Romsey Magnets

Viewed from Pauncefoot hill, Romsey (Hampshire, UK) looks a particularly leafy town with the abbey standing proud of the other buildings. This depiction was done in water colour pencils and then wetted with a very slightly damp brush in order to retain some of the texture of the pencil work whilst bringing out the rich depth of watercolour pigment. Drawn on watercolour paper at A4 size.

Another picture from the photos I took back in March 2018 when we had the first snowfall for five years in Romsey (Hampshire, UK). On my walk around town I ventured out past Sadler's Mill to the hill that overlooks the town (Green Hill), where the farmer had opened up his field to allow the townspeople to play in the snow. I've painted this in oil on board measuring 20x8 inches to capture the panoramic view of people enjoying themselves despite the freezing wind that day. In painting this I was partly influenced by the works of Lowry.

This picture of Church Lane in Romsey (Hampshire, UK) was very nearly my unfinished masterpiece. Halfway through painting I fell seriously ill and nearly died in hospital (twice). I'm on the mend now, albeit very slowly, and finding time to do my art once more (but not yet my travels). I took the original photo back in April when the leaves were starting to sprout on the pollarded trees, partially obscuring the view of the abbey behind. I particularly liked the play of light on the fresh leaves and the pattern formed on the road by the sun filtering through a still bare tree, so I took extra care in painting these bits. I've used oil paints on a board measuring 12 inches x 16 inches.

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.

This is the last of my Romsey at 5:30am in the snow picture for now at least as its time to move on a season! We had some late snow in March 2018 (the first for five years), so I got out at 5:30am taking pictures whilst the street lighting cast interesting pools of light across the untouched surface. This painting (oil on board 20x16 inches) is a view of Romsey (Hampshire, UK) market square, looking towards the arch that leads to the abbey and the park. Most of the buildings in this view are listed and date to the late 1800s, including the arch and the church (the top of the tower of which is on the left).

A few weeks ago I was asked if I could map the bollards around Romsey (Hampshire, UK) for a yarn bombing they are planning for the summer festival. During my walk around town I captured this lesser known view of the abbey from behind the White Horse Hotel, with a dark cloud looming behind. I got about half way round the town before a tremendous squall hit, but luckily I managed to shelter under an arch. I've painted this in oil on board back in the comfort of my studio. It measures 8 inches wide by 20 inches tall A quick note - I've updated the image 7th April 2017 as the original had some glare reflecting on the paint surface. Update - so lovely to hear from recent buyer of this print, and that you've enjoyed your time in what ...

Continuing my theme of dark or nearly dark scenes, I took a walk around my local town (Romsey, Hampshire, UK) on a summer evening looking for views to paint. I settled on this one, painted in oil on a 12x16 inch board. It shows the market square, with surrounding shops, cafes, and conservative club lit up, with the dark silhouette of the abbey behind, and the last of the evening light behind that. I chose to leave just one of the several vehicles in the picture so it doesn't look too deserted.

This mug brings together my popular winter scenes of Romsey, Hampshire. Each painting was done in oil on board, and based on photos I took during the Spring snow falls of 2018. For the night scenes I was up at 5am in the morning! This has been put together just for the standard mug, so probably won't work so well on other products.

This is another of the scenes from my 5:30am walk through Romsey back in March 2018, when we had a rare snow fall. It was just starting to get light by this point, and the blue cast of dawn reflected on the snow in contrast to the warm light of the solitary streetlamp - the nearest to the Abbey on this side. I've painted this in oils using a lot of prussian blue - which gets everywhere and really suits this kind of painting.

Early each December the market town of Romsey in Hampshire (UK) holds a Christmas carnival, with a procession through the old streets of the town. For some years now a part of that has been a parade of lanterns made by the children of the town. In this oil painting I've captured a moment from the 2022 parade as it heads up Bell Street past La Parisienne restaurant towards the market square and its Christmas tree, lit for the first time minutes before. Painted on a 12x16 inch board.

This is the third and final oil painting from the 2021 Santa rescue event in Romsey, Hampshire, UK. Each year the fire brigade is called to rescue Santa from an upstairs window of the town hall. Its a busy event with fairground rides, refreshments and a queue to see Santa at the local department store afterwards. I painted this view (in oils) as I loved the pool of light around the stall and the queue, and the silhouettes of the woman, child and balloons in the foreground. I also loved the variety of (anonymised) characters so typical of life.

The corn exchange building has stood in Romsey since Victorian times. Currently a bank, people hardly notice its presence. but come the annual Christmas Fair, where small children gather to watch the fire brigade rescue Santa from the Town Hall, it gets lit up by the lights of the fairground attractions. Painted in oil on a 20x16 inch board, this is my view of that evening based on photos I took in December 2021.

