Hadrian's wall, Northumberland (2015) Original Oil Painting by Michael Mullen

The old wall lies behind the stonewall and shows 3 figures walking away along the ancient wall. Built to keep back the barbarians from the most northerly part of the Roman empire, it went from the Tyne to the Solway Firth. It has seen bloodshed and conflict over the years, from the foreign mercenaries many miles from home who guarded it 2000 years ago, the constant English/Scottish rivalry and the feuding of the Border Reivers.
Although it is set in an area of spectacular beauty, I've tried to express something of the almost disturbing, unsettled spirit associated with the area by applying slightly distorted perspective/colours and by using course texture. The texture of the cotton canvas comes through in many areas, complimented with the courser textures created with modelling paste, oil paint and liquin impasto The painting is made up of many glazed and scumbled layers. It developed over several weeks over an original fairly natural colour scheme.

Materials used:

oil paint, modelling paste, liquin original and impasto, duck cotton.

Details:

• Oil painting on Canvas
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 61 x 72.5 x 1cm (unframed) / 61 x 72.5cm (actual image size)
• Ready to hang
• Signed on the front
• Style: Impressionistic
• Subject: Landscapes, sea and sky