Auction of Golden Days

GOLDEN DAYS

by Marion Hedger

Acrylic on Paper

Currently in Auction

I've recently put my Etsy shop on hold. I haven't been doing much with it just lately so instead of just letting it die a natural death as items came up for a renewal. I will reassess this sometime in March.

In the meantime I have rejoined Daily Paintworks as it is a site just dedicated to art so more relevant to an artist than Etsy. There is a fee of US$12.95 a month which will hopefully be covered by sales.
Take a look and if you think Daily Paintworks might suit you, the first month is free.

To kick-start my new involvement I have put one of my paintings up for auction starting at $110 or with a Buy it Now option of  $200 a saving of $50 off the normal price of $250.

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3 new totem pieces making a debut

3 New pieces making their debut at the Windsor Contemporary Art Fair last weekend. Here they are on the stand (Not a great photo but gives you an idea of their size, 120x40cm). I have yet to take proper individual photos and they are not up on my website yet.

It was interesting working in this long format. Your brain has to think different to get a good composition on a narrow long canvas. I found it very challenging (if you put the three together this would be my largest painting to date) but I loved painting this. When I thought I had finshed them, I hung them in the lounge so I could look at them before deciding if there was anything more needed. There was. The turquoise oil pastel did the trick and finished them off nicely.

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Not one, but two works in progress

I started two new works in progress yesterday, one large and one that's more my normal size. I'm working side by side on them so so far they have the same colours and similar mark making.

The larger one was given a coat of textured gesso (normal gesso with plaster added) because I love working on a textured ground. The smaller one.....

I fully intended to make a time lapse video but my tablet had run out of charge. I had the urge to paint and couldn't wait to get going with the paint. I started differently than normal - using a brush and not a palette knife and placing black marks for the composition, ensuring they were all of different sizes and led the eye around the canvas. I had a good couple of hours where the paint just seemed to flow. That is a glorious feeling.

The next stage is deciding where to take it with thicker paint and more control. I'm hoping that I can keep some of this spontaneity going, and now that my battery is charged, maybe I will do a timelapse.

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Lyon Contemporary Art Fair

Lyon Contemporary Art Fair Stand

Last week end saw me at the Art3f Lyon Contemporary Art Fair with my largest painting to date taking pride of place.

It's so hard to photograph the stand as it is 3metres deep and hard to get a good vantage point to photograph the walls properly. At the English art fairs I am used to having a longer stand where the side walls are 1m or 1.5meters long which I find is a much better way to display the art. But the smallest art3f stands are 3x3m. I feel it discourages visitors to enter the stand as, although there is 9 linear metres of wall space, it feels quite enclosed.

I have another art fair at Marseille the weekend after next, with the same stand layout so I will have to get used to it LOL. If you are in the area and would like tickets. Contact me

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A Nice Encounter

I returned home from two back to back artfairs in Newbury and Goodwood about a week and a half ago to a non-functioning internet, grrrhh which made even sending and receiving emails difficult, and forget about updating any sites and social media! The good news is, it started functioning again a couple of days ago, so fingers crossed I can now catch-up with all those things essential to being an artist.

 Art Fair Teething Problems

Both fairs were in new locations and the footfall could have been better at both. At Newbury the organisers gave out the wrong postal code and there were serious roadworks happening which also made it difficult to get to the venue. At Goodwood, the signage to the event was poor and the organisers gave the wrong closing times on some of the printed media. Such are the joys of attending art fairs. The true joy, of course, is in the comraderie of the artists and the  lovely conversations with the art lovers.

A Nice Encounter

One nice moment was when a gentleman, who was drawn to the colours in my paintings, stood in my stand looking for quite while studying them intently. I assumed he was another artist looking for clues on how I painted.

I started talking to him and he told me that he didn’t like abstract art but there was something about mine that drew him in. So we had a long discussion about what had drawn him to my paintings and that owning art is all about liking/loving what you see and wanting to live with it.

 I told him about how I try to draw the observer in and keep them ‘entertained’ on closer inspectiion. We had a lovely discussion.

