The Tree House - Finished.

The Tree House

18x24cm 

Oil on 3mm MDF canvas panel

Available

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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Provence Vines in Autumn

End of Summer, Provence Vineyard
by Marion Hedger

18x24cm (approx 7"x10")

Oil on canvas panel

Palette Knife painting

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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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Summer Garden completed and Latest Newsletter link

Summer Garden

Oil palette knife painting on 30x40cm gallery wrapped 

AVAILABLE ON MY WEBSITE

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Shadowland Updated and WIP photos

Shadowland

24x30cm oil on canvas panel.

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The 30 painting in 30 days challenge has finished - Well it finished at the end of September of course, I have just been a bit slow in collating all my paintings and posting.


The 30 day challenges are fun and it really does make you think about painting and producing art. Some work out and others are not so good but it is the palette knife (or brush) miles that count. I included more larger paintings than my usual 18x24cm than I normally do to allow myself more freedom - sometimes making a composition fit on the smaller boards is difficult, especially if, like me, you have a tendency to put in too much detail. Consequently I had a many more not quite finished paintings than normal.

I am gradually working my way through them adding the final touches. I shall share these as I go along.

Today's painting is 'Shadowland'. It needed more work on the shadows and some touching up on the background colours. I am now happy with it and it reminds me of the day we walked through the dappled shadows in the woods at Chateau la Coste.

Here are some work-in-progress photos:

The Tree House, Day 20 of the 30 paintings challenge

The Tree House

Provence Landscape

18x24cm oil painting on MDF canvas panel

Day 20 of the 30 day challenge

These cabanons dot the landscape in Provence. Many of them have been left to the elements and are in variouos stages of collapse. This one with the tree growing through it caught my eye.

My 30 paintings in 30 days challenge

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Away from the Heat, palette knife painting

Away from the Heat

24x30cm (approx 10x12inch)

Oil palette knife painting on MDF board.

AVAILABLE

See Yesterdays Painting in the challenge HERE

The title says everything. This is our bolthole when the heat gets too much in the summer months.

My 30 paintings in 30 days challenge

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Poppy Meadow Provence, day 10 of the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge

Poppy Meadow Provence

Commission Painting after another painting I painted about 2 years ago

My 30 paintings in 30 days challenge

See yesterday challenge painting here.

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Summer Garden palette knife painting

Summer Garden

by Marion Hedger

Oil palette knife painting

30x40cm on gallery wrapped canvas
Day 9 of the 30 paintings challenge

This is the same garden as the one in this painting. It is not quite finished but I can hold it for you and give you first option to buy if it appeals to you.

Close ups of the knife work.

Lavender and Yellow Provence, Day 5 of the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge.

Lavender and Yellow Provence

by Marion Hedger

Day 5 30 paintings in 30 days challenge

18x24cm, oil on MDF canvas panel

AVAILABLE on my website

This is a scene from our last lavender trip. We were in a different area than normal and some of the hillside were covered in brilliant yellow which contrasted so well with the lavender. This is a study in not over-working and keeping it loose with a larger painting in mind. 

By the way - the yellow was broom in full flower. Wonderful.

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Hollyhocks in Provence. Sept 2016 Day 1 30 paintings in 30 days challenge.

Hollyhocks in Provence

by Marion Hedger

18x24cm (approx 7x10")

Oil palette knife painting

Day 1 of the 30 in 30 challenge 

AVAILABLE

In this year's trip to the see the lavender we stayed in a small village called Banon. They had this lovely garden which was awash with hollyhocks and located up the hill wil a beautiful view. A peaceful place to sit and contemplate the view of the surrounding country side. See my previous post here.

Reaching for the Sun palette knife painting

Reaching for the Sun

Provence Sunflower painting

18x24cm (approx 7x10)

oil on 3mm MDF canvas panel

AVAILABLE

After my recent trip to the lavender and sunflower area I had the impetus to finish some paintings started last year. The sunflowers were much smaller and blooming later than normal and did not give their usual showy display. Luckily, I have the photos from last year to remind me. Often the sunflowers are way ahead of the lavender, but probably because of our cold spring this year they will need another couple of weeks. Maybe a good excuse to go on another trip.

About this painting

Another re-invigoragated painting by painting into a wax and liquin mixture like yesterday's painting. 

Here are a couple of close-ups to show the texture

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Lavender Wonderland oil palette knife painting

Lavender Wonderland by Marion Hedger

palette knife painting
Oil on artist quality 3mm thick MDF canvas panel,
Size = 30x 30cm (approx 12"x12") 

AVAILABLE

An impressionistic Provencal landscapes painting featuring the scenery of Provence, France and showing the Lavender fields marching up to the distant mountains. Imagine you can smell the lavender and feel the peacefulness with only the buzzing of the bees to disturb the quiet.