This is the second of my oil paintings from the annual Santa rescue that takes place in Romsey, Hampshire. In this view I bring you the lit up facade of Bradbeers department store, with a refreshment stall in front. What interests me here is the play of light from the various sources along with the shadows cast.

I have painted many pictures of Romsey now, but this is perhaps the most vibrant. It features the abbey cloaked by a row of Autumn trees on a particularly sunny remembrance sunday morning, just before people started arriving for the service. Painted in oil on a 16 x 16 inch board

You wait five years for a decent fall of snow, and then you get two loads in a fortnight. I was ready for this fall. I got out at 5:30am taking pictures before it got spoilt, and whilst the street lights made for interesting lighting. This painting comes from one of those photos. It shows King John's House in Romsey (Hampshire, UK) which is actually two historic buildings, neither of which could have been owned by King John, as he died before either were built. In front is the Tudor cottage, which of course dates to Tudor times. The downstairs is a quaint tea room, whilst the upstairs is connected to the older stone built hall, which is over 750 years old. That hall has some interesting features including a floor made of cow bones. It is...

I had been thinking of painting this for some time. My local theatre (Romsey, Hampshire, UK), is an old art deco cinema, is used by the local amateur dramatics group. It sits on a busy traffic junction, and its lit up at night. So I waited for a performance and took many photos of the people arriving, plus the additional light from car headlamps. From a combination of these my latest oil painting captures the mood of people visiting the theatre - quite possibly for a pantomime (note the Christmas tree). Painted in oil on a 12x12 inch board

Lord Palmerston's statue is silhouetted against Romsey's (Hampshire UK) christmas tree, as two small children look on. One little angel has her hair lit by a passing cars lights, giving her a halo - she surely has been good enough for Santa to bring presents this year.

Beggar's Fair is a free music and arts event that takes place in Romsey, Hampshire, UK each summer. This courtyard is typical of the dozens of venues spread around the town. I've painted this scene in oils based on photos I took. why this courtyard? I couldn't stray far from the paintings I was showing nearby, and I particularly enjoyed this quartet.

This view crops up on one of my regular cycle rides through the Hampshire countryside, though I'm usually zipping past too fast to take much notice. For this winding road leads to a sharp little climb, where it helps to have some momentum. The spot is about halfway between the villages of Houghton and Mottisfont in the Test Valley. This 10x12 inch oil painting is based on a photo I took the one winter's day when I did stop. The swirling trees suited a fast loose approach with the oil paint quickly built up in layers whilst still wet.

Vanilla & Candy Floss Number of views as of 13th August 2018 = 475. Super colours on this magnificent bloom from a walled garden in Hampshire, England. I think it's probably a peony, but gardeners please correct me if I'm wrong. Date: 15th May 2011.

Many people walk through the gardens of King Johns House in Romsey, on their way between the car park and the town. But after 5pm they are locked for the night, and thereafter only visible in glimpses from a few places. Between the carpark and the garden lies a stream and a path, and if you crouch down low you get this view, illuminated by the lights of the post office yard next door and brightened by a trace of snow and frost from early December 2022. I've painted this version in oil on a 12x16 inch board.

From another of my photos of the March 2018 snow, I've drawn this pastel picture of the path between the old Romsey canal and the Fishlake nature reserve just outside Romsey (Hampshire, UK). The darkness of the trees and the white of the snow made this a natural for working in pastels. This picture is on A3 black card. I started with soft pastel blocking in in white grey and black, and gradually added finer detail with finer marks building up layer after layer. You may spot a little brown, green and soft yellow, but otherwise its almost monochrome. The whole process is very fast, taking no more than a couple of hours.

Peaches & Cream Number of views as of 6th July 2016 = 360. Location: Near Romsey, Hampshire, England. Date: 15th May 2011.

Rose Garden Collage Number of views as of 7th October 2018 = 250. A selection of images from a Walled Garden, somewhere in Hampshire, England. Want to buy with your own message added? Leave a comment or send me a bubblemail. Date: 15th May 2011.

This is a scene familiar to many of our parks on a Summer Sunday afternoon - relaxing as a local brass band plays. In this case its Romsey in Hampshire that I've painted (oil on 12x16 inch board), but it could be anywhere, since these bandstands appeared in UK parks up and down the country, inspired by the architecture of India in the days of empire. No politics intended here of course, just a record of what is.

Here in Romsey, Hampshire, UK we get snow maybe once every two or three years, so when it happens we make the most of it. The last time was about three years ago, and I took the opportunity to take a winter walk through the local Tadburn nature reserve. What was normally a damp path through shady woods was transformed to this bright winter scene. I produced this using white, black and grey pastel on A4 black card in only about 30 minutes. My technique was to lay down a fuzzy background, and then add on layers of detail in black and white.