#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"

#457 '6am Langstone Harbour' 24x30cm

Some paintings just paint themselves, and this was one of them! Gorgeous colours and light, making the most of the recent good weather. I set up usually an hour before the sun is due to rise as it gives me time to mix colours and do a small quick study of light, helps to get my eye in and satisfying too.
Here's the 5am one:

I used a tinted board which I haven't used so much recently - tinting with a mix of Burnt Sienna & Ultramarine with Gesso acrylic white you can see the colour peeping through. 

Painting plein air you can choose when you commit to a time - this was just as the sun was peeping up, it looked good about 109 mins later too and I wish I could have done another! It's when a photo is handy I can use the info form this one and the photo and do another in the studio.

I have painted Langstone many times now, it's different every time and each time makes a difference as I learn more of the subject and memories of previous paints fuel the new one.

#435 'Sunrise, The Grand Canal' 50x50cm

A studio painting developed from a plein air piece. I painted this subject over 15 times, so I know it well and felt comfortable painting it bigger. One for my solo show in May in London!

Plein air study

Sketch book drawing on location (later in the day with more traffic on the water)

#432 'Sunrise, Gran Canaria' x 2

24x30cm Sunrise, Gran Canaria

My husband Nick and I had a week in the sun over the Christmas holidays, a proper break without my paints or his camera. (First one since our honeymoon 4 years ago!)
I did however bring my sketch book, and we were blessed with stunning sunrises from our balcony, I drew it twice, to try and 'learn' the subject ready to paint it back in the studio.
The above painting was my second one which included all the palms. Wonderfull silhouettes and hot colours - different from the UK sunrises especially this time of the year!
Making sure the colours are bight and light but the sun one stage lighter in tone to stand out.

3 tone sketch, studying the silhouetted shapes

First painting 18x24cm, small to practise the colours and shapes

Sketching from the balcony :-)

#387 'Sunrise 1 & 2, San Giorgio Maggiore' 6x12" & 20x50cm

The first in a series of 3 paintings I did of sunrise one after the other.
This stage is when the light is low and the colours rich. A small quick sketch to capture the moment. Then I changed to a bigger board:

The sun just peeping over the horizon, with very light water and darker sky.
See next post for the final painting...

#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...

#344 'Daisies & Sweet Williams' 12x12" & Open Studio!

I am enjoying these still life paintings as you can experiment so much with colour & harmonies, composition, subject...
I tried with no hard line background this time, bigger in size and reflected vase on the table.

I can't write so much today as just preparing for opening the last weekend of our Open Studios, do come if your free, I'm just making homemade scones and I have plenty of paintings still to look at.
Clare

Here is the Invite just in case :-)

#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.

#334 'Pink Peonies' 10x12"

I have wanted to paint peonies for a while, last year they felt too scary to tackle! So I decided to go for it! I painted outside in natural light, there was no sunshine but it didn't matter. I placed a purple piece of paper under the flowers and decided the green grass was too contrasted in colour so made up the background - which was quite liberating! 

This is the painting blocked in, next to the steps of my studio

I worked on loose, lively brush strokes and keeping the colours fresh, clean and bold! How did I do this? Different brushes for each colour, organised palette - premix colours before painting. Background flat area - brush strokes in different directions and lengths, not smoothing or hiding the marks. I used 'Permanent Rose' for the pinks, mainly with Ultramarine and a little Michael Harding 'Kings Blue deep'.

#216 'Bougainvillia, Spain' 18x21cm

This was in Finestrat it's the closest village to where we are staying with my Aunt. The doorway with this plant, was a real gem to find. Loved painting it, although I was unsure to begin with as the light wasn't on it, so it was quite flat. But as the sun rose higher it shone onto the scene and it got better, really pleasing when that happens!

There was a stray cat that kept climbing the bougainvillea trunk and making me laugh, swinging and balancing trying and get into the window.
The light was great to paint, a happy painting :-)

#85 'Rose in Bloom' 6x6"

A beautiful rose, I don't know the name of, I like the full rounded head and two tone petal colours. Really difficult to paint! There is a tendency to get lost in the layers of complex petals - simplifying! But still getting the essence of it.
The photo has a bit of shine on it so I may take it again tomorrow.