About this paintinng
The thickly applied strokes add texture and movement to the oil painting, a modern use of impressionism. It is painted loosely to give a lively feel and movement to the painting and show off the colours.

I actually started this painting last year, and in anticipation of my recent annual trip to the lavender fields, I had a sudden impetus to finish it!

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The Bus Stop, St Paul de Vence work in progress update 2

A little further along the way with this one. I have had to put this on hold for now as I have several commissions to fullfil. Hope to continue on it soon.

The Bus Stop St Paul de Vence - Work in Progress

I have not painted many (in fact only two here and here) scenes of local village St Paul de Vence. I don't know why - it is a very picturesque perched village and one of the most visited. I have lots of photos, of course, and it is about time!

This is the local bus stop for returning to Nice. It is located on a tiny bit of path and near a corner. In summer there are crowds of tourists trying to get on the bus. - Sorry for some reason the photo is not good and does not show the colour variations in the shadows well.

I am trying to capture the heat of the afternoon, as it get extremely hot waiting for the bus and test the patience of even the most patient of tourists!

A little further along the way...

 

Spring Vines in Provence oil pastel painting

Spring Vines in Provence

Oil Pastel landscape painting

20x15cm (approx 8x6")

On black card coated with pastel ground

Purchase information

It's always a nice drive through the vineyards and one of my favourite things to do. In the spring time the bright greens give a lively impression bursting with life full of promise for the next harvest.

About this painting
I coated the card with colorfix primer which gives the surface a tooth that the oil pastel can grip onto. It allows layering with the oil pastels without mixing.

I used harder pastels, mostly galleria to begin and finished off using Sennelier oil pastels. The Senneliers are soft and buttery and 'sit' on top of the harder pastel.

How it would look framed

Purple Sea oil palette knife painting

Purple Sea

Oil palette knife painting

18x24cm on 3mm canvas MDF panel

Available for purchase

Back to my beloved lavender scenes. I was getting purple withdrawal symptoms!

Painted from photos of the Valensol plateau which is awash with purple in the summer.

About this painting
This painting includes a version of the trees I was sketching previously see here. My husband commented the other day that my lavender paintings always look like you are looking down on them. Well that's right! The best vantage point to take the photos from is the verge which is usually higher than the road and gives more of a view and raises the horizon line.

I used a pink ground here and allowed it to poke through in places. The finishing touch was splattering paint over the foreground.

Some close-ups

Wonderful Lavender, Palette knife painting.

Wonderful Lavender Palette knife painting

40x50cm (16x20") oil on gallery wrapped canvas 2cm deep

 Available for purchase

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I'm not doing very well with the challenge. I seem to have run out of motivation and could not get really get into the mood for painting over the last few weeks. I started this painting sometime before Christmas as I had the urge to paint larger than my norm,  and yesterday my motivation seemed to reappear. I added some finishing touches and I am now calling this one done. Perhaps now I might complete some more paintings for the challenge.

About this painting,
I left the foreground very loose and washy and resisted the temptation to add more to it. I like the contrast with the more texture on the rest of the painting.

Some close-ups

Wildflower Confetti palette knife painting in oil

Willdflower Confetti

Palette knife painting

15x20cm (6x8inch) on 1.5cm deep box canvas

The edges have been painted black so a frame is unnecessary.

Purchase information

This is another painting of the wildflowers that we came across last July (see here) from a different view point and different treatment.

Some close-ups

Lavender Guard, Day 29, 30 day challenge

Lavender Guard

Palette knife painting

18x24cm on Canvas board

WIP

I was drawn to two trees standing guard by the side of a lavender field. They stood out from the flatness of the lavender fields all around them.

About this painting

Sometimes paintings fight against you and this was one of them. I started out with the two trees but decided it was too busy, so I totally wiped the painting and concentrated on the one tree, which was the one I wanted to paint because of it's twisting branches. I struggled though and now it looks over-worked. I need to decide whether or not to try to rescue this one or just bin it and start again. No painting is a total disaster, and I can take forward some of the ideas from this one.

Suit Home Handy Man - Day 27, 30 day challenge

'Suit Home Handyman'
Abandoned building Provence

Palette knife painting

Oil on 40x50x4cm box canvas (16"x20")

Available 95€, international shipping included.

There are many abandoned buildings amongst the lavender fields. What are their stories? What were they for? dwellings? stock? storage? Why does no-one care? Why are they still standing? Too many questions and no answers.

About this painting
I have lots of photos of abandoned buildings of one sort or another because I think they are interesting, but have never used them in a painting. I cropped the photo but as I started painting, realised I had not cropped it close enough so I had to increase the size of the building. I still have to fight my tendency to put in too much detail, the painting was about the building so I concentrated on that.

Some close-ups showing the layers of paint

And how it would look in a floating frame.