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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Commission Landscape, Day 24 - 30 day challenge

Commission Landscape, Summer in Provence

Palette knife painting

30cmx80cm (approx 12x32inch)

On box canvas (1.5cm deep)

This was a commission for friends who wanted 'something bright' to fill a particular space in a dark kitchen, hence the size. That was my total brief! Luckily they loved it when they saw it. It's still drying and I am waiting to put on a coat of finishing varnish before they return to their holiday home mid October.

Though not strictly part of the 30 day challenge, I have spent most of today kicking my computer because some ******* had bundled some malware with a download I did this morning. So no time to paint today. Luckily, I have managed to sort it, so it will be all systems go tomorrow.

Field of Wildflowers - Day 21, 30 day challenge

Field of flowers

Palette knife painting

Oil on box canvas/6"x6"

15x15cm
SOLD

I had the urge to paint canopy pines the other day. The pines around here are not very prepossessing and a bit 'tatty'. The canopy pines. start after Cannes and the best ones are around St Tropez. So off we go on a drive. After being stuck in a traffic jam  just after Freyjus for well over an hour, we U turned and made our way back. The canopy pines will have to wait. It was not a completely wasted trip, I came across this field of wild flowers in the grounds of the Clos des Roses vineyard at Freyjus. So they had to become a painting of course!

Splendour in Death - Day 3 of the 30 day challenge

Splendour in Death

Oil palette knife painting

18x24cm (approx 7"x10") on MDF canvas panel

Available on Daily Paintworks

See yesterday's painting HERE

 

Whenever I go out and about I am always taking pictures of trees. My husband thinks I'm mad as often the trees are not 'picturesque' in themselves but there is something in them that catches the eye. With this one it was the way the dead branches played against the light of the sky and how, even in death, it supported life.

About this painting
The original painting had a secondary tree next to it

I thought I had almost finished so I put it on my stand for a dose of 'looking at' to see what final touches were needed. It suddenly struck me that it just didn't work. I asked myself "What is this painting about?" It was about the branches against the sky which was clouding over. I took my palette knife and completely wiped out the second tree and replaced it with more sky. It was a good reminder to not simply copy the photograph and to use your artistic license. What do you think? I think it works much better.

Some close up of the knife work

And how it would look in a frame

Cork Tree Work in Progress stage 2

Adding the highlights using yellow ochre pale mixed with white for the lightest highlights, and YOP mixed with alazarin crimson for the secondary highlights

Most of the shadows added using ultramarine blue and UB with alazarin crimson.
I like the turquoise from the underpainting that's peeping through in places and I think I will keep those.

The next step is to start on the foliage. I am pleased with the structure of the tree.

Next update tomorrow.

Contact me about this or any other painting HERE

Colourful Birches, Day 12 of the 30 day challenge and an offer

Colourful Birches

Gouache painting on canvas board

17.5x12.5cm (7"x5")

for the duration of the challenge

This painting is available for 35€ 

(it will revert back to the normal price of 55€ in Feb)

This painting has quite a story.

It used to be a gouache painting of birches (I know - it is still a gouache painting of birches!) but it just wasn't working. I hosed it down under the tap to remove the painting. As I was washing the old painting off, I paused and saw the wash of colours that was developing on the canvas. I loved the delicate meld of colours coming out. I decided to keep this wash and paint the trees over it using the same colours that had appeared in the wash.

For the trees, I used undiluted gouache laid on with a flat brush, mostly in a sideways stroke. The background is the untouched remaining wash. I am quite pleased with the painting.

NOTE
One of the benefits of gouache that is watersolouble and can be completely removed with water. If I had constinued washing the paint off I would have eventually got back to the original ground, although there might have been a few patches from the staining colours.

Day 4, 30 paintings in 30 days January 2014 challenge

Morning Light Silver Birches

palette knife painting

oil on canvas panel

18x24cm (approx 7"x10")

Available to purchase US$120 international shipping incl.

I actually got down to painting something new for the fourth day of the challenge.

Theme for the challenge
I have been trying to think of a suitable theme for the challenge. I came up with several ideas but couldn't narrow it down to something I would want to do for 30 days. The one thing I was adamant about, was I wanted to paint smaller than my norm (24x18cm) so that I could paint more quickly and leave time for continuing on a larger painting.

I ordered some super heavy liquitex gesso and had my 6x8" box canvases all stacked up waiting. The gesso arrived today and I found out that it takes a minimum of 24hours to dry! So I have fallen down at the first hurdle and painted this on my usual 18x24cm canvas panel.