Had a busy Open Studio day which we weren't expecting for a Friday. Nick, my husband is also showing his photographic work in his studio opposite mine. Here he is on my studio floor with our dog Matte getting cuddles in between visitors today.

#80 'Clematis' 6x6"

A sunny morning, I was going to find somewhere away from the house to paint but as I was going through the back door this flower stopped me. Beautifully sunlight from behind, I wanted to capture the vibrant yet delicate petals. 
One thing I've learnt with flowers is when you go darker in tonal value the colour become stronger, more intense. Instead of the tones becoming more subdued in colour. 
Getting the sunlight look helped with putting the light pink around the edges of the petals. It also made it stand out more against the background.
The background was an experiment. One of my students said this week so you've got to be brave when painting, yes! Sometimes you put a tone or colour on and it scares you :-) being so bright or dark. That happened today with the dark blue but it works and I'm happy!

#73 'Pink Rose' 5x7"

I am buzzing from an amazing painting weekend! It was at the Old Bank Studios in Harwich, a great set up for painting courses (lovely lunches too!)
Haidee-Jo Summers ran the workshop, she is a wonderful plein air painter, I feel very inspired and full of new ideas. 

This rose was in front of a cottage window, the sun hit the tops of the petals. It was quite tricky to get the richeness of colours but the density of tone as well. Even so I enjoyed it and looking forward to doing more :-)

#66 'Magnolia' 6x6"

I used a deep dusty pink ground base colour (see pic below) which allowed me to see the white petals of the magnolia.
Broad strokes were used with not too much fussy detail. The tonal differences were very small, I did light the flowers from the side to create more shadows and interest.
I decided to paint over the top of the dusty pink ground in a similar but lighter colour graduating it as I went up the board also leaving gaps so the base colour shows through and links it together.

#65 'Rhododendron' 6x6"

A tricky subject! Painting the flowers so they are defined but not overworked. Simplyfing the pink tones and shapes otherwise its confusing to the eye. 
I did paint in a blue background thinking it's like the sky, but it looked dreadful! It's now a creamy pink colour (the camera doesn't pick it up)  
I worked on the edges so they were soft, flowers are delicate so a crisp line makes them look cut out and not sit in the painting. 
I had trouble getting the cutting to stand up in the glass, bluetack on the bottom, masking tape the leaf to the glass, all didnt work...in the end I raided my husbands garden sand but didn't realise Rhodies have a short life, I should have put water in the glass as well as sand! It wilted before I finished :-(  
Anyway I'm pleased with the result, and will try some more flowers...

#57 'Aubergine' 6x6"

This is the second time I have painted an aubergine, the first was back in January. 
I thought it would be a good subject for my students to try as it is very dark in tone but richly coloured and very shiny as well. 
I enjoyed painting it I hope they will too :-)

#54 'Two Pink Jugs' 6x6"

I finished my colour studies this morning and wanted to use some of the lovely pinks and violets I had mixed. So this is the result of it! I didn't have many pink pots or jugs in my supply so adapted what I had, see photo below to what they really looked like!

They had unusual shaped spouts which made it interesting to paint. I also accenturated the size and shapes of the jugs to make a more pleasing composition. The main colours I used are: Magenta and Ultramarine with a little Cadmium Yellow Pale.

#51 'Adidas Boots' 6x6"

These boots were a challenge to paint especially the laces! But I enjoyed all the different elements. 
I set up a casual composition as though they'd been taken off and left. The material is suede so there wasn't a shine or highlights. I worked on the different tones and undulations of the material. 
I could have kept tweaking and fussing but didn't want to overwork it and you got to know when to stop! I am pleased with the outcome.

#42 'Mary Janes' 6x6"

I enjoyed painting these shoes. Although I felt a little daunted in the beginning as I have not painted shoes before but I just broke them down into shapes and didn't think of them as shoes! And then as I'm painting the shoes appear - and the're so cute :-) 
Patent material is very shiney but also quite dark in places, and interesting shadows too.