Preparing for summer - Fuchsia Basket 5x7inch

Fuschsia Basket

palette knife oil painting

5x7inch on gallery wrapped canvas 1.5cm thick

Available for purchase

Over the last week or so, I have been potting up my container plants ready for the late spring and early summer show. We had a few nice, warm days which always spurs me into action. Since then it has got a little colder and today we didn't see the sun at all. I know - I'm spoilt as normally our weather is so good.

As well as container gardening, I've been attempting to clear up my studio and even threw out a lot of earlier (bad!) paintings - I was really proud of myself! Maybe I'll treat myself to this lovely easel I found on pinterest

Looks good doesn't it?

Painting small, Daisy Trio Miniature Treasure oil painting

Daisy Trio

Palette knife painting

Oil on 4"x4" mini box canvas

Available for purchase

A sister painting to yesterday's painting, see here. These Minaiture Treasure paintings are fun to paint. It often takes a few tries (i.e. wiping off!) to get the right feeling for these small paintings. It's a balance between enough and too much detail.

My 'miniature treasure' paintings are small paintings, usually 4"x4" that I paint to warm up or if I only have short time to paint (although often they take longer ). The problem is that they are addictive to paint and so I start building up a series. Each one has the same heavy impasto as my larger paintings, click on the photo to enlarge it.

They are a great affordable way to start an art collection and will add spots of colour around the house. They can be framed or displayed on a mini easel.

White Daisies Miniature Treasures Painting

White daisies Miniature Treasure

Palette knife painting

Oil on 4"x4" mini box canvas

Available for purchase

My 'miniature treasure' paintings are small paintings, usually 4"x4" that I paint to warm up or if I only have short time to paint. The problem is that they are addictive to paint and so I start building up a series. Each one has the same heavy impasto as my larger paintings, click on the photo to enlarge it.

They are a great affordable way to start an art collection and will add spots of colour around the house. They can be framed or displayed on a mini easel.

They also make great gifts.

Peony posy oil pastel painting

Peony posy

Oil pastel painting on watercolor painting

5"x5"

Available for purchase

This is the third and final painting in this mini-series all from the same discarded watercolour. It's been fun painting these and it has reminded me that I should use my assorted collection of different media more often. I have found it refreshing rediscovering oil pastels. I have already gessoed some paper with black gesso ready for another series.

You may be interested in a previous oil pastel Work in Progress of calla lilies I painted over 3 years ago. This used a very different approach to these three.

How this painting might look framed

All three together.

Summer Posy oil pastel painting

Summer Posy

Oil pastel painting

5"x5" on watercolour paper

Available for purchase

This is the a continuation from yesterday's painting also using a section of the same discarded watercolor. I loosely laid in the areas of colour and once again used a cloth dipped in liquin to blend the colour. This beauty of using liquin is it's extremely quick drying time allowing the second layer to go on within minutes. This also helps to minimise the 'slippiness' that can occur when using several oil pastel layers.

About this painting
After blending the first layer with liquin. I laid in increasingly thicker layers of pastel in loose strokes. I use a back and forwards scribbly motions not distinct strokes. I wanted the painting to have a loose feel to it.

After leaving the painting to harden overnight, I added the final 'sugar' in the form of heavy pastel dots and highlights. I like the romantic look of this one.

How it might look framed

Flower Posy oil pastel painting

Flower Posy

Oil pastel on watercolor paper

5"x5"

Available for purchase 

It has been such a long time between posts on the blog, and I apologise for that. I haven't been blogging much at all over the last few months. I have just returned re-energised from a superb holiday in Namibia. This painting is inspired by an article I read in the UK magazine 'The Artist' by Soraya French - an artist I much admire - on oil pastels. I used to use oil pastels a lot after I had to stop using soft pastels and before I started painting in oils. Her article inspired me to get out my oil pastels and paint especially the part where I discovered that Liquin can be used as a solvent to blend the pastel for the first step.

