Plein air painting 127 

Salisbury Cathedral spire as seen from a nearby 'town path' in a green part of the city. The building dates from 1220 and the spire (Britain's tallest) was finished around 1330. It is situated in the county of Wiltshire. The old tree and fence add character to the scene.
Painted during a pleasant morning on mounting board sized at 12 x 9.5", using oils. 

9th May 2024.

Eight legged monster hunting the hunters - digital illustration

Two townsfolk decided to find out what has been killing all the livestock over recent weeks. Whatever it was, needed to be hunted down and removed.
A digital illustration created in Autumn 2023.

It can be seen in greater detail on this link.

 

Plein air painting 127b 

Following on from the last post set in Salisbury (09/05/24), this small study was done later during that afternoon. It is the view directly behind me from 'town path' of more open fields, populated with sheep. Painted in about an hour at 8 x 7", oil on mounting board.

Plein air painting 100

The New Forest, Hampshire is a large national park in Southern England, and is over 500 years old. It consists of moorland and forests. Blackwater Arboretum has some of the tallest trees to be found in the UK consisting of giant redwood examples. This painting, done on the 23rd May 2023, shows a path through the locality.
Painted in oils on mounting board sized at 12" x 9.5".

Plein air painting 96

Painted in the New Forest, Hampshire near to the city of Southampton. The area is Fritham, with this abode being situated near to the Royal Oak Pub. Lyndhurst is the nearest town.
It was painted on mounting board sized at 12" x 9.5 in oils, during 3rd May 2023.

Plein air painting 91

Plein air painting 91 (unfinished)

This view shows the B3079 going through the Bramshaw area of the New Forest, Hampshire. On the right hand side (off canvas) would be the Green Dragon pub. The sky was quite foreboding when I started this plein air landscape. Sadly after about 30mins it started to rain. I continued for another 15 mins or so but had to stop because the raindrops were settling on the oil paint to an uncontrolled amount, like little beads. Fortunately I had got the painting to a level where it is showable, even if not actually finished. When the water droplets finally disappeared, little circles/ dots are left in the paintwork.
Painted in oils on the 24 November 2022 this artwork is done on cardboard sized at 12" x 9.5".

Plein air painting 81

Following on from the previous post is this second painting done in the Pepperbox Hill area during October 2022. It was an amazing view that went on for miles and miles. The city of Salisbury is in the view but swallowed by the enormous landscape surrounding it. Originally a herd of cows sat in the bottom left of the scene and sat calmly watching me set up. As soon as I dipped the brush into paint, the whole herd moved off scene!
Painted on mounting board cut to 12"x 9.5". Oil painted.

Plein air painting 80

During October 2022 two plein air landscape paintings were done on Pepperbox Hill, just outside Salisbury, Wiltshire, this being the first. It was a little chilly when this was done early in the (sunny) morning. The viewer is looking NW in the direction of the city of Salisbury, with the A36 located on the right (off the composition). Pepperbox is the name of a brick built folly, dating from the 1600's, situated nearby.
This was painted in oils on mounting board, sized at 12" x 9.5"

Two horses with burnt trees in the New Forest - oil painting

Oil on canvas 20” x 16” 2022.

This painting was done as a demo during an event at October Books, Southampton during the summer. Unfortunately, I became ill and messed up the painting. A few weeks later I returned to it and shoved some more paint on it, in an attempt to tart it up and get something out of it. Various pieces of photo reference were used from previous visits.

The painting can be seen in greater detail on this link.

Cows resting at Boltons Bench Lyndhurst New Forest - WIP stages

Created in July 2021, this oil painting shows a view of Boltons Bench, an area just outside the small town of Lyndhurst, situated in the New Forest, Hampshire, UK. The picture above shows four stages of the paintings creation. Starting with the first panel, the elements of the composition that make up the scene have been drawn in brown acrylic on a brown wash. In the second panel, diluted oil paint has been applied to give an indication of colours and tonal information. Its applied thinly, using a medium like paint thinner or similar, and because its thin the paint dries quickly over a few days. Moving on to the third panel the final layers have partly been applied. Here the paint is much thicker and is the correct colour and tone is used over the thinly painted layer. Finally as seen in the last panel the painting, sized at 20” x 16” and done on mounting board is finished.

The artwork can be seen in better clarity on this link.

Cows resting at Boltons Bench Lyndhurst New Forest - oil painting

Painted in July 2021 this picture shows a view set in the picturesque New Forest, a large area of 28,924.5 hectares, first noted in the Domesday Book of 1086. This small hill is situated just outside the small town of Lyndhurst, in the county of Hampshire, southern England. On top of the hill is a large Yew Tree, surrounded by a bench, named after the Duke of Bolton, and is a popular spot for tourists to admire the scenery and engage with the freely roaming cows and horses.

