different purposes from there original use. A number of groups look after the site and record the history of the headstones, some gradeII listed, and perform clearing of the wild vegetation from time to time from this large and overwhelming site. The paintinfg shows a typical view with old, Victorian headstones standing a different angles and covered with ivy. This was painted during summer 2021 in oils on shop cardboard, sized at 12" x 9.5".

Plein air painting 32

Painted in August 2021 this picture shows a part of the large 'old' cemetery in the city of Southampton. Situated near the the main entrance is a chapel, the back of which is seen here, now used as a small business centre. It measures 27 acres and opened in the 1840s. The painting itself is done in oils on mounting board, sized at 12" x 9.5"

Southampton old cemetery looking west early autumn -WIP stages

Southampton old cemetery looking west early autumn -WIP stages

Stages of creating this westerly viw of the graveyard at Southampton

Completed in December 2019 this landscape painting depicts a westerly view of Southampton city's 'old' cemetery, situated near to the common. It is painted in oils on a canvas measuring 30” x 20”. The image above shows four stages in the development of the painting. In the first panel can be seen the drawing of the scene in brown acrylic paint on a wash of lighter brown paint. Brighter areas of the scene have been indicated with areas painted in white, such as the sky. Moving on to the second panel it can be seen that colour oil paint has been applied thinly to the painting, basically blocking in the darker tones in the landscape. This is the underpainting, and acts as a guide to the next layer, which is in the third panel. Here the paint is applied more thickly and with the correct hues and values Also elements are painted in detail, but some of the underpainting remains and shows through on purpose. After the paint has all been applied it is left to dry., after which a 'glaze' is added on top. The glaze is like a hint of coloured paint held in a transparent medium, a bit like coloured stained glass, which gives the colours an extra dimension. The final panel shows the completed painting which can be seen on this link.