31 December 2016

My Personal Favourites of 2016

As 2016 draws to a close I would like to wish you all the best for 2017.
A huge thankyou for all your support and encouragement.
. You all allow me to continue in my art journey.

Here is a flashback to my favourites of the year. Which were yours?

Light Catcher
18x24cm

Shadowland
24x30cm

Bluebell Wood
24x30cm

Autumn Gold
24x30cm

Wildflower Fenceline
6"x8"

Lavender and Yellow
18x24cm

A Quiet Place
18x24cm






22 December 2016

Impasto Roses - SOLD

Impasto Roses by Marion Hedger

Old Fashioned
Roses still life palette knife painting
Oil Painting
24x30cm (approx 10x12")
Oil on canvas panel
SOLD
Sweet Memories - Roses still life
Oil Painting
palette knife paintings
 SOLD
 
 
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17 December 2016

Poppies Commission Painting

Poppy Trio
30x30cm (12x12) on MDF canvas board
SOLD

This painting was a commission painting based on a previous painting.

Coincidences do happen...

The orignal was painted a few years back and had no interest. It eventually sold at the end of last month. The next week I received a request for a new version of this for a commission. Funny how something can be ignored for ages and then suddenly two come along at once - a bit like buses.

My collector was so pleased with it, that he has requested another two slightly larger paintings...

The original Painting

He wanted a lighter background and the poppies to stand out more. Obviously he felt I had achieved what he requested. He's happy and I certainly am.

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09 December 2016

Varnishing Day

Paintings ready for varnishing

I normally leave my paintings as long as I can before varnishing so that I know the paint surface is nice and hard before I send them, and I usually varnish right before posting. I have a standard 3 day turnaround for sale to allow for that.

Of course, at this time of year there are always last minute orders so today I busied myself varnishing them plus some extras in anticipation... Monday is the last comfortable day to ensure they will arrive in the US/Canada in time for Xmas so the varnish should be nice and dry by then.


I like to use a satin varnish as I feel this gives a nice balanced semi-glossy surface which enhances the texture of my knife paintings. I make up my own mixture usually 1 part gloss varnish to 2 parts matt. My brand of preference is Winsor and Newton and I buy the small bottles which I tip into a jam jar which is the perfect size.

When I painted in acrylics I only used matt varnish which toned down some of the shinyness of the acrylics but nowadays, I find myself more drawn to the more glossy finish. Maybe I shall start using gloss varnish, but I feel that can be a bit harsh when the light shines on it.

What do you use? Do you varnish or not? Leave your comments below.




17 November 2016

Happy Dancing this week...


Autumn Joy


Autumn Gold


Poppy Trio

Overjoyed this week. These paintings have found new homes. Two in the USA and one in Hong Kong. Made in France...
Very international

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14 November 2016

The Tree House - Finished.

The Tree House
18x24cm 
Oil on 3mm MDF canvas panel

I am calling this finished. This is another of the challenge paintings from September. In fact it only needed a couple of small strokes to finish it off. These 'cabanons' are dotted all over the provence countryside. Many of them are in ruins and nature quickly takes over.

I am trying to stage my photos more professionally so I set this up and used my studio lamp which gives a blue light. It worked quite well, I think. I shall try this with some of my other paintings and see if I can reproduce it - but without the paint splattered easel LOL. Adds authenticity though doesn't it?

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10 November 2016

Who doesn't need more paint? A treat for myself...


Look what arrived today! Tubes of brand new paint from a new supplier.

These paints were recommended by Brad Teare an artist who I follow. I often listen to his advice, he likes trying new things and experimenting and that is right up my street ...  and who doesn't need more paint?

Read the interview with the manufacturer Walter Haas:

284: Interview with Paint Maker Walter Haas

and while you're on his blog read some of his other inspiring articles. And I love the title of his blog.

I'll  update you in due course.

03 November 2016

Provence Olives - Nearly finished

Provence Olives
Oil on stretched canvas
30x40cm

Work in Progress
Contact me about this or anyother painting

This one is nearly done. In fact I thought it was until I looked at it this morning. Now I think it needs some warmth in the trunks and maybe in the canopies. What are your thoughts?

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Autumn Gold - Vineyard painting and work in progress photos

Autumn Gold
24x30cm 
Oil on MDF canvas panel

I shared the start of this painting with you HERE.

I like the way the sunlit tree in the back cam out and gives me the effect that I see when the sunlight hits those leave.

Some more WIP photos




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01 November 2016

Website re-vamp. Take a look..

http://www.artbymarion.co.uk/

I have been working on my website to give it a brand new look. Some pages still need work, but click on the photo to hop over and take a look. If you like what you see, please leave me a like and/or comment below with your views. Your support is appreciated.

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31 October 2016

Autumn Vineyard painting inspriration and WIP.



I went hunting for autumn vineyard inspiration on Saturday and I wasn't disappointed. We travelled around the area between Les Arcs and Salernes in the Var and we weren't disappointed.

The Var has a lot more autumn colour than the Alpes Maritime, the area where I live, and, as we discovered, is much colder in the mornings. The day was beautiful, with sunshine and clear blue skies and luckily the temperature eventually reached 23 degC later, much more my type of temperature.

I have been inspired, with several paintings running through my head and I have started on one. Here is the underpainting - warning sunglasses needed!


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28 October 2016

Work in progress - reworking an old painting



I am reworking one of my old paintings that has been sitting in the corner for a few years. I came across it today and felt it had some good points and was worth using as a basis for a new painting.