He came back a couple of more times and also showed his wife. Unfortunately, no sale but, perhaps, I have created a chink into his ‘I don’t understand abstract art’ attitude and he will slowly start to appreciate it.

It’s these moments that make the hard work wothwhile.

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New Work - Going Larger

BREATHING MOUNTAIN

80X80cm (32x32inch) on 4cm deep box canvas

AVAILABLE

I am gradually adding my new paintings exhibited at the Surrey Contemporary Art Fair. This is one of the larger ones at 80x80cm. I have to be practical when working larger to make sure the painting doesn't exceed 80cm so it can fit in the car. I can go a little longer, so I might try a few longer ones for the next art fair.

In this painting I was trying to move towards using larger blocks of colour, with good contrast between the lighter areas and darks. The jewel colours of turquoise and orange intially draw your eye in but the sublety in the darks as well as the whites, keep you entertained. Here are some close-ups to show you the details:

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Winding Down after Surrey Art Fair

After the Surrey Contemporary Art Fair last week end, I'm taking a few days to wind down. We drove back in one hit (15hours) with my husband doing the major part of the driving. It was the first time I had driven since my hand op at the end of July so I was hesitant to drive, but I found it OK for short periods. it was all motorway driving, so not much strain on my hand. We were going to overnight near Lyon but, as that is only just over 4 hours from home, the temptation to plough on and sleep in our own be was too great.

I started attending art fairs this time last year at the same venue, Sandown Park Racecourse, and have since exhibited at Reading, Windsor and Cannes. They are large organised venues with the stands provided and prepared for the art.

The English art fairs have a great buzz to them and the comraderie between the exhibitors is great, with everyone cheering everyone else on and being happy when they make a sale (even happier when you make your own sale of course). The Cannes art fair did not have the same level of friendship between the exhibitors, but as that is the only one I've attended in France, I shall reserve judgement. One thing they all have in common is that the food is lousy and expensive but I've solved my coffee addiction by taking my own hot water and coffee.

 Last weekends fair was the worst one for me for sales out of all of them, a lot of interest. I have three more booked for the year, so I will assess at the end of the year. It seemed to be a mixed bag with some people doing OK but many also not selling much.

I do enjoy speaking to the art lovers who attend, and as the fairs are my only direct contact with potential customers, it's a good way to make contact in a friendly environment.

The amount of art and variety of art (all good as the artists are vetted first) is truly wonderful to see, so it is worth making the effort to attend as a visitor and spend a couple of hours looking at art and talking to the artists about their art and what type of art you like.

I am at Newbury and Goodwood in May and at Windsor in November. If you would like advance tickets to any of them, sign up to my newsletter as I send out invitations to all my subscribers before each fair.

Leave a comment if you would like more information about the fairs.

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website: www.artbymarion.co.uk

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Orange Miniature Treasures, Works in Progress

Orange Miniature Treasures by Marion Hedger

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas

6x6inch

More of the new series of 6"x6" miniature treasures. These will also be framed in white floater frames:

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Red Miniature Treasures works in progress

New 6"x6" Miniature Treasure Paintings Work in Progress

by Marion Hedger
Oil on gallery wrapped canvas

My previous series of Miniature Treasures were very popular at the Windsor Contemporary Art Fair last November.

I have another art Fair coming up in Surrey during March and have started on a new series for the fair. I'm using recycled canvases which have been sanded down to remove most of the texture created by the palette knife work. A small amount of texture remains which will add depth to the new painting.

These ones have red as their main colours and others (I shall post later) with orange. They will be framed in white floating frames like the previous ones

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Ending 2018 on a high ...

The last day of 2018 ended on a high. The gallery owner of the gallery I recently exhibited in purchased these two paintings for his own collection. In addition, a collector came to view her commission painting before I added the final finish and she loved it. Talk about being on cloud nine over the New Year!

Over the years, I have painted several commissions but this was my first abstract commission and quite nerve wracking as abstracts are more subjective. There was a bit of to and froing at the end to get the finishing touches exactly right but worth it.

