Paint out day at Fawley oil refinery.

On the 20th April 2023 I was in the New forest painting with some friends. We went to a part of the New Forest, Hampshire to paint the Fawley oil refinery from a distance of approximately 4km. The numerous chimney stacks dominate the skyline view from this distance. Our painting position was very close to the 'Royal Oak' pub, near to the junction of Rollestone Rd meeting Beaulieu Rd.
The day was dry and sunny but the wind very strong with even the heavy portable easel almost tipping over. The painting was done in under 2 hours.

Working on closeup 46

Working on closeup 46

 A small snippet of a figurative scene...

Red Boat Wreck Southampton - acrylic painting

Red Boat Wreck Southampton - acrylic painting

Red Boat Wreck Southampton - acrylic painting

Painted in April 2018 the subject of this landscape painting are some of the boat wrecks to be found on this river in the city of Southampton. The river Itchen is host to many old and forgotten vessels, mostly small boats and rowing boats, some of which are now just the 'bones' of their former self.

The view shows two boats, one still painted red and has been converted to hold all sorts of pieces of wood and other junk on top of it. Possibly the boat is actually inhabited! As the river is tidal many wrecks are exposed on the mudflats when the tide is out and disappear when the water returns. In the distance can be seen Bevois Valley.

This acrylic painting measures 20” x 28” and is painted on thick watercolour paper.

A better view of the painting can be found on this link.

Working on closeup 41

Working on closeup 41

WIP lake oil painting

 A small snippet of an old painting of a lake...

Working on closeup 40

Working on closeup 40

A small snippet of a marine based, acrylic painting.... 

Working on closeup 36

Working on closeup 36

A small snippet of an autumnal / memorial oil painting WIP.... 

Southampton cenotaph landscape WIP

 

New Forest Horses With Light And Shade - oil painting

New Forest Horses With Light And Shade - oil painting

New Forest Horses With Light And Shade - oil painting

Painted in June 2017, this painting shows show horses on a sunny day out in the New Forest, Hampshire, on the south coast of the UK. Horses, cattle and donkeys are all freely able to roam around the national park and can be found in the towns and villages as well as the countryside. The painting highlights a hot, sunny day with strong shadows and a sense of the beating light and heat on the animals.
The artwork is done in oil paint on mounting board, sized at 20” x 16”, and can be viewed here in a larger format.

Pines In New Forest Shade - acrylic painting

Pines In New Forest Shade - acrylic painting

Pines In New Forest Shade - acrylic painting

A view of a pine forest is the subject of this painting, completed during June 2017. The forest is located within the New Forest, Hampshire, on the south coast of the UK. It is summer and the sunlight is unable to hit and illuminate the ferns on the forest floor, with just a few dabs of sun making it through in a few places. But it is cool with the tall pine trees giving shade from the heat of the day.

This pine forest view is painted in acrylics on mounting board, sized at 20” x 16”.

The final painting can be seen here.

 

3 Paintings on display at the 'Steak of the Art', Southampton

3 Paintings on display at the 'Steak of the Art', Southampton

I currently have 3 paintings on display at the 'Steak of the Art' Restaurant, in Southampton,as part of the exhibition of the Southampton Art Society.
The restaurant chain specialise in exhibiting and selling original art, as well as providing a top quality dining experience, at each of their branches, the other two being at Cardiff and Bristol. The Southampton branch is at the Ocean Village waterside complex. 
The exhibition finishes on the 7 May 2017.

Twitter posting of the event

The three landscape paintings of local, Hampshire scenes can be seen clearly on these links.
Two Yachts Receiving Maintenance In A Yard

Horse In New Forest
Lepe Beach Windy Winter Day

Tree Lined Countryside Road oil painting - WIP

Tree Lined Countryside Road oil painting - WIP

Tree Lined Country Road - WIP

 The above panel shows three work in progress stages of a painting completed during October 2016. The painting features a typical countryside road as to be found in Hampshire.
The first section shows the paper with an orange wash, using acrylic paint. On top of the wash, which acts as a ground for the later colours applied over it, are the elements on the scene drawn in brown acrylic paint. The second stage is where the base colours have been applied, again in acrylic paint. This helps me to find the correct colours/ tones and helps to build up the blend of colours. The final stage is, in this case, the use of oil paints. At this stage the colours are more refined in tonal quality and as they are oils they do not change their visual qualities. Acrylic paint often dries to a darker shade after initial application. Most of the oil paint was applied over two days and then left to dry for about a week. I then returned to add a few details on top, which is easier to do if the oil paint is not still wet. It should be noted that the painting was done on paper and that it has a 20" x 16" image area.
The finished painting can be seen here. 
#hampshire #WIP #artist #countryside #trees

