Richard Paul Art

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.

It was late summer and I had spent the day on the Hampshire coast, returning by bicycle with just an hour of daylight to get home. I had just passed Beaulieu village and glanced back across the ponds to see this panorama lit by the low light just before dusk. The photo looked good, but its only when I painted this view that I got the real feel of the moment. Painted in oil on a 20x8 inch board.

This view of Dunster in Somerset, comes from a trip I did some years ago exploring Exmoor in a couple of days. It was a hot summer's day, and the yarn market (structure on right, where centuries ago there was a market) provided welcome shelter from the heat. But it was more than that, for I stepped inside and felt like I had gone back in time, but could look out onto the then 20th century outside. Its strange how old wooden buildings can sometimes give that feeling. Painted in oil on a 16x12 inch board

This mug brings together my miniatures of deer that I've encountered in the wild in Britain. About half are from the New Forest, with the other half from the Highlands of Scotland. Each original painting is 7x5 inches and executed in oil on board, based on photographs I've taken. Because of the size of the originals, the brush marks are quite clear in this design. Many of the originals are available to buy (contact me for details), but here you can own six of the best printed on one mug. This has been put together just for the standard mug, so probably won't work so well on other products.

This painting is based on a trip I did walking the length of Wharfedale in the Yorkshire Dales a few years ago now. I had reached Kettlewell early, and had plenty of time after supper at the hostel to walk up to the peak of Great Whernside behind the village. On the descent a patch of sunlight illuminated the route back down to the village. I've painted this in oil on a 16x12 inch board.

This view comes from a trip some years ago, when on a winter's day I had set out to climb some outlying peaks at Newtonmore. On the descent a blizzard hit, leaving everything plastered in fresh snow. As I reached this point it was beginning to thaw again, but not for long, as shortly after it started snowing, and snowing, and snowing. By next morning it was piled up against the buildings in a winter wonderland. I've painted this in black and white oil paint on canvas board, since there was little if any colour in the original view.

Another view painted from my trips to Rye. This small (8x8 inch) oil painting is from the very top of Lion Street, with the last shop, right outside the church door. With the bulk of the church to the South its a shady passage, but you get interesting effects from the light that makes it there.

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.

This view comes from a trip I did in March 1995, visiting the Vale of Eden (Cumbria, England) in winter conditions and attempting to reach Cross Fell from Dufton. I got to the top of Knock fell when a blizzard swept in, so I found my way to the access road, and descended past this view to the hamlet of Knock. This version is painted in oil on a 12x12 inch board.

I have painted The Maltings - a shopping area of Salisbury (UK) before, showing a cafe at one end. I spotted this view sitting on a bench, eating a sandwich and watching the world go by on the many paths that cross the area. What appealed to me was the pool of light either side of the gnarled willow trunk, framed beautifully by the foliage and the shade on the ground. Painted in oil on a 16x12 inch board.

There are many lovely views of Arundel, but one of my favourites is from the river near the station. The river is tidal at this point, so the brackish water is always a bit murky. There is a ice walk you can do from here heading upstream to the next road crossing (near Amberley), through the woods, and down into the town from the grounds around the castle. I've painted this view in oil on a 24x12 inch board based on photos I took on that walk.

Way off in the far South West of Wales, beyond even the cathedral of St Davids, you'll find this wide stretch of Pembrokeshire sand beloved by surfers for its Atlantic waves, and adored by artists for the light and scenery. I stayed at the hostel at its foot last year, and this is the first of my photos to make it into paint. The ripples proved a pain, as did the long grass in the foreground but I feel I got it right in the end. I hope you like it too, and perhaps like me, feel inspired to visit one of the far corners of Britain simply because its somewhere you've never been.

I love the landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales, and none more so than this view of the upper reaches of Swaledale between Muker and Keld. I passed this spot walking Wainwrights coast to coast (East to West) some year back but only now based a painting on the view. I've painted it in oil on a 12x12 inch board.