Happy New Year to you all. Give yourself a toast and look forward to what you can achieve in 2019.

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website: www.artbymarion.co.uk

Keep up with my latest paintings and works in progress

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Windsor Art Fair - done and dusted

Windsor Contemporary Art Fair is done and dusted and we are back home again. This time we combined the trip to the Windsor Art Fair with a trip up to Nottingham for a family birthday celebration. The trip over was pretty unremarkable with the weather smiling on us all the way. The only bugbear was the crossing at Dartford which took ages with no obvious reason for the delay.

At Windsor, set up was Friday morning at the Racecourse. There is always a sense of excitement and anticipation when entering the building for the first time at an art fair and seeing all the blank stands, knowing that in a few hours beautiful original art will be on display.

Friday was private view time with lots of art lovers viewing the art with a glass of wine in their hands. The atmosphere was buzzing, and I was pleasantly surprised when the purchaser of my Prince's Trust painting introduced herself. This was closely followed by two collectors who were in the queue wanting to buy the Prince's Trust painting but just missed out. They both purchased one of my small mounted paintings. A big thank you to all three.

Saturday was also busy despite there being tremendous storms and I gained some new collectors. It is always satisfying to know that my art will be loved in its' new home.

Unfortunately, Sunday was a damp squid (literally) with no one really interested in purchasing, although I had a couple of nice conversations with people and interest from an interior designer.

All over for now, but already anticipating the Surrey Contemporary Art Fair next March

Some more photos:

 

Weekly News Update from Artbymarion

I'm at a bit of a loose end this week as I cannot paint and the heat wave is in full swing.

I attended the first Cannes International Contemporary Art Fair last weekend and will write-up my experiences to share with you maybe next week.

After the fair, I had a hand op last Tuesday for Dupuytrens contracture. It's a minor op as operations go, but it means painting is out of the question at the moment - I've been sternly told not to get my hand wet for at least two weeks. I can now move most of my fingers and so at least type with one and a half hands.

I've discovered I'm not very good working with my left hand, so I think some painting exercises with my left hand is in order to work on that right brain activity. It has given me a new appreciation of how lucky I am to have all my working parts and also have a new found admiration for things people with disabilities can do.

Works on Paper 

It's been a while (like years) since I seriously worked on paper and I wanted something to complement my works on canvas and panel to put into a browser at art fairs. A block of 14 rough water colour paper sheets were sitting in the cupboard and saying 'use me, use me'. I challenged myself to work loose and free and not be too precious and to use them as studies. Needless to say, I couldn't leave it at that and worked them up into full paintings. I'm very pleased how they turned out and manged to keep them loose and free in the main.

Here are a couple more images. The full range can be seen on my website

Social Media
The use of social media is both a blessing and a curse. Which one is best? How many should I have a presence on? Which ones do you use and what works best for you? I'll be interested to know;

At the moment I have a presence on Instagram, Facebook and my occassional blog posts - one of the things that has suffered due to time conflicts. My  pinterest account is also on the back burner as are a lot of the other bits. I will stay with Instagram for the time being as it's a platform I enjoy. I'm going to attempt some Facebook lives as well as posting the occassional photo, and will attempt to update my blog once a week. I tried Twitter but just didn't get it, I'm a dinosaur at heart.

Tuesday Painting Tip by Marion Hedger

Work in Progress

Acrylic/mixed media on paper

When getting close to completing a painting, looking at the painting through a mount helps to focus on the painting. 

It's quite amazing how different the painting looks and it helps to highlight areas needing more work. I will also leave the mount on as I'm putting in the finishing touches.

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Artwork Exhibition at View Gallery

Art by Marion Hedger

exhibition at View Gallery in Thames Ditton

There is still time to see this exhibition, it runs until the end of next week. Thames Ditton is a typical small English Village near Hampton Court Palace. Contact me or the gallery for information on any of these paintings.

Would you like something made exclusively for you? Let's discuss your requirements.