Cows Sitting By Hill Relaxing - acrylic painting

Cows Sitting By Hill Relaxing - acrylic painting

Cows Sitting By Hill Relaxing - acrylic painting 16" x 12"

This 16" x 12" acrylic painting is painted on paper. It features a countryside scene during the summer with three Friesian cows resting on the grass, during the midday sun. In the background is a small hill with an old fence and worn path. The painting depicts a location in a part of the New Forest, near to the town of Ringwood, in the county of Hampshire.

The artwork was done during October 2016. 

http://martin-davey.pixels.com/featured/cows-sitting-by-hill-relaxing-martin-davey.html 

#Hampshire #art #cows #Newforest #countryside

New Forest hill with cows and horses WIP

New Forest hill with cows and horses WIP 

This image shows the creation of a painting showing a hill in the New Forest, Hampshire. Within the composition are a number of cows at the bottom of the hill and a few horses halfway to the top. The first panel shows the drawing, done in brown acrylic paint on an orange ground. The second panel shows base colours applied and the third, the finished painting. The final painting is 20" x 16" and painted in acrylic.

#artist #wip #newforest #countryside

WIP of New Forest Hill with cows and horses painting

Blue boat - watercolour sketch

Blue boat - watercolour sketch

This small (10" x 7") sketch, that took about an hour to do, shows a boat moored within a marina in east Southampton during an overcast June day. This was my first venture in to watercolour painting for many years, in fact the early 1990s was probably the last time I touched the medium. It is not a perfect example of the craft but gradually as I proceeded with the project, elements of how to handle watercolour did start coming back to me. It is a very different medium to the acrylic/ oil paints I am used to!

Blue boat - water colour sketch

Marwell Zoo Zany Zebra campaign 2016 Brazilian Zebra update 08

Marwell Zoo Zany Zebra campaign 2016 Brazilian Zebra update 08

This entry shows the Brazilian Zebra a few days on from the previous post. All of the blue and green base sections have been painted, using 3 layers of emulsion paint. The yellow areas are still mostly bear white though some progress has been made. The yellow areas near to the feet have a number of coats applied. The stars that had been masked off and covered in blue paint have now had the masking removed to reveal white stars. 
Some work was needed, as with all the masking, to repair damage to the paint when removing the masking tape, but there appears no way around that and it still gives a better finish. The areas have to be masked off a few times on either side of the edge, depending on what part is to be painted so there is a lot of work involved in masking but the painting is quite quick to compensate.
As can be seen there are a few stars on the muzzle and 'spirals have been painted in to the ear area and some eyelashes put around the eyes.

Marwell Zoo Zany Zebra campaign 2016 Brazilian Zebra update 07

Marwell Zoo Zany Zebra campaign 2016 Brazilian Zebra update 07

From the beginning of April I started work on my second Zebra painted sculpture. The campaign is run by Marwell Zoo and will see up to 47 of these Zebras on the streets of Southampton forming a street trail for the summer season. This 'Brazilian' Zebra of my design is sponsored by 'Casa Brazil' and as can be seen on the photographs some of the base layers of colours have been applied. The areas have masking tape around then to help keep the edges sharp and easy to paint, as these areas, using household emulsion paint, often need to be painted up to 3 times to get a solid colour on the white base of the Zebra. The back, large blue area also has a number of stars that will need to remain white so these have been masked off to keep them white while applying the blue paint with a large brush.

Marwell Zoo Zany Zebra campaign 2016 Brazilian Zebra

Marwell Zoo Zany Zebra campaign (Brazilian Zebra)

This is the design for one of the Zebras (Brazilian Zebra) I will be creating for the 'Zany Zebras' campaign, which will feature a large number of full size Zebras sculptures occupying the City of Southampton, in the UK. It has been masterminded by Marwell Zoo, located outside of the city with the aim of creating awareness and the need for protection of Zebra. Each Zebra sculpture will be painted by local artists and sponsored by local or national companies. They are in place on the streets for the summer term after which a glamorous auction is held for their sale, the proceeds of which go toward the protection of the animal.

