Varnish beading on Painting?

The picnic Spot

24x30cm (approx 9.5x12inch)

Gallery wrapped canvas

Varnished and ready to go

Available here

I like to let my oil paint dry as long as possible, so normally I don't varnish my painting until they are due to go to their new home. However, in anticipation of the Christmas sales, I've been varnishing some of my paintings so they can be shipped immediately.

I noticed that some of the varnish was 'beading'. Not a lot, but I had never noticed it before. After doing a google search I came across this article which explains that it is the surface oil causing it the varnish to bead.

Well.... I knew I was brilliant and now here's the proof LOL.
The cure is to wipe the painting surface with alcohol or ammonia. For years I have been using a mixture of the two for my general cleaning and I also use it to soften stubborn paint on my pallet. It's a brilliant cleaner and both the ammonia and alcohol are both disinfectants. The ammonia smell is a little off putting but you will never suffer from a blocked nose again! (The Victorians used ammonia in their smelling salts).

Here is the recipe I use if you are interested. You need
Cleaning alcohol
Ammonia
Washing-up liquid
Water

I make mine up in a large liquid washing detergent bottle.
Use twice the amount of alcohol to ammonia and double the volume with water. Add a decent squirt of washing up liquid.

I use this mix for floors (I have ceramic tiles).
For surfaces put some into old spray bottles, add some more water and another squirt of washing-up liquid.

If the ammonia smell is too strong for you, add more water.

It's cheap and very effective.

LET ME KNOW if you have ever had this problem and how you solved it.

Win my 2016 Artbymarion Calendar

ARTBYMARION 2016 WALL CALENDAR

Available Here

ARTBYMARION 2016 DESK CALENDAR

12€ shipping included

 Available Here

or contact me here

This is the first time I am offering mycalendar for sale. I usually create one each year for family and close friends. To launch my calendar, I am giving away two calendars, one wall and one desk, to subscribers of my Newsletter to say thank you to my collectors and followers for supporting me on my art journey.

My next Newsletter is out in a couple of days time, so sign up now for a chance to win. If you think your friends might like to see my art, please tell them about this chance to win a calendar featuring 12 of my paintings.

Red Field Provence landscape, palette knife painting

Red Fields

Oil palette knife painting

18x24cm (approx 7x10cm)

Available

One of my favourite scenes that I keep looking for new ways to paint. I used wax mixed into the paint so see if how it reacts and affect the impasto effect. I am always searching for ways to increase the impasto effect and use less paint LOL. I am still experimenting so will reserve my thoughts on the finish. For now I can say it gives a very matte finish and is easy to paint with.

Some close-ups

 

Lavender Farm Provence palette knife painting

Provence Lavender Farm

Oil palette knife painting

Oil on canvas panel

18x24cm (approx 7x10)

Available

Back to painting landscapes after the abstract florals and a few commissions and a week in the UK.
I kept it simple for this one and painted directly onto the canvas panel i.e. no additional gesso and no underpainting. It has a nice 'cleanness to it'.

A couple of close-ups

 

A Bouquet of Roses palette knife painting

A Bouquet of Roses

Oil palette knife painting

30x30cm on deep box canvas

Available

Still in a flower mood at the moment. I was tempted to go over, this while it was still wet, with a piece of card to mingle the colours more. Maybe next time!

Some Close-ups

On the wall

 

Abstract Flowers 2 in peach and red.

Abstract Flowers 2 by Marion Hedger in peach and red

Oil, palette knife painting

18x24cm on 3.5cm deep gallery wrapped canvas

No frame needed.

140€ International shipping included
Available 

 

A sister painting to yesterday's painting

 

The two together  

Abstract Flowers in peach and red

Abstract Flowers 1 by Marion Hedger in peach and red

Oil, palette knife painting

18x24cm on 3.5cm deep gallery wrapped canvas
Available

I have finished my commission and I am giving it a good dose of  looking at to pick up any changes needed to call it finished. After completing it, I was in the mood for some florals, and following on from my Namibia Impressions I tried an abstracted floral. I so enjoyed painting this that I have created a mini series of them in different sizes which I shall post over the next week or so.

About this painting.
I had a tube of Winsor and Newton liquin impasto gel purchased well over a year ago and never used. I watched a couple of  You Tube videos on how to use it as I wasn't sure of the proportions. The advice varied a lot from not more than 20% to as much as you want to achieve transparency. My feeling is that 20% would be about right as I wonder about the binding of the paint with more than this.

I mixed several piles of paint, a light cream, light pink, and light blue and added a very scientific measurement of a  'dollop' of the gel to each pile. It mixed in very easily but didn't seem to bulk up the paint immediately although after a few minutes the paint became quite. stiff.

Using a palette knife I laid the paint in random patches on the canvas. I then mixed the colours for the flowers and using irregular shapes added the flowers. Finally I finished off with ivory black at the bottom and some blue/purple. The bright blue patches indicate the light bouncing about.

I am unsure if you can use the impasto gel over paint that doesn't have it in. Does anyone know the answer to this?

A close up of the knife work

Autumn Colours palette knife painting

Autumn Colour

Oil on gallery stretched canvas

40x50cm x 38mm deep (16x20")

Available 

Lots of colour in this one. A larger painting based on a couple of my small 7x10 paintings. I used an older painting of a Renoir fruit bowl still life that I painted when I first started in oils. Talk about ambitious! I used the colours that I had on that painting to guide me for the colours in the background and I think it worked well. What do you think.