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website: www.artbymarion.co.uk

Keep up with my latest paintings and see my process

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Disrupted Narrative abstract art by Marion Hedger

DISRUPTED NARRATIVE

by Marion Hedger

Acrylic/mixed media

60x60cm Framed

Currently in View Gallery, Thames Ditton

AVAILABLE - Contact me

The idea of playing with the theme of 'broken narrative' appealed to me. I used pages out of an old paperback book to give the impression of snatches of conversation heard but not fully understood.
It is currently in the exhibition at View Gallery, Thames Ditton until June 18th.

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website: www.artbymarion.co.uk

Keep up with my latest paintings and works in progress
on Instagram @artbymarion

Come and See me in Reading

I am busy painting and getting ready for the Reading Contemporary Art Fair. I want to have some new work to show plus the stand this time is larger than the one I had at Sandown Park.

As last time, we will be driving up and taking two days, stopping at a hotel with a nice restaurant. It's amazing how tired and hungry sitting in a car all day can make you.

If you are in the area between the 20th and 22nd of April, pop in and say hi. I am on stand 6. I have some private view tickets for the Friday evening and complimentary tickets for the Saturday and Sunday. E-mail meartbymarion@orange.fr

Follow me on Instagram to see my works in progress and latest paintings.

Show and Tell at the Surrey Art Fair

Attending the Surrey Art Fair at the end of February was a new experience for me. It was daunting but also exciting. We took 2 days to travel from Nice to Surrey and two days back.
On the return journey we were lucky enough to be in front of 'The Beast from the East' storm all the way, although it was bitterly cold -9 degC at our overnight stop in Troyes. When we arrived home our garden was covered in about 2 inches of snow, with a part of the storm passing over the Alps and depositing snow in the PACA region. This is about a once in 10 - 15 year event but only lasts for a couple of days. Those of you who are used to very cold winters, will laugh at us wimps over here.

We spent a lot of time preparing for the hanging. I cleared a wall and used brown paper to get the general fell of the hand, and then the framed paintings, all the while on tenterhooks hoping the frames wouldn't get damaged. The preparation paid dividends when we got there as we knew exactly which painting went where with plenty of space where necessary.

The show went well with lots of interest and some purchases. I am doing it again towards the end of April.

Here are more images of the stand:

Most works are up on the website, but I have not been able to photograph them all get (computer problems once again!) They will gradually be added over the next couple of weeks.

I hope you are seeing signs of spring wherever you are in the Northern hemisphere. and your weather is warming up. Our daffodils are out and the tulips are going great guns.

New Work, New Year and New Venue

PASSAGE REVEALED

Mixed media

50x60cm (20"x24") on gallery wrapped canvas

Contact me direct for more information

The New Year has been a busy time in my studio. I have been busy painting away on a new series of work for an art fair at the end of February.

I seem to have a split personality as the new work falls into two camps - geometric and landscape based. The above painting is one of the more looser 'landscape' based ones and the one below definitely geometric.

SUBDUCTION

Mixed  media 

40x40cm on cradled panel

Contact me direct for more information

 Participating in an art fair is a new experience for me, and I am both excited and fearful at the same time. Let me know if you would like complimentary tickets. The venue is Sandown Racecourse, Esher Surrey (UK).

New Abstract Series Published

My first series of intuitive abstracts, 'Connections' are all up and available on my website. Click on the image to view larger version on my site. I am still working on adding more to my abstract portfolio and I think I might be getting a bit obsessed with the proces. I love adding layers and scraping away to reveal previous colours.

 

To keep up to date with my latest paintings (I added a new one today) as they are released, use the "Get New Art Alerts" link in the website menu.

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No Rules only Principles

Work in Progress (5012)

12x12in

Acrylic on 5mm board

In the course Nicholas Wilton always stresses that what he is teaching are PRINCIPLES not rules. They are there to be used and should underlie the art but they are only guidelines.

A piece of serendipity this morning when I read Brad Teare's interesting post on debunking the myths on rules in art. I am so guilty of this, I read something and think 'Ah yes, I must do that'. Sometimes it takes me a while to realise it is not my way or my style etc.