Recycling old watercolours

I have been recycling a lot of my old watercolor paintings that didn't make the grade by cutting them up and reusing the paper for smaller paintings. Usually there are some nice washes that make a nice ground for floral paintings.

About this painting

 I based this painting on some of my previous painting and included some reflections which always adds something extra. I lightly laid in large areas of colour and blended the pastel with a cloth dipped in a small amount of Liquin. I left large area of the watercolour wash alone.

I have a mixture of various oil pastels for example Daler Rowney, Neopastel and Sennelier. The Sennelier are the creamiest and are superb for the last couple of couple of layer. I left it overnight to harden, and then added a few thick dots and dashes using Senneliers.

How it might look framed

Nodding Sunflowers and the 30 day collage.

Nodding Sunflowers palette knife painting

Oil on box canvas, 6"x6"x1cm deep.

Available in my Etsy shop

It's been awhile since my last post. I have been painting - participating in the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. I concentrated on landscapes with a few florals, and I have been been posting those on my daily paintings blog.

This painting was No. 16 in the 30 day challenge.
The sunflowers dancing across the painting reminding me of the sunflowers near the lavender fields.

The 30 paintings all together

 In the last few days I have been adding the finishing touches to some of the paintings. Take a look at them on Daily Paintworks.

Red Hibiscus - Day 19 of the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge

Jewel Red Hibiscus

Palette knife painting

Oil on box canvas with sides painted black

30x30x4cm / 12x12inch

See paintings for days 12 to 18

An alternate title for this painting was 'Before the Hail'. I painted this en plein air in my garden in brilliant sunshine. When finished, I took a trip to the shops. While there the heavens opened and we had a tropical downpour. What I didn't know was that a hail storm was happening at home. When I returned my garden was covered in white and many of my plants had been shredded by the hail, including this beautiful hibiscus.

Some close-ups

Magenta Oleander posy still life - Day 11 of the 30 day challenge

Magenta Oleander posy still life

Palette knife painting

15x15cm (6"x6")

Oil on box canvas

Available in my Etsy store

A companion piece to yesterdays painting. This time painted from life.

I looked around the garden for flowers and it is pretty bare of flowers at the moment. Normally in September the plants come back into their own after the summer, but we haven't had any rain in a while so it's lacking much colour. The Oleander however, is still flowering away. I have several, all different colours - I'm thinking of painting the pink ones to form a trio of small posy paintings. 

About this painting

Oleanders are difficult to paint, especially alla prima. I tried to just capture the form of the petals and the general attitude of the flower. The background has more light green in it than appears in the photo, to off-set all that pink. I'm musing on whether or not, the background behind the flower needs to be darker.

White Posy still life - Day 10, 30 paintings in 30 days

White posy still life

Palette knife painting

15x15cm (6"x6")

Oil on box canvas

Available in my Etsy store

I have kept up with the challenge so far painting mostly landscapes which I post on my Joy of Colour blog. Today I took a break from the landscapes and painted flowers. Initially it started out as roses, but wiped it out twice as it just didn't seem to be working. I substituted the white flowers (forgotten what they are called, but begins with p..) form my white roses bouquet painting.

I like the texture of the flowers in this.

This would make a great gift for a flower girl or mother of the bride.

Some close-ups

30 paintings in 30 days Challenge - Mia's White Roses

Mia's White Roses

Palette knife painting

24x30 (approx 10"x12") box canvas

Contact me here about this painting

I have joined up again for another 30 paintings in 30 day challenge (will I never learn?).
This is my first one, actually painted a few days ago because I knew I wouldn't have time today because of family being around for their annual holiday.

About this painting
These roses were a present to my granddaughter from a neighbour, who has almost adopted her as a her de facto granddaughter. 10 year old Mia was thrilled and so I painted them as a reminder and keepsake. The palette knife work gives the roses a lovely 3D effect.

