Lavender and Olives, Provence Palette Knife Landscape Painting

Lavender and Olives, Provence Landscape Painting

18x24cm (approx 7"x10")

Oil on canvas panel, painted with a palette knife.

SOLD

The lavender blooms and is harvested at the start of July. To extend the season many lavender farms also grow olives. The contrast between the purples of the lavender and the turquoisey blues of the olive trees make a nice colour combination. Painted with a palette knife on a pink ground which is allowed to peep through in place to add liveliness to the painting.

Another view of the lavender fields can be seen HERE

Mini Landscape studies (6"x6") collage

Mini Provence Landscapes Collage

Here are all three together and with better photographs. The left two were painted with a palette knife and the right hand side one with a brush. On the right hand one I used a multi coloured background (warm colours for the lights and cool colours for the shadows), the other two were painted on a pink ground. I like all three, but the left hand one speaks to me more. I also see a lot of potential for the right hand style.

Let me know which one you prefer, and why. I'd love to hear from you.
Here are the links to the individual paintings
Meandering Path
Into the Distance
High Plain Meadow

High plain meadow, oil painting

High Plain Meadow, Provence landscape

15x15 cm (6"x6") Oil on canvas panel
SOLD

This is the third study in the series, painted on a pink ground and using a large brush. I left the brush strokes showing and tried to use the mantr "a brush stroke laid is a brush stroke layed", that is NO FIDDLING. This is harder to do than you think. Even now I still have to resist the temptation to add more. As a study I'm trying to leave it alone. Although I quite like the effect, I am not sure I could do this on a larger piece, but it is the first step along the way.

The other two paintings can be found HERE and HERE

Into the distance - a few changes

Into the distance, oil palette knife painting

15x15cm (6"x6") oil on canvas panel

Click HERE to purchase

I slightly tweaked the painting (see original post HERE) as I felt the sky was too dark and the flora in the shadows too light blue, causing a 'stacking' effect between them and the sky.  I am happier with it now.
Here are the two minis together:

Some like it hot - still life in oils

Some like it hot still life palette knife painting

20c20cm (8"x8") oil on canvas board

This is another rework. Initially painted with a brush, I just couldn't get the effect I wanted. I left is aside for a while and last week I reworked it using impasto paint and a palette knife. Although not too bad before, the rework has added 'oomph'. There is something satisfying about reworking a painting, maybe it's because there is nothing to lose and the painting is no longer 'so precious' so there is more freedom to just go for it.

Into the distance, 6"x6" Landscape painting

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Into the distance, Landscape painting

15x15cm (6"x6") oil on canvas panel

Palette knife on a pink ground 

The second of my mini trials. This time I used an underpainting using cool colours for the dark tones and warm colours for the lights. Again everything is suggested. Unfortunately, and I left a lot of the underpainting showing.

Unfortunately, the photo shows the purple as quite light - I will have to try to get a photo with a truer colour.

Here are the two paintings side by side

Which one do you prefer?

Meandering Path, palette knife painting in oils

Meandering Path, Landscape painting

15x15cm (6"x6") oil on canvas panel

Palette knife on a multi-coloured ground 
To purchase this painting CLICK HERE

These small sized paintings are great for trying different things. They are large enough to give a good effect and small enough to quickly complete. I painted three of the same scene trying different techniques. This one is painted with a palette knife and painted onto a coloured ground of cool colours for the darks and warm colours for the lights. I also wanted to work on my tree technique - trying not to be too detailed but with enough information. I also just wanted to suggest the foreground. I quite like the result where everything is just suggested, leaving much to the viewers imagination.

I will post the other two over the next couple of days.