#468 Pink Peonies

I wanted to get the colours as vibrant a possible so kept mixing until they we’re bright enough - I used Magenta to help with the intensity. Peonies are such happy flowers!! 🌸

Oil on board 10x10"

#461 Daisies & Peonies

Daisies in Blue Jug 8x8"

I have rather neglected the blog recently having returned from London and my solo exhibition to distributing sold paintings and sorting out framing for people plus getting ready and taking part in the Open Studios its all go!

So here is a combined post of two recent flower paintings.

The Peonies were light in tone plus light background, the fluffy blousy type! A light touch is needed with the paintbrush to convey the soft petals. Someone said to me you should hold it so delicately to describe this sort of thing that you would almost drop the brush!

Cottage Peonies 10x10"

The Daisies are a lot stronger with lights and darks and deliberate brush strokes. I placed the blue-green behind which compliments the yellow-orange centres. The daisy petals in the shadow are an important element to make the lights stand out.

Surrey Open Studios we are on the final weekend 15th, 16th June of being open to the public, with over 100 visitors so far and enjoying it. Had some lovely people visit - one lady came all the way from Hamble a good hour away! Having read this blog - thank you Brenda and it was great to meet you! - It is so nice to meet people who have been following my blog journey and it encourages me to keep going with it :-)
See my exhibitions page on this website for more information if you are free this weekend and fancy a chat a look at paintings and my husbands photographs.
www.clarebowen.co.uk

#459 Garden Peonies & Open Studio 2019

I painted these in my father in laws garden, I worked on getting the greens to work with the dark pink - complimentary colours and quite similar in tone, pleased with the outcome!

It's been a busy week trying to fit some painting in and preparing for the Surrey Open Studios which starts today! 

The studio is looking good with over 50 paintings and cards. My husband Nick is also is showing his photographs in his studio.

My studio wall with a mixture of subjects framed & unframed

Venice selection

Garden path leading to the studios

This year we've teamed up with 6 local artists to make The Golden Valley Art Trail, with a trail map linking us all. (We have maps to give out if you come)

I will be painting throughout so come and chat, drink elderflower, look at paintings and photographs and enjoy our garden in the sunshine.

Dates open: 1,2,  7,8,9,  14,15,16  June 2019

Times: 11-5pm

Where: 2 Gorse Cottages, Little Hammer Lane, Bramshott Chase, Hindhead, Surrey, GU26 6BT

Phone: 07813 320066

Set up ready to paint these beautiful peonies!

#349 'Peonies in a Ceramic Jug' 12x12"

Peonies by Mary Oliver 

“This morning the green fists of the peonies
are getting ready
to break my heart
as the sun rises,
as the sun strokes them with his old,
buttery fingers

and they open -
pools of lace,
white and pink - 
and all day the black ants climb over them......”

Painted outside in the garden with strong light and shade, an enjoyable paint!

#346 'Peonies & Stocks' 24x24"

This is a whopper for me - two foot by two foot!  I enjoyed it and surprised myself that I could do it and it turned out nicely :-)
I did start on a a 11x14" but it still felt crampt so I routelled around in my cupboard and found this canvas, I thought why not have some fun, and keep my expectations low. Which helped allowed me to be free and loose. I didn't have many big brushes - more ordered with Rosemary & Co!

When its so big you have to attack and not be scared. I painted a table line in and scrubbed over as it was too harsh for this style painting.

My Mum kindly gave me these flowers as she thought I'd like them, a very inspiring bunch so much so I started the painting at 6pm! 
Here is a pic to show scale with my biggest previous flower painting to date...

#339 'White Peonies' 11x14"

I saw these lovely white peonies in the supermarket, a sweet scent and blousie look. 
I managed to paint them while our Open Studio was on last weekend. Quite a challenge to get the tones and colours right. The tonal scale in the flower is so small e.g. Light to very light! They are good practise to really observe. Also the jug is tonal shapes put together! 

There are lots of lovely daisies growing wild near us, I hope to be able to paint them before they disappear... 

#338 'Peonies' 12x12" & Open Studio Video

Painted with haste and gusto! The background a blue black to set of the light pink flowers peonies which are so fun to paint, quite addictive! (There will be more :-) I think they are a good subject because of the globe shape so you get great light and dark on them. I made use of the thick and thin qualities of oil paint, especially in the green foliage and the table.

Yesterday was our first day of The Surrey Open Studio always with trepidation I open the doors to the public not knowing who will come and what they will think, say or even buy.
But it went well we had some nice people visit, chatted, offered my homemade shortbread and sold 4 originals and some cards so a good start!

Here are a couple of pics and a short video as a taster of what's here.