Close-up of the knife work

A challenging challenge - Daisies and Cherries still life oil painting

Daisies and Cherries Still Life

Palette knife painting

Oil on narrow box canvas

25x30cm (10x12inch) x2cm

Contact me about this or any other painting HERE

A challenging painting for the Facebook Challenge from Evhe. Evhe post two challenges a month and this is the second time I have participated.
This is the reference photo

Quite a complicated scene and, as you can see, I simplified I always like to take part in these kind of challenges as I love the different way artists interpret the same scene.

 See my previous challenge entry here

Limited Palette Study - Cascading Roses, oil painting

Roses Limited palette study

Oil on canvas panel

15x15cm (6x6inch)

Available on Daily Paintworks

I used a limited palette of alazarin crimson, ultramarine blue and cadmium yellow medium plus titanium white.

Using my painting 'Over the garden wall' as a starting point, I wanted to see if I could bring the flowers to life with only the one red. I used Jackson's titanium white instead of my normal Winsor and Newton brand and was surprised at the lovely pink obtained as sometimes pinks can be a bit dull when using alazarin crimson. I worked quickly and very loosely as I didn't want any definition, and I like the spontaneous result obtained.

Challenge Painting - Summer Romance, Pink Roses still life in oil

Summer Romance

Palette knife oil painting

15x15cm (6x6inch) on box canvas 1.5cm deep

Bid by auction on DailyPaintworks

This little painting is in response to a painting challenge on Facebook hosted by Evhe. It is always good to get together with a group of artists and compare paintings. I am always amazed at how different the paintings can be when painted from the same subject. But then again, that is what makes painting such good fun.
I have put this painting up for auction on Daily Paintworks. The auction runs for 5 days after which the painting will revert to normal price.

Working loose at painting Peonies

Bowl of Beauties floral still life

Peony oil painting

20x20cm deep box canvas (1.5inch)

Edges painted purple

Painted with a palette knife.

Available on Daily Paintworks

I was the this month's host of the Plant Parade on Wetcanvas.com - a monthly flower painting challenge in the Florals and Botanical forum. I chose peonies as the subject with a challenge of painting them loosely.

Soft Edges
Obtaining soft edges with a palette knife is difficult, so I first painted the peonies followed by the background. Where I wanted soft edges, I swiped palette knife across the edge to soften it and mix the paint. Where necessary I added extra paint on the knife before swiping going from the petal into the background and sometimes vice versa.
Close-ups
Here are some close-ups showing this

Sunflower Duo Oil Palette Knife Painting 4"x4"

Sunflower Duo Oil Painting

Palette knife painting

10x10cm (4"x4") oil on panel

Available on Daily Paintworks

The edges of the panel have been painted black for display on a plate stand. Or the painting would look great framed.

White Hibiscus Palette Knife Painting in oils

White Hibiscus Palette Knife Painting

Oil on gessoed MDF panel

15x15 cm (6x6 inch)

Available for purchase in my Etsy store

 A companion piece to Pink Hibiscus 

   Close up of the knife work

Pink Hibiscus Palette Knife Painting in Oil

Pink Hibiscus Palette Knife Painting

Oil on gessoed MDF panel

15x15 cm (6x6 inch)

Available for purchase in my Etsy store

For this painting I looked through my photos of hibiscus to find some that had  an interesting angle, I then made up this flower arrangement. The impasto knife strokes add some lovely texture to the flowers.

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Iris Dancing Queens Final - oil painting

 Iris Dancing Queens

Palette knife painting

18x24cm (approx 7x10inch)

oil on canvas MDF panel

I worked on this a little more today, adding a few holes between the irises, some pink and more colour to the background. I am calling it done.

Contact me about this or any other painting HERE

Abstract Morning Glory in acrylics

Another blue flower painting, this time an abstract in acrylic.

Abstract Morning Glory

Acrylic 30x30cm (12"x12") on canvas board 

To Contact me about this or other paintings HERE

I used one of my own photographs to paint the basic outline keeping the design abstracted as much as possible. I then painted in the flowers and backgrounds also trying to keep the blocking in abstracted. I think it worked well and I am quite pleased with the way this has depth as well as 'flattened planes' -if you know what I mean LOL.