I didn't take a photo before I started but remembered about half an hour into it. It will give you some idea of what the original looked like. I am sure I have a photo of it somewhere but I have changed computers twice (or maybe three) times since then. I wanted to start painting so will see if I feel like wading through my old backups later.

I like how the yellow tulips fade into the background of this photo. I will try to keep that effect, but will be surprised if I can resist putting more paint on!

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23 October 2016

Colourful Petunias - container flowers

Summer Container - Colorful Petunias by Marion Hedger
5x7 inch on gallery wrapped canvas
Oil painting, painted with a palette knife

This is painted from life. The local nursery always have some baskets planted up early in the season. I couldn't resist and bought 3 for the carport and front entrance. It is a nice sunny spot and they flourish there. Elsewhere I will have to wait a little longer.

There is something therapeutic about painting these small paintings full of colour. I am definitely 'in the zone' mixing the colours and playing (sorry carefully considering) with the placement of colour and what will work with what.

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22 October 2016

Provence Vines in Autumn

End of Summer, Provence Vineyard
by Marion Hedger
18x24cm (approx 7"x10")
Oil on canvas panel
Palette Knife painting

This painting is SOLD
Contact me to commission a similar piece

We are just discussing a trip to see the local vineyards which I like to do every year. I looked at previous autumn vineyard paintings to get my inspiration going.
 
These vineyards produce the delicious Provence Rosé the area is famous for. I painted these vineyards in the autumn last year after the harvest
Autumn Vineyards in Provence Montage
by Marion Hedger

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19 October 2016

Summer Garden completed and Latest Newsletter link

Summer Garden
Oil palette knife painting on 30x40cm gallery wrapped 

Studio News
This painting is featured in my latest newsletter as a special offer to my newsletter subscribers. Sign up now to keep up to date with my latest paintings.

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17 October 2016

Sunset over the sea

Sunset over the Sea
Oil on MDF canvas panel
18x24cm


This painting is a mixture of brush and palette knife. Here are some close-ups to show the texture.







And how it might look framed:

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16 October 2016

Shimmer colours of Olive Trees

Olive Tree Trio
SOLD
by Mairon Hedger
30x24cm (approx 12"x10")
Oil on gessoed panel
palette knife painting

This is one I painted a while ago.

Olive Trees
This is an amalgam of trees from different photos but I quite like the way it came together. I wanted to show how olive trees are blue, turquoise and green all at the same time, particularly if there is a slight breeze blowing.
It is slightly larger that the other four paintings (which can be seen HERE) and this allowed me to concentrate on the form of the trunks. I love the rough, tactile, gnarled bark of the olive trees, a product of the hard pruning they receive.

Niçoise speciality
Here around Nice the olives produced by the trees are very small, but they are delicious and are a Niçoise speciality. We have three olive trees in the garden but I have never preserved the olives as it takes ages to get them to the edible stage. Raw they are extremely bitter and have to be soaked in brine to be edible.

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13 October 2016

Throwback Thursday -Memories from Facebook, a blast from the past


Reflections
Soft Pastel on La Carte pastel card
Contact me about this painting


I was reminded of this painting today as a Facebook memory. It goes back six or seven years when I was painting with pastels. It's a painting I loved then and still like now. 

At the time I had just lost my Mum to cancer and I filled my time by taking some on-line pastel tutorials from Charlotte (Charlie) Hertzfeld on wetcanvas.com. Charlie kindly gave us her time to teach us how to use colour to paint light in a painting and this was my final painting on the course.  

Taking this virtual course really kick-started my art and made me take it seriously.

Although it is totally different from my style now, I still love this painting. 



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12 October 2016

Eye Popping Colour - Autumn Paintings Review

Autumn Beauty
Palette knife painting
oil on MDF canvas
24x30 cm (approx 10x12inches)
SOLD contact me to commission a similar painting

The weather has been much colder lately. We are still getting some sun in the day but apparently that changes tomorrow when the snow is expected to arrive in the Alps. The change in the weather has prompted me to clear out my studio so that I can actually work in it. During spring and summer my studio is the dump room for anything art related - and sometimes not.

The changing season has got me thinking about autumn paintings. I have already had one request for an autumn painting with reflections and so I looked through my archive to review my previous ones with fall color  - so I thought I would share the review.
Autumn Explosion Landscape
Silver birches in autumn
Palette knife painting
18x24cm on canvas panel 
SOLD contact me to commission a similar painting 
 
Autumn Silver Birches
Oil on canvas MDF canvas panel
Palette knife painting
18x24 cm (approx 7"x10")
 SOLD contact me to commission a similar painting
 

11 October 2016

Provence Pots and Geraniums - Rework



Provence Pots and Geraniums
Oil palette knife painting on canvas panel

This painting was no.13 of the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. I was quite happy when it was at this stage


But after looking at it for a couple of weeks the lower area of the wall and path needed more definition and the stem on the lhs really bothered me and I had to change it.

I covered the painting in liquin and let it sit for a few minutes to soften the paint surface so that the new paint would adhere better.

Next
  • I darkened the wall by adding more purples and blues.
  • I painted over that stem and put in a new shorter one more to the left and a  suggestion of another small geranium head to breach up the angle of the leaves.
  • I altered the colours in the background removing that bright turquoise colour which was jarring
  • I darkened some of the flowers and added highlights to others.
I think I prefer it much better now - what do you think?

Close-up of the knife work



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