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Summer Sort Out.

Hello and welcome to my Monday Blog.

My site is a secure https connection.

This summer I have been working with some new ideas.

Most of these paintings have been more abstract and larger sizes.

Making new pieces with cold wax medium and oils, I have begun a new series

 of paintings moving a step away from reality including painting on the frame.

The frame painting really came about by accident.

I couldn't decide what colour frame to use so I extended the work onto the wood.

I liked the effect and often paint this way with my abstracted work.
It takes my thoughts to include the edges of the frame.

Here is a 'landscape' of colour and weathering.

Hot Quarry  Oils on panel and wood frame   

A darker pair of paintings now with a sense of mystery...

Again, the painting extends to include the wood frame.

Dark Descending  Oils on panel and frame

Nearly Dark   Oils on panel and frame

Painting nearly every day means I have a large collection of paintings.

  Some are selected for exhibiting but most are for sale online or from my studio.

The time has come for a 'Summer Sort Out'.

Space is limited and I have several crates full of finished work.

My online gallery page in DailyPaintworks.com will be opening again shortly.

I shall keep my Artfinder gallery too...and also sell direct from the Studio.

Some examples are below of available work which will soon be on Daily paintworks.

I will post the link as soon as it becomes active.

A Brush with Grey   Oils on canvas board  8 x 8 inches

Wild Side of Winter  Oils on canvas board  8 x 8 inches

Rough Day   Oils on canvas board  8 x 8 inches

Wild Place  Oils on canvas board  5 x 7 inches

Lincolnshire Oilseed   Oils on canvas board 5 x 7 inches.

There are lots more...

Until next week...

Thank you for visiting.

Cold wax

Using a medium.

Hello and welcome to my Monday Blog.

Reclaimed   Oils and cold wax on canvas  SOLD

Last week I spoke about my adventures with cold wax mixed with oil paint.

I first found out about this medium earlier this year on Facebook

 after seeing posts by artist Nicki Heenan. 

 She has several short videos about using cold wax.

 Intrigued, I watched them all including more by other painters. 

   I was hooked and ordered a tin of wax for myself.

In addition I bought a book by Serena Barton 'Wabi Sabi, Painting with Cold Wax'.

Another book is by Jerry McLaughlin and Rebecca Crowell 

'Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts and Conversations'.

It is currently unavailable in the UK but can be purchased from their website in USA.

To get going with the medium I found the online videos and conversations very useful.

One way of using the wax is by layering the oils, letting them dry a little and then

scraping back or scratching into the surface to reveal the underpainting.

The above painting 'Reclaimed' has several layers of paint.

I wanted to make a weathered appearance.

More adventures...

Detail of 'Forever Deep'  Oils and cold wax on canvas

Another painting showing several layers of oils giving a weathered feeling.

A painting's journey...

This 20 x 20 inch canvas began like this.

I could have left it as finished but decided to work with it some more.

Layer by layer I teased out an abstract composition until

I was happy with the result with a final flourish of blue.

Jubilant Fields  Oils and cold wax on canvas

Have I tempted you?

The links below will take you to...

nickiheenan.artweb.com

serenabarton.com

rebeccacrowell.com

Until next week...

Thank you for visiting

My painting journey

Putting in the hours.

Hello and welcome to my Monday Blog.

Weathering   Oils on canvas  36 x 24 inches  

An 'abstract landscape' from my recent show in Sam Scorer Gallery, Lincoln.

The journey...

It is now 20 years since I picked up my brushes and watercolours.

My first paintings were simple landscapes using sketches

 and some photographic reference to guide me.

I studied the work of many artists, read art books and kept painting.

 The drive to soak up as much knowledge as possible was strong.

Little by little my work was taking shape.

Influences...

The work of Edward Seago in particular was important for my early

 landscape practice.  I was enthralled by his economy of brush strokes

 which say so much about the coast and countryside of his native Norfolk.   