On my 2019 visit to Tenby this was one of the first things I saw. Entering through the gate in the wall I was immersed in this short street of colourful tourist shops. Painted in oil on a 12x12 inch board

There aren't many beaches on the Orkney mainland, but undoubtedly the best is this one - Waulkmill beach. Its a slot in an otherwise rocky coastline surrounded by verdant hills that gently spill to the coast. In this view the sands extend inland to the right, and out to the open water of Scapa Flow to the left. I've painted this view of a section of the beach using oils on a 16x12 inch board.

Away from the main peaks of the Cairngorms, its sub arctic plateaus and deep cut U shaped valleys, there is another side to the Cairngorms - a place of rounded peaks and gentler valleys with fewer visitors. One such place is Glen Ey, just outside of Braemar. The few visitors hike in to tackle a cluster of unexciting Munro peaks on a big day walk. Fewer still spend the night, perhaps pitched by this distinctive erratic left perched by the ice age. You'll find it close to the end of the vehicle track, beyond which you find your own way, for there are worn paths here. Painted from a photo of mine, using oils on a 16x12 inch board.

These strange tall huts are traditional fisherman's huts found only in Hastings. I don't think they use them anymore, but they have been preserved as distinctive historic buildings, and are very popular with photographers. There are quite a few of them, but few good angles for photographs as they are clustered tightly. For this painting I've used lamp black for the basic colour with a lot of white mixed in, but its not all black and white - there are plenty of other hues blended in : mauve, crimson, vandyke brown, sap green, naples yellow and cobalt blue

Caldey Island sits just of the coast of South Wales not far from Tenby on the Pembrokeshire coast (and part of the Pembrokeshire national park). Take a boat from there and this is the view that greets you on arrival - a beautiful beach that is for the most time deserted as most visitors head inland. It only fills with people when they gather waiting for the last few boats back to the mainland. The traces of a track were made by an amphibious vehicle (looked like ex-military) which was parked out of view by the trees. I've painted this in oil on a 16x12 inch board, based on a photo I took on my visit there.

There is something about the kind of view where things are happening on multiple layers that lends itself to pen and ink drawings. One of the few I have painstakingly drawn is this one of Aberdeen as viewed from the main shopping street at a point where it crosses over a lower road. Drawn using a dipping pen and ink the original is around A4 in size.

Another painting from my 2017 Tiree trip - this time Traigh A Chrogain - a quiet beach on the North side of this Scottish island. It was relatively sheltered from the winds that day, so only the smallest of waves. The large peak in the distance is just a 35m high lump, closer than it appears in this otherwise flat landscape. Painted in oil on a 16x12 inch board

Most people think of Portland Bill (Dorset, UK) as the quarry where all that stone that built London came from, or else the place with lighthouse at the end, but never a place with a beach. Tucked away beneath the cliffs about half way along the peninsula, lies Church Ope Cove - a secluded beach of large white pebbles (Portland Stone) and a few unglamorous beach huts. Half way up the path a turn takes you to the remains of the church - little more than a few gravestones, here completely hidden by the shrubbery. I painted this 20 inch x 30 inch picture in oils on board based on a photo I took late Spring 2016. To see how I did it, take a look at this page on my website - http://www.richardpaulart.co.uk/masterclass/ 1488 viewings as...

Hayling Island is a bit of a forgotten place, tucked away on the busy Hampshire (UK) South Coast, connected by a bridge to the mainland. This image comes from the far West of the island, where there is a narrow channel separating it from the next 'island' (housing the very built up city of Portsmouth). The inlet forms a natural harbour - hence all the boats, and seems to be a good spot for fishing if the figures are to be believed. The guy taking a dip was a brave soul, as in Spring (I worked from a 2016 photo) the waters are very chilly. The buildings in the mid ground include a small cafe - a great spot for a cuppa with a view. Minutes later the background cloud rolled over and the colour was all but gone from the scene. Painted in...

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.

For a change from the obvious view of Tenby I chose to do this as a night scene, based on photos I took a couple of years back. The colourful houses are still there, but now lit by streetlamps that bring a magical quality to the whole scene. Painted in oil on a 16x12 inch board (using a lot of prussian blue)

This mug brings together two of my paintings of Salisbury marketplace. The first is a daytime cafe scene beneath the plane trees; the second is the row of hostelries that line one side on a dark September evening. This has been put together just for the standard mug, so probably won't work so well on other products.

