Diagonal Poppies

Diagonal Poppies
Oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm,  commission

I've called this Diagonal Poppies because of the composition (the flower heads rise diagonally into the sky as you go from left to right), although it also, effectively, "Cottington's Poppies 5". The image, though it represents a very specific place, is a composite of several source images, and I wanted to make sure that it was a strong image (hence the geometric design) that was distinct from previous treatments of the same subject.

Here are the "in-progress" shots:




The hill in the background is Cottington's Hill, upon which sits our local radio mast, Hannington Mast. The mast is, unsurprisingly, a local landmark, and its inclusion was requested by my client. The daisies were also specified, and are based on the chamomile found in the field from which the view is taken.

• Click here to see other Cottington's Poppies paintings
• Click here to see other Poppy paintings
• Click here to see other paintings sharing the same location

Cross Path

I had a busy day yesterday, but I had promised myself a walk and a plein air paint.

Cottington's Thistle

Of course, this isn't a variety of thistle called Cottington's - the name refers both to the hill (with the radio mast atop it; a local landmark) and to my previous paintings of poppies in a similar location.

Cottington's Poppies 4

This was painted as a gift. It occurred to me that a small painting with just one or two poppies would work well; the recipient is local so I made sure to indicate the location with the radio mast (a distinctive landmark); and because I wanted to be able to give the painting quickly, I used acrylic.

Much as with Fire Hydrant, the background was painted conventionally (with a brush), while the foreground - the poppies - were added with a knife.


Acrylic on canvas, 5 x 7"

Poppy Box Complete: Base

Cottington's Poppies 3 (AKA Poppy Box, on account of its deep-edged stretcher) is finally finished! I had to wait for the sides to be touch-dry before I could turn it around and paint the base, which is what you can see in the photograph above.

Poppy Box in detail

I couldn't resist sharing this one with you; there's Stormy Poppies (Cottington's Poppies 1) in the background! And you can see where I've painted (part of) the edge of the latest one, too.

Here are a few more close-ups and edge views:

Poppy Box in progress

I didn't share any in-progress shots with you on the "very-nearly-finished post" - so here they are:

Cottington's Poppy Box (Cottington's Poppies 3)

Please excuse me for posting an unfinished work.

Cottington's Poppies 2 - mini version

This was meant to be an oil painting done with a knife on a 30 x 30" box canvas. But the big box canvas hasn't arrived, so I made a miniature version instead. In acrylic, with a brush.

Cottington's Poppies - SOLD

Well, the poppies don't belong to Cottington - not as far as I know, anyhow. But that is Cottington's Hill in the background (Mr. Cottington did build a big house up there, but the house is gone, now, and the most significant structure on that hill now is the TV and radio mast that can be seen on this previous painting). No, these are wayside poppies, growing on the field margin - in this case, a wheat field.

Cannon Heath Down: Prehistory

Modern Cannon Heath Down: a view along the Wayfarer's Walk
and gallops, towards Cottington's Hill. June 2011.

Cottington's Hill

 

After I'd finished the view of Watership Down, I turned round and painted Cottington's Hill, upon which is our local TV and radio mast, Hannington Mast. You can see my favourite patch of access landon this image; the slope directly below the mast is Stubbington Down, from which I made several paintings of Cannon Heath Down.

Oil on canvas, 12 x 9"