Some Close-ups

And how it looks on the wall

 

Autumn Beauty Commission

You may remember this painting from last year's 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. The original (see post here) was 24x30cm and sold almost immediately. Today I received a commission to paint this in a larger version, 50x60cm (20"x24") so I have been happy dancing all day.

It's a double bonus because I was wanting to paint a a large autumn scene and wondering which of my photos to paint from. This will get me back into the swing of painting larger pieces and who knows, I may be tempted to paint my 32"x 30" canvas I have been staring at for over a year.

It takes me away from this months challenge, put I will pick up the challenge afterwards to add more paintings for the Save the Rhino Trust fundraising.

Day 22 Namibia Impressions - Endless Horizons, Save the Rhino Fundraising

Namibia Impressions 22 Endless Horizons

30x30cm (12"x12") 

Oil on 3mm thick MDF canvas panel

Available 200euro, international shipping included

50% of the sale goes to the Save the Rhino Trust 

who patrol and monitor the desert adapted black rhinos of the Namib desert
Contact me about these paintings or to commission larger versions

Close-up

And how it might look framed

Day 15 Namibia Impressions - Etosha, Save the Rhino Fundraising

Namibia Impressions 15 - Etosha

30x30cm (12"x12") 

Oil on 3mm thick MDF canvas panel

Available 2 00euro, international shipping included

50% of the sale goes to the Save the Rhino Trust 

who patrol and monitor the desert adapted black rhinos of the Namib desert
Contact me about these paintings or to commission larger versions

 Close-up

How it might look framed 

 

Day 21 Namibia Impressions - Sunrise in the Kunene

Sunrise in Kunene

30x30cm (12"x12") 

Oil on 3mm thick MDF canvas panel

Available 2 00euro, international shipping included

50% of the sale goes to the Save the Rhino Trust 

who patrol and monitor the desert adapted black rhinos of the Namib desert
Contact me about these paintings or to commission larger versions

I've really fallen behind with posting my paintings for the challenge. I have been painting and now I have the photos I will be playing catch up with the posting.

About this painting

We headed off early in the morning to track the rhinos (we had a lot of early mornings on our trip - but it was all worth it). How lucky the rhinos are to have this vast landscape to roam around in. The Kunene is a desert landscape that is also very beautiful. 

Close-up

And how it might look framed

Day 14 Namibia Impressions 14 Horizon Shimmer, Save the Rhino fundraising

Namibia Impressions 14, Horizon shimmer 2

Oil palette knife painting

15x15cm (6x6inches) on box canvas
Edges are painted black

Available 60 euro, international shipping included

50% of the sale goes to the Save the Rhino Trust 

who patrol and monitor the desert adapted black rhinos of the Namib desert
Contact me about these paintings or to commission larger versions

Day 13 Namibia Impressions 13 The Beginning of the Journey, Save the Rhino fundraising

Namibia Impressions 13, The Beginning of the Journey

Oil palette knife painting
On narrow gallery wrapped canvas

400€
50% of the sale goes to the Save the Rhino Trust 

who patrol and monitor the desert adapted black rhinos of the Namib desert

Contact me about these paintings or to commission larger versions

I was taken by the colours on the ground as we flew over Namibia, the blues, purples, cyans and ochres had me fascinated. This is my version of that feeling. Some areas have lots of texture, others are smoother, it took a lot of paint.. The underpainting pokes through in places to add depth.

A close up

Day 13 Namibia Impressions 13 Work in Progress, Save the Rhino fundraising 30 paintings in 30

A work in progress. 50x60cm (20x24") on gallery wrapped canvase

We had a weekend of heavy storms and the light was so bad that I couldn't finish this one. I have a lot of catching up to do. That will teach me to include a large painting!

The bidding on day 11's painting 'Shimmering Light' is still open. Remember half of all proceeds go to Save the Rhino Trust Namibia.

Make me an offer

Day 12 Namibia Impressions 12 ACEOs, Save the Rhino fundraising 30 paintings in 30

Namibia Impressions 12 ACEOs Series 2

2.5"x3.5"

Gouache on watercolour paper over a watercolour wash

Will be Available in my Etsy store at 18 euro each
or make me an offer for all 6.

50% of the sale goes to the Save the Rhino Trust 

who patrol and monitor the desert adapted black rhinos of the Namib desert

Contact me about these paintings or to commission larger versions

Day 12 sees a group of ACEOs based on the coastal fog around the west coast of Namibia this time with a slightly different colour combination. 

 

I love these colours so much I couldn't resist offering a more affordable way to buy art. These miniature paintings look great framed or displayed on a small easel on a shelf. They look even better when two or more are displayed together. See my Pinterest board for ideas on how to display small format art.

How they might look framed

 

Namibia Impression Day 11 - Shimmering Light. MAKE ME AN OFFER fundraising

Namibia Impression Day 10 - Shimmering Light

40x50cm (16x20") 3cm deep

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas (staples on the back)

Edges painted black so can be hung without a frame

MAKE ME AN OFFER

This abstract is full of colour that play off against each other. The background is blended to give a smooth base with individual colours added using a palette knife to give texture. The texture has varying depth to add interest and  a 3D look. Can you feel yourself . traveling through the painting and into the distance?

I am asking for offers over 250€ on this, remember 50% of the proceeds goes to the SAVE THE RHINO TRUST, NAMIBIA

A Close up

AND HOW IT MIGHT LOOK FRAMED