This image comes from a trip I did some years back now, climbing Scottish hills in winter. I took a day out to walk the coast around Morar. It was a grey moody day, but the sands shone out bright, and the photo I took captured the feeling well. It never did rain that day. I've now turned this into an original oil painting on board measuring 16 inches wide by 12 inches high.

It was a summer's day when I visited Swaledale - drizzly but warm and bright, and brightened by fields of buttercups between the dry stone walls - so typical of the Yorkshire Dales. This scene is at the Richmond end of the dale, somewhere near Reeth if my memory serves me right. I've painted this in oil on a 12 x 12 inch board based on a photo I took that day, several years ago now.

I'd often looked at the map of the island of Anglesey and wondered what the sands of Newborough looked like. In summer 2018 I got my chance to find out. It was a blustery day, not very warm. Id been walking what I could of the west coast of the island, and decided to cap it off with what I understood to be the best bit. The sand was stinging my face in the strong gusty wind, but it was worth it. The sun was coming and going from the beach, but the Snowdonia mountains across the water remained cloaked in cloud and rain, making for a moody backdrop to the bright foreground. I took several pictures, but based this painting mainly on one of Llandwyn Bay (rather than the warren itself) that caught something of the kite surfers that were enjoy...

This mug brings together a few of my woodland paintings of the New Forest in, Hampshire. Each painting was done in oil on board, and based on photos I have taken over a couple of decades living close by. This has been put together just for the standard mug, so probably won't work so well on other products.

This mug brings together a few of my paintings of British butterflies. Each original painting is 12x10 inches and executed in oil on board, based on photographs I've taken. Many of the originals are available to buy (contact me for details), but here you can own eight of the best printed on one mug. This has been put together just for the standard mug, so probably won't work so well on other products.

This mug brings together a few of my miniatures of Highland cattle (in the Scottish Highlands at that). Each original painting is 7x5 inches and executed in oil on board, based on photographs I've taken. Because of the size of the originals, the brush marks are quite clear in this design. Many of the originals are available to buy (contact me for details), but here you can own six of the best printed on one mug. This has been put together just for the standard mug, so probably won't work so well on other products.

This oil painting is based on photo's I took in late Summer 2020 when things almost looked like normal for a while. Its a view of cafe life on the edge of Salisbury marketplace, where you can have tea and cake under the shade of the London plane trees whilst watching the world go by - and especially on Tuesdays and Saturdays when the adjacent market is trading. for me this is perhaps my most complicate composition to date with several complex elements to get right. Painted on a 20x16 inch board over the first week of Jan 2021.

I've always wanted to see what Rye looks like at dusk, and this year I got the opportunity for a walk around the town as night fell. One view that I caught just right was looking West along Church Street, which I've recreated here in oil on a 16x12 inch board. I normally paint wet into wet, but to get the high contrast between the colours of the buildings I've had to allow layers to dry at times. So this painting has taken over two weeks to complete.

This picture came about from a walk along the Dorset coast. At Lulworth Cove, we avoided the crowds to find a tearoom tucked away in a garden at the back of the busy street. As we supped tea and ate cake little birds - sparrows and chaffinches dropped down from the shrubs to pick up the crumbs. I took a few pictures, and here is the first to be turned into an oil painting 12 inches by 10 inches, albeit with a brighter background to show off the sparrow.

A marbled white butterfly, as seen in Spring on the downs near Winchester, in Hampshire, UK. My original photo had a stalk partially obscuring the butterfly, which I have removed for this oil painting. Painted on board 12x10inches

Those that like to fly around in old cars as they missed the train to school may be familiar with this view. Its looking down on the Glenfinnan viaduct that carries the West Highland line to Mallaig - made famous by the Harry Potter films. And no I wasn't in a flying car to get this view - I was climbing one of the surrounding peaks. It was February, it was damp and cold and I was about to enter the cloud base. I didn't get much further before turning back. I took the photo long before the films were made, and only now produced a 16x12 inch oil painting based on it. Was I tempted to add a flying car? Well no, as us muggles can't see them anyway.