I will be creating two Zebras for the campaign. The first one was sponsored by ABP (Associated British Ports) one of the largest employers in the town in people and physical area and completed in March. This second Zebra is sponsored by 'Casa Brazil', a chain of Brazilian themed restaurants to be found in Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Southampton. This Zebra will be created during April.

It will be turned in to reality from early April at the Marlands Shopping Center, using an empty shop unit as a base where this one and others can be seen to be created. This design was created/ drawn in Photoshop. The design celebrates Brazil and its important role in the 2016 Olympics, and used the colours of their nation flag.

Martin Davey 'Brazilian Zebra' design for zany zebras

Marwell Zoo Zany Zebra campaign 2016 update 05

Marwell Zoo Zany Zebra campaign 2016 update 05

The miniature version of the 'Seafaring Zebra'

 On Saturday I worked on this small version of my 1st sculpture, that had been finished as far as painting went a few days previously. The original one was a full size 1:1 model that was painted. This one is about 220mm long and 150mm high and appears to be made of clay. It was painted in the same paint as used on the full size one and now awaits to be varnished as does its full sized friend.

The model will be sold at auction as per the the full size one to raise funds for the protection of Zebras. The initiative is run by Marwell Zoo and is called 'Zany Zebras' and will see 47 full size sculptures on the streets of Southampton during the summer making up a free 'trail' through the city.

Marwell Zoo Zany Zebra campaign 2016 update 04

Marwell Zoo Zany Zebra campaign 2016 update 04

The Seafaring Zany Zebra with painting complete

On Saturday I completed the painting of the 'Seafaring Zebra', my contribution to the 'Zany Zebra' campaign, run by Marwell Zoo, Hampshire. The photos show some of the details not shown previously, including the plimsoll line, as featured on ships around the world used to indicate water density. Also the finishing touch., after completing all the ships was to paint small zebras standing on the decks of some of them. The intention was to paint them in a light colour which would not draw away from the black and white stripes. The remaining job to do on it now is to apply a coat of varnish.

The ears with the plimsoll ship markings

One of the small blue Zebras

Marwell Zoo Zany Zebra campaign 2016 update 03

Marwell Zoo Zany Zebra campaign 2016 update 03

The other side of the Zebra

This update shows work continuing on the  'Seafaring Zebra', my contribution to the Zany Zebra campaign/ trail to be in the streets of Southampton during the Summer and early autumn. During Wednesday and Thursday work was placing more ships of different designs on to the zebra and gradually the gaps are now getting filled as per the original plan. The smallest new addition is a fishing boat on the cheek, placed on both sides. Although the design looks the same on both sides there are minor differences. Some ship shapes which cross over from one side to another on the Zebra, may have a bow at one end on one side and end with the stern on the other, so as to represent a whole ship, which in turn creates a difference on each side. Some boat/ ship shapes may start as a bow on one side but end with a bow on the other. A similar pattern happens with shapes that begin with a stern. Also the zebra sculpture itself is not a mirror image each side. The legs are in a different position each side which then dictates what the body does, in this case the torso is compressed on one side and stretched on the other, again affecting the design subtly.

Further pictures of the Zany Zebra under construction

Marwell Zoo Zany Zebra campaign 2016 update 02

Marwell Zoo Zany Zebra campaign 2016 update 02

Seafaring zebra progress on Tuesday

This update on the 'Seafaring Zebra' covers the Monday and Tuesday on the project of painting a full size Zebra for the Marwell Zoo 'Zany Zebra' trail of street art. This Zebra's design and painting is being sponsored by Associated British Ports, in the city of Southampton. As can be seen in the pictures more ships have been added/ painted to the full size plaster cast since the last update. The ships are painted at various positions across the body rather than work left to right. The reason being it is better to space a few key ones around the body to act as guides, as I am working to my own plan, and am trying to keep as close as possible to it. By establishing key positions I am then able to drop the 'in between' ships, as per plan, easily. 

Front view by end of Tuesday

The ships themselves, and also the small floating vessels, are not based on actual ships but just taking popular design elements from different eras of shipping, for instance Edwardian and mid 20th century passenger ones and modern container ships. There is one ship that bears some resemblance to the Titanic. The smallest vessel are some sailing boats. A few other designs will appear over the course of production.