So for the theme for my challenge is THERE IS NO THEME! I will just continue to practice and work on my techniques with ideas as they pop into my head, having fun along the way.

Today's Painting
This is a photo I took while out for a walk one morning in an area called Sherwood Pines. The sun was shining and although it was cold, it was a nice morning for a walk. You might ask -

"Where are the pines?"
Sherwood Pines is an old pine plantation right in the middle of Sherwood forest (yes THE Sherwood Forest of Robin Hood fame) where they grew pines for pit props. As the mining industry no longer exists, they are gradually replacing the pines with indigenous trees. The area has been converted for  leisure use with bike and walking trails and an adventure playground for the kids. A great use of the area.

Sherwood Pines revisited
You might remember my previous painting from the September challenge of another walk in the same area, see here

Some close-ups of the knife work

Much of the pink ground is left showing to add 'sparkle'

Some of the initial brush stroke block-in is left untouched

The foreground is left deliberately loose and suggestive

Day 2, 30 paintings in 30 days January 2014 challenge

Day 2 of January 30 paintings challenge
Provence Expressions

Palette knife painting

Oil on canvas board

18x24 cm (approx 7"x10")

Available for purchase $100, international shipping included

Thank you to all for your good wishes, I am feeling much better today but still not got into the painting frame of mind - although I am feeling not quite so sorry for myself LOL.

This is another painting 'I made earlier'. It is more expressionist than impressionist and, of course, full of colour. I am still finding realism tugging at me when I paint, so I deliberately tried to push the colours. The scene is from a combination of photos, with the typical trees and shed that define the landscape.

Some close-ups of the knife work

Provence Lavender palette knife oil painting

Provence Lavender

Palette knife painting

Oil on box canvas

23 x 30 cm (approx 9x12 inch)
Available in my Etsy Store

A different format and orientation for this small painting. I have lots of canvasses that have accumulated over the years waiting for inspiration to strike. I had already painted a ground on this in a mix of blue, pink and yellow horizontal blocks and then did not do anything with it. I noticed it again a few days ago and as the block in was horizontal, it suggested a portrait format, not the typical orientation for my landscapes. The light bulb went on and this is the result.
Here are some close-ups of the knife work

Champs de Lavande et Tournesols Provence Landscape palette knife painting

Champs de Lavande et Tournesols -

Fields of Lavender and sunflowers

Provence landscape palette knife painting

Oil on box canvas

15 x 20 (6x8") x 1.5cm
Available in my Etsy store

Take time out to Play

At the beginning of the week I was running out of ideas of what to paint and I was questioning my use of oils. I wanted to do something less representational than my normal work and had a hankering to create abstracts. 

I spent two days playing around with mono-prints as well as ink and gouache resist. I had never done either and I didn't quite know the techniques, so I read up on them and off I went!

I didn't produce anything worthy, but I had a really good time. Since then I have been re-energised. I have finished several small paintings, have plenty of good ideas milling around and I have finished my larger painting I posted last week (keep tuned tomorrow to see it).

Conclusion

Play is good for you.

Lavender Scent Palette knife painting

Lavender Scent Palette knife painting

oil on box canvas

15 x 20 (approx 6x8 inch) x 1.5cm
Available in my Etsy store 

 Today is a lavender day. 

Some close-ups

WIP The Smell of Lavender - Evolution o f a Provence Landscape

I am working on a larger landscape painting of the lavender fields and I have come to a bit of a halt because it is not quite working. This is where I am at at the moment

The smell of Lavender work in progress

54x46x1.8cm oil on box canvas

The olive trees gave me some bother so I wiped them and repainted them a couple of time, I am still not sure if I am happy with them but I will leave them at the moment until I resolve some of my other issues.

Perspective change
Changing the olive trees changed the perspective - at first I thought the far house was too small, but then hubby said it was the 'cabine' that needed to be larger. I decided to import the photo into photoshop and play a little before putting more paint on the canvas. Sometimes taking a break from the painting and working things out away from it can provide a fresh perspective,

Using Photoshop
I cutout the cabanne and moved it closer and enlarged it

A little bit of improvement, but the foreground wasn't working for me. What about a tree in the foreground?

More Photoshop manipulation
I cut out a tree from one of my lavender field photos and tried that

Not bad - obviously the colour of the tree would have to change, but it interfered too much with the olives.

Next I cutout the red scrub on the foreground ridge and played with that

Mmmm - not sure about that, I will probably do something in between the two.

I am also wondering if now that I have moved the cabine the conifers appear very heavy and blocky. I may decide to scrub them out.

I'll post my update tomorrow, but would love to hear your ideas in the meanwhile.

Winter Light - Oil on stretched canvas

Winter Light

Oil on stretched canvas

45x37 cm approx (18x15 inches)
Available to purchase HERE
325€ international shipping included

This was painted during a Johannes Vloothuis paint-a-long webinar earlier in the year. It was my first time painting snow and ice, brrrrr!

This painting is also available as a Christmas card on Greeting Card Universe

Scarlet Poppies Provence, palette knife landscape - Sold

Scarlet Poppies Provence Landscape

54x46x1.8cm oil on box canvas

Palette knife painting

I am delighted to say that this painting sold yesterday. After varnishing it will be on its way to Pittsburgh to brighten up someone's home.

If you would like to commission a similar painting, please contact me HERE

Isolated in Provence - Mini Landscape tips part 2

Isolated in Provence

Oil, palette knife painting

15x20cm (6x8inch) box canvas

65€ International shipping included

This is the finished painting from yesterday. Let's see if I covered all the points discussed:

• All four corners should be different.
  - The leaves solve the problem of the sky corners
• Things should not line up
  - I changed the shape of the mountain and added another layer to increase the sense of distance
  - The bottom of the fence posts do not line up
  - The foliage is no longer in straight lines
• Verticals should be an interesting shape
  - The tree has a few indentations and perhaps could be more 'gnarled', but I think the light on the trunk compensates for this. As this is a small painting, this should be sufficient.
• Ensure items of a group are different sizes
  - The fence posts are all different sizes and the cross braces are on longer in a straight line. Now I have uploaded the photo, I see the cross braces are parallel, but I think I shall leave this.

Contact me about this or any other painting HERE

Distant View oil palette knife painting

Distant View Autumn Evening

Palette knife painting

18x24cm (7x10" approx) Oil on canvas panel

Available for purchase, 85€ International shipping included.

I am gradually working through my 30 days hath September challenge paintings. Certain ones stand on their own but others need something extra. This was my painting for day 4 and I was using the Zorn Palette (here is the original post ). For regular readers of this blog, you will know that the Zorn palette and me do not mix (no pun intended!). I like the view, and have painted it a few times, so I decided to use what I had already done as an underpainting and make it more 'my style'. I still wanted to retain that 'autumn look' but give it more impact. I hope I have succeeded,
Comparison with earlier painting

Some close-ups

Contact me about this or any other painting HERE

Coastal Pines palette knife oil painting

Coastal pines

Palette knife painting

18x24cm (approx 7x10inch)

80€ international included

Rework
A slight rework and finishing touches have been added to this painting. It was one of my 30 paintings in the September challenge. The rework was mainly on the left hand tree which i felt was quite working. I pushed the foliage back by using more of a blue green, and I removed one of the branches which I felt cluttered up the tree structure. I am much happier about this one now. See the original post HERE

Gift Vouchers
 If you would like to give a painting as a gift, but are unsure of which one, I am now offering Gift Vouchers in different denominations - see HERE

Renoir's Olive Tree, palette knife painting

Renoir's Olive Tree

oil on canvas panel

palette knife painting

24x18cm (approx 7x10 inches)

Available by auction on Daily Paintworks see HERE

Last weeks weekly challenge on Daily Paintwork was 'Soooky Trees'. I have been meaning to paint the olive trees in the garden at the Renoir Museum in  Cagnes-sur-Mer for a while now and this was the perfect opportunity.

Renoir spent the last 12 years of his life in the villa that is now the museum. The garden has a lovely view of Haut Cagnes, the old hilltop village, as painted by Cezanne and many others. The garden has a magnificent olive grove with several gnarled olives that make for perfect painting subjects. Going by the girth of the trees, they must be several hundreds of years old.

Some close-ups of the knife work

 

Autumn Silver Birches. oil on canvas panel palette knife painting

Autumn Silver Birches

Oil on canvas MDF canvas panel
Palette knife painting

18x24 cm (approx 7"x10")
SOLI have slightly altered this autumn painting as the right hand tree was bothering me and never looked quite 'right'. I also added more oranges and reds to the central area and using heavy impasto with more colour on the silver birches to reflect those autumn colours.

Tip

For the bark, I used underpainting white for mixing the colours on the trees. This white is very thick and dries quickly and gives a lovely impasto effect.

Collage of some close-ups and previous painting

 Here is a collage showing some closeups of the knife work and the older painting for comparison.

Companion painting
 Autumn Explosion a painting in the same series can be viewed HERE