Valentine's Day Roses Throwback Thursday

Valentine's Day Roses

30x30cm

on 1.5inch box canvas

SOLD

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Needs no water and lasts forever...

Red, White and Blue Floral Still Life

Available

Spring Daffodils

Available

Almond Blossom

Available

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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Today's Garden Inspiration - Red roses

Close-up Crop of Work in Progress

And the Inspiration...

A climbing red rose.

These roses are beautifully formed and have such a wonderful scent.

St Paul, the area I live in, was renowned for its roses. Apparently the hillsides were all covered with rose nurseries and supplied the perfume trade in Grasse. It's surprising that they grow so well as roses are not normally associated with a Mediterranean climate due to the hot summers. We do have quite a bit of rain in April and often into May which probably bolsters them up for their moment of glory.

Here are some photos from an annual rose festival two weeks ago.

Garden Art Photo Inspiration and WIP

April until June is the nicest time in my garden - first the daffodils start nodding their heads, quickly followed by the early irises and tulips. After tulips come the poppies and then the bearded irises. The colours range from the yellows of the daffs, the reds of the tulips and poppies, through to the purples and blues of the irises.

At the moment the pinks and reds in the form of climbing roses are taking center stage and I took these to images as my current painting inspiration.

The top image a teaser for the pink rose painting I am working on at the moment. It's nearly finished so all will be revealed tomorrow.

Rescuing a painting - Red White and Blue Rose painting

Red White and Blue, Red Roses still life painting

38x46cm (approx. 15x18inch)

Palette Knife Painting

Available on my web site 

Just lately I have been trying to assess my older paintings especially those on stretched canvas. I have also started throwing out some of my older paintings on paper and cardboard canvas board. In the process I have come across some howlers (I was keeping them WHY!), some not too bad and allowed me to see my progress and some that were worth further work. This was one of them.

I started this one, and almost finished it, when I first started using oils. I tried to look at it with a fresh eye, and although it looked a little flat and dull (probably to not using enough paint) I decided it was worth working on.

This is how it looked before

STEP 1
I gave the surface a good scrape with a palette knife and cleaned it with my patented formula (see post about Varnish Beading and allowed it to dry.

STEP 2
I mixed some cold wax and Gamblin Solvent free get in a ratio of about 40%wax to 60% gel and coated the surface of the gel in an even surface.

I saw this demonstrated on a video by Brad Teare an artist I admire and who shares so much information, have a look at his blog THICK PAINT

STEP 3

I loaded up the palette knife with paint and attacked the surface.

The wax/gel mixture holds the stokes well but allows blending when necessary. It can get a bit 'slippy' if too much is used, but i have used this technique a couple of times when I have lost my way with a painting and have let it dry. It rejuvenates the surface and allows changes to be made, it also adds body to the paint - great for impasto work. The wax is matt and the gel has a gloss finish, together they give a nice satin finish to the painting.

 Some Close-ups of the surface - click to enlarge

Let me know if anyone else has used this technique and your thoughts on it.

Thanks for reading
Marion

Peach Roses, oil Palette knife painting

Peach roses oil painting

Palette knife painting

Oil on box canvas

15x20cm (6x8inch)

Day 26 of the challenge

Beautiful roses for day 26 of the challenge (only 4 more days to go)

I am not sure about this painting, it doesn't quite work for me, although the roses have some lovely impasto passages on this. I wonder if the background is just to fussy. I may go back into it and calm it down giving it a more even colour - or maybe there is just too much in this for a small painting?

Let me know what you think about this one.

WIN A MINI TREASURE PAINTING
I am currently preparing my first Newsletter which will go out at the end of this month. To celebrate this, I am holding a raffle for the sunflower miniature treasure painting. All you have to do is subscribe to my newsletters which I plan to isuue once every month - see the side bar for the subscription box. The draw will be held on the 7th February and the winner announced on the 8th.


Some close-ups of the impasto

Mini treasure, Rose flower arrangement No.4 Palette knife painting

Mini treasure flower arrangement No. 4

Palette knife painting

Impasto oil

10x10cm (4x4inch) on box canvas
Can be hung without a frame
This is painting No.21 in the 30 day challenge

Available for purchase

This is the fourth and final miniature treasure of this series. Here is the collage of all four.

 This was a fun little series to paint, but it is now time to move onto something else.

A close-up of No. 4

Mini treasure flower arrangement 3 Palette knife painting

Mini treasure flower arrangement NO. 3 

Palette knife painting by Marion Hedger

Impasto oil

10x10cm (4x4inch) on box canvas
Can be hung without a frame
This is painting No.20 in the 30 day challenge

Available for purchase

This is the third painting in the series (I have one more which I will post tomorrow)

INSPIRATION FOR THIS PAINTING
Like yesterday's, and the day before, this painting was also inspired by the flower in painting No. 17 Summer Light
Rose still life flower arrangment No.2
Rose still life flower  arrangement
Summer Light still life after Henri le Sidaner


Collage of the series so far

CLOSE-UP OF No. 3

Rose still life arrangement No. 2 Mini treasure Palette knife painting

Rose still life arrangement No. 2

Mini treasure Palette knife painting

Impasto oil

10x10cm (4x4inch) on box canvas
Can be hung without a frame
This is painting No.19 in the 30 day challenge

Available for purchase

This painting is painted with thick impasto paint on a yellow ground. It's funny how an idea can spark off several paintings, especially when I have been procrastinating for so long about using these small canvasses. That's one of the good things about participating in a challenge like this, it makes you think outside of the box.

INSPIRATION FOR THIS PAINTING
Like yesterday's painting, this on was also inspired by the flower in painting No. 17.
Rose still life flower arrangement
Summer Light still life after Henri le Sidaner

CLOSE-UP OF THE KNIFE WORK

Rose still life flower arrangement Mini treasure Palette knife painting

Rose still life flower arrangement

Mini treasure Palette knife painting

Impasto oil

10x10cm (4x4inch) on box canvas
This is painting No.18 in the 30 day challenge

This painting is now SOLD

This painting was inspired by the crop of the flowers in yesterday's painting.

I have had these 4"x4" canvases sitting around for a long time and never knew what to paint. When I saw the crop yesterday, it spoke to me and voila!

Stay tuned for another mini treasure tomorrow.

Here is a close-up

Impasto Roses, two still life oil paintings

Old Fashioned

Roses still life palette knife painting

24x30cm (approx 10x12")

Oil on canvas panel
Available for purchase, 120€ 
international shipping included

Sweet Memories - Roses still life

palette knife paintings

24x30cm (approx 10x12inches)

Oil on canvas panel 
Available for purchase

120€ international shipping included. 

 

Please visit my floral blog for more detailed info on the process