River Test Crewneck Sweatshirts

Wherwell in the valley of the River Test (Hampshire, UK) is renowned for its pretty black and white timbered cottages with thatched roofs. Walk just a little out the village though and you come to this enchanted footpath crossing the clear, shallow waters of the river. It is surely one of the best kept secrets of the Test Valley. Based on a photo I took in Spring, I've painted this in oil on a 20x16 inch board.

St Mary Bourne is one of a string of pretty little villages that trace the Test Valley up to its sources. It is the typical English country village with stone church and a cluster of cottages, many of which are thatched. Here I've caught a thatcher at work on one of the cottages. Painted in oil on an 8x8 inch board, I particularly enjoyed painting the parked cars as a band of almost black paint, to which highlights of blue and white transform into what you see here.

US Grayling

The first snowfall in Romsey (Hampshire, UK) for five years, so I was out taking photographs of every scene that looked like it would make a good painting. Sadler's Mill on the river Test is a popular spot for a pleasant walk from the town centre, and a popular feature with local artists. I've always thought it needed a little something extra to lift the scene - and this snowfall did it nicely. Painted from my original photo, using oil on board measuring 16 x 12 inches.

King Sombroner is a regular stop for me, as its one of the first places I come to when I'm out for exercise on my road bike. Its a pretty place withtraditional thatched cottages and a seasonal chalk stream that runs through it. In high summer the bed is dry and a mass of grasses, but over winter and spring it flows with fresh clear water from the surrounding hills. And its at its best when the daffodils bloom.

This view comes thanks to my cycle suffering a mechanical failure. The point it happened on one of my regular exercise routes just happened to have a good view of Stockbridge church. A week later and I have painted it in oil on an 8x8 inch board. With some brute force and WD40 I'm glad to say the bicycle is now back up and running, so once the rain stops I'll be out again capturing more views of the Test Valley to paint.