His landscape paintings never look overworked...

There is a simplicity in his style which may appear easy

 but can be difficult to master.

       

Three of Edward Seago's paintings. 

(Edward Brian Seago RBA, ARWS, RWS 1910 to 1974) 

Seago's seascape paintings reminded me of my childhood holidays

 exploring the sand-dunes, wide beaches and creeks of the Lincolnshire coast.

His landscapes with hedgerows and field tracks are similar to the land around my home.

My own seascapes...

inspired by Edward Seago and the Lincolnshire coast.

'January'  Oils on panel 

Our Coast   Oils on canvas board  

Going beyond reality...

On my painting journey I have experimented with many

different 'styles' as I searched for what felt comfortable.

 I became interested in going beyond total realism and 

taught myself to 'see' the landscape in an abstracted way.

My focus was on shapes and colours; cutting out excessive detail.

As a result my work became loose and more 'painterly'. 

Here is a recent painting using oils and cold wax.

Next week I will talk about my adventures with this medium.

Summer  Oils and cold wax on canvas   80 x 40cm

Until next Monday...

Thank you for visiting.

A way of looking

Seeing things.

Hello and welcome to my Monday Blog

Jubilant Fields  Oils on canvas 20 x 20 inches

A sense of place, colours seen and remembered.

Just marks and textures.  An abstract 'landscape'.

During my gallery show this week I was asked how my paintings begin. 

 What are my first thoughts?

 Where do my ideas come from?

My answer?....I make marks and move paint around.

This is actually true but those marks must be a result of things once seen.

Memories of places visited, weather, colours in a garden or a beach.

When I first started painting I took photographs for ideas

and I would paint these scenes as they were.

Then I learned to 'see' and this is when my painting really came alive.

Rather than the whole picture, I looked for shapes and lines, patterns and colours.

 I wanted to move away from the 'real' and give a 'sense of time or place'.

For my paintings to be loose, atmospheric and more abstract.

 I put away my reference sketches and photos to become free from copying.

At first it seemed strange and I was often tempted to reach for my file of photos. 

Now I never think about using them.

To illustrate how I learned to 'see' I took this photograph of a wild garden.

 This week a drift of Rosebay Willowherb is flowering. 

In the foreground there are grasses and beyond, a line of trees.

Isolating the shapes can be a good way of taking from the 'real'.

Looking for shapes,line and colour...

This is what I remember rather than the actual scene.

One day these ideas might surface in a painting.

Here is another idea...

Simple shapes and lines.

Tonal values and colour.

A painting might have these shapes...

not to represent the logs and hogweed but as abstract shapes and colour.

Bricks...

Even a brick wall has interesting shapes and colour.

This old wall has soft olive greens, greys and fawn.

The possibilities are endless.

If you would like to see my paintings I have an exhibition of my work

in Sam Scorer Gallery, 5 Drury Lane, Lincoln until Sunday 15th July.

Open daily from 10am - 4pm.

Until next Monday...

Thank you for visiting.

Showtime

Up and running.

Hello and welcome to my Monday Blog.

All ready for the Show...

'A Land Apart'

Two women and their art

Exhibition of paintings by

Denise Hawthorne & Anne Wood

 Sam Scorer Gallery

5 Drury Lane, Lincoln

(Near Castle Square)

Opens on 3rd July until 15th July

Daily (except Monday) from 10am to 4pm.

Ready for the Sparkling Opening

Our Flyer...

All spruced up

with our paintings next to each other

My little 8 x 8 inch oil studies on canvas

Today we have been hanging our paintings 

ready for the Grand Opening tomorrow.

I am really looking forward to meeting our visitors.

My work is all new and made in my studio this Spring and Summer.

If you are able to come to the Show 

there is a warm welcome waiting for you.

Denise and I will be sharing the stewarding of the Gallery.

I must go...I have to bake some

 almond biscuits to take in the morning.

Until next Monday...

Thank you for visiting.