The painting measures 20” x 16” and is done in oils. The support is acid free mounting board, primed to allow it to accept the oil paint. The artwork can be seen in greater detail on this link.

Herd of cattle in the New Forest countryside - WIP stages

Four stages of the creation of the New Forest scene.

Painted in late December and through to early January 2021 this painting shows a countryside scene within the New Forest, situated on the south coast of the UK. It is painted in oils on mounting board, sized at 20” x 16”.

The first panel shows the drawing of the countryside scene, done in brown acrylic paint on a lighter brown acrylic wash. The second panel shows where white acrylic paint has been added to indicate areas of a lighter tone, namely the sky area.

Moving on to the third panel shows where oil paint has now been introduced in to the process of creating the artwork. Here paint has been added to indicate the basic colours of forms within and acts as an underpainting, which will be painted over again. This layer of paint is thinly applied, using a medium (similar to white spirit, but more refined) to thin it out. The last panel displays the completed painting. Here the paint is thicker, basically as it comes out of the tube and is applied more carefully. Detail and colour are of the prime concern at this stage. Once the paint was dry (after a week or so) a level of glazing was added. This is when a wash of almost transparent colour, held in a thick, clear oil is applied to help emphasise the colours and make slight alterations to tonal values, such as making the trees darker than originally painted.

The finished forest scene can be seen on this link in greater detail.

 

Working on closeup 84

A small snippet of an oil painting featuring cows...

 

M7 Steam engine in the Southern Countryside - oil painting

Painting of locomotive in the countryside, set in the 1950s.

This nostalgic painting, measuring 22" x 16" and painted in oils, shows a traditional scene of an M7 Southern railway locomotive in the English countryside, during the 1950s. It is based on an old black and white photograph, possibly showing the Fawley branch or Hawkhurst branch/ Pooks Green, in southern England. Elements have been slightly rearranged in the composition from the photo and figures added.
The locomotive type itself, a 0-4-4 passenger tank locomotive, were built between 1897 and 1911, the last one in service in 1964. Two examples are preserved. They were built for the LSWR by Dugald Drummond at Nine Elms locomotive works, in south London.
The artwork was done with the intention of it being reproduced as a 7” x 5” greeting card for a railway society.  It can be seen in larger detail on this link.

 

 

Working on closeup 78

A small snippet of a cow based painting...

Group Of Trees In The New Forest - WIP stages

Group Of Trees In The New Forest - WIP stages

Steps in the creation of 'Group of Trees in the New Forest' painting.

A peaceful scene in the New Forest, set in the county of Hampshire, Southern England, is the subject of this work. It was painted in June 2019, on mounting board sized at 20” x 16”, using oils.

The picture shows a WIP stages view of how the painting was created. The first panel shows initial work on drawing in the scene details using dark brown acrylic paint on a lighter brown base colour. Basic tonal areas are added in to show the lights and darks within the composition.. Once this is dry which is only a short time for acrylic paint, the oil paints are opened up and basic areas of colours and tonal areas are applied with thinned out paint on top of the acrylic drawing as seen in the second panel. This layer acts as a guide, or underpainting for the later process, which is shown in the third panel, where the paint is now thicker and applied in a more meaningful manner, with the correct colours and details laid on top. Final the last panel depicts the finished oil painting.

The artwork can be viewed in greater detail on this link to an external site.

Working on closeup 60

Working on closeup 60

 A small snippit of a forest based oil painting...

Winchester Hill Area In Hampshire During Summer - oil painting

Winchester Hill Area In Hampshire During Summer - oil painting

oil painting of "Winchester Hill Area In Hampshire During Summer"

This oil painting depicts a site within the Old Winchester Hill area, situated in the county on Hampshire, southern England. The area offers fantastic views of the surrounding area, including the Solent, and the cites of Portsmouth and Southampton, and is part of the South downs national park. The area features an iron age fort, most of which has not been excavated by archaeologists.The gate leads to an area which is cordoned off from being used as it was used for by the army for training during WW2, and possibly contains unexpolded bombs.

The painting is created on mounting board, sized at 20” x 16”, and was painted during autumn 2018. It can be viewed in greater detail here.

Working on closeup 52

Working on closeup 52

 A small snippet of a countryside scene oil painting...

Line of trees in Hampshire during Autumn - oil painting

Line of trees in Hampshire during Autumn - oil painting

Oil painting of Autumn trees in Hampshire

During September 2018 this oil painting was created, main as an exercise in [painting trees in a simpler (impressionistic) way, rather than falling in to the trap of painting each individual leaf and branch. Oil paint on a board, which was sized at 20” x 16” was used. The subject was based on a photograph taken a number of years previously, just with the intention of finding a way to painting trees in a quicker and 'slicker' way.

The finished painting can be seen here.