Light the South - 'Solent Ships'
2024

During 2024 I was involved in the 'Light the South' trail, held in Southampton and Cowes, UK. It consisted of a large number of plaster 'lighthouse' casts which were sponsored by local companies to allow local artists to design and paint their design on the them. The lighthouses would be displsyed for the summer season on the streets of the city, followed by an auction in the autumn. The object of the project was to raise money via the Southampton Hospitals Charity, for the Southampton Children’s Hospital.
40 full scale sculptors were shown on the streets of both locations with 40 mini versions, mainly produced by schools, and shown indoors at public buildings.
My sculpture is called 'Solent Ships' and shows various types of craft to be seen either now or in the past, including some aeroplanes. To add some interest the bottom half showed the underwater world. Here could be seen a submarine, a sunken galleon and a giant squid!

Plein air painting 65

One of Southampton's streets has become home since 2019 to an old lighthouse ship, named along the side in big white letters as Calshot Spit. This name also refers to the location at which it worked, which is the entrance to Southampton water from the Solent. The bright red ship, which was known as Light Vessel 78 (LV78), was built in 1914 and is a rare surviving example of a riveted iron-plated ship. It is now along side the Solent Sky museum in Albert Rd South.

The painting was done on mounting board (sized at 12" x 9.5") in oils. It was painted in August 2022 in two sessions because of rain.

Steampunk Giant Crab attacks Lighthouse - digital painting

Steampunk Giant Crab attacks Lighthouse - digital painting

Steampunk Giant Crab attacks Lighthouse - digital painting

This digital painting features a scene involving a giant 'steam punk' styled crab during a dull late afternoon leaving the sea at some remote coastal location. One of the few landmarks of the area, a lighthouse, is in reach of being destroyed by one of the giant crabs claws. Some men are seen running away from the menace, its objective unknown.

Painting of the fantasy/ scifi scene was done digitally within 'Auto Sketchbook Pro', during mid February 2017, with some final elements, and the colour regraded, in Photoshop.
The artwork can be seen here.

Lepe Lighthouse Hampshire

Lepe Lighthouse Hampshire

 

Lepe Lighthouse is situated in the Lepe Country Park within the New Forest, Hampshire, UK.

It was built in 2000 to help sailors navigate the approach to the Beaulieu river from the Solent, and is a very distinctive landmark on the coast. The lighthouse is formally known as the Beaulieu River Millennium beacon.

The painting is done in acrylics on a canvas board measuring 10” x12”, within a day.

http://martin-davey.artistwebsites.com/featured/lepe-lighthouse-hampshire-martin-davey.html

 

Lepe Lighthouse Hampshire-acrylic painting

Lepe lighthouse at Hampshire WIP-acrylic painting

 Lepe lighthouse at Hampshire WIP

A few days ago I did an acrylic painting in less than a day of the little lighthouse situated at Lepe Country Park, in Hampshire, UK. The lighthouse was built in 2000 to a mock victorian style, ans is there to help navigation in to the nearby Beaulieu river. The painting is sized at 10" x 12".

Lepe lighthouse at Hampshire WIP-acrylic painting

www.martindaveyfineart.co.uk