A P(e)ony Parade

I have always painted flowers, but never really got hold of peonies. Yet, if there is a request for a painting, you find out what they look like exactly! The request to paint peonies for a bridal tea, was only the start. It led to many peony paintings and I am probably addicted to the subject now.

 

I produced a few in 2016, then attended Nancy Medina's course where I took lots of photographs for reference. Now I have ordered silk peonies from the Seychelles. They looked flattened and somewhat sad when they arrived, but as they stand in their vase, I notice that they look more beautiful each day as they relax and open.

 

Peonies featured in a two-women exhibition two weeks ago and is also on travelling show with the West Coast Art Fair after a Juried show, where the work was chosen to be exhibited.

 

Here, then, is the peony parade of paintings available and sold.



Peonies
500 mm x 400mm
This painting is currently on exhibition.
Let me know if you are interested or want to order a similar painting

Peaches 'n Cream Peonies
500mm x 400mm

Classic Peony
200mm x 200mm
SOLD

"Snow White" is my favourite
200mm x 200mm
Framed and available at R1500

This little set of white peonies were SOLD
180mm x 180mm
 

Close-up of the above set of two
180 x 180

Close-up of the set of two.
180mm x 180mm

The "peonies for a bridal tea" which started my interest in peonies

Three Violet Peonies
18Omm x 180mm
Framed and available at R960

The last three, in frames, all of them, are available at R860 each

I have more! So there will be a second post on my peonies a while from now.


 
 

Painting in Nancy Medina's Workshop

It was June 2016  and I found myself in a class I have been dreaming about for a long time. This was the Nancy Medina Workshop in New Braunfels, Texas. Today I will show my three works done during the course. Starting with a smooth gesso-covered canvas and beautiful transparent colour , I gradually built up to the more opaque bits. I did well in class and do hope that I have absorbed enough to continue in this bright and clean style of flower painting.

 

Daisies

 

 

Peonies

 

 

In a French Flower Market

Painting in Texas with Nancy Medina

I entered the hotel breakfast room, and there she was, petite, sweet Nancy Medina! For seven years I have hoped to meet her in person one day and to paint with her. The visit was made possible by my very kind children, who lives in Katy, Texas. Of course we had a lovely meeting and then went off to the course venue, the quaint New Braunfells Art Society building.

 

From the moment Nancy steps in front of a class, her professionalism shines through. Everything around her is pristine and organised. She speaks clearly, gently repeating terms as she goes into her presentation. We get used to her special terms and way of expression. I can start painting now, and I still hear her voice: "Make it darker, make it darker!"

 

The first thing you learn is to divide the palette into transparent and opaque colours. Watching Nancy work, you gain respect for those background layers, the colours which will eventually shine through everything, bringing light and depth into a painting. What follows is an album of our painting workshop.

 

Blogger friends, social media friends and now meeting up in real life

All surfaces (and the floor) was filled with fresh flowers and lovely displays

This is the palette that Nancy starts out  with every morning.
 Look at the delightful opaques on the right which she pre-mixes!
They are used at the closing stages of the painting.

A display of  Nancy Medina DVD's for sale

Out of a blurry background of transparent colour, the daisies are born

Wonderful things happening before our eyes!

So appealing!

Nancy arranging flowers under the spotlight.

In a surprisingly short time, a completed masterpiece by Nancy Medina!

OK, Girl, it's your turn now!!!


NEXT TIME: PAINTING IN TEXAS (it sounds like: Walking in Memphis!)

And to end with: Here is a live-stream lesson with Nancy Medina that you can watch just now!

 

Hibiscus Flowers, Then and Now

In the 1990's I lectured a course "Flowers in Watercolour". I loved it and tried to make a painting a day. After we moved to the West Coast , a new interest developed, this unique area where I lived.  200 posts of paintings and stories that cover our stretch of coast.

 

And then one day...a person moves on or in my case: moves back! I am back with my first love of 25 years ago, namely flowers. In this post I look back at some of my hibiscus paintings. I will show a recent one first, and then visit the archives!

 

Fleeting Moments Hibiscus 2016

500mm x 400mm

Oil on canvas

 

HIBISCUS IN A SILVER TEAPOT
700mm x 600mm
Acrylic on canvas board

This painting was made in the 80's and I now wish that I have kept it for myself.

Watercolour Hibiscus 1998
400 mm x 500mm
 

I have just noticed that I have always painted the pink hibiscus, which is my favourite. In future I will look out for some of the other colours. Here is a medley of photos from my collection:

This year, I have been thoroughly spoiled by my children in Texas, who invited me to spend three months in that lovely hot climate! In my next blog I will tell about the great opportunity that came my way: flower painting with Nancy Medina, my friend on the blogs and social media for a long time.

Painting Nasturtiums

SOLD

I continue my series of posts on painting flowers, by looking at nasturtiums, showing older works as well as recent work. One can have these tiny bright flowers available at various times of the year and they grow most easily from seeds. Where I live in a nature reserve, they can easily take over the natural habitat, so I do not plant them, but go out to collect some from friends or in places where they grow wild.

In this post I show paintings done over the past few years. You will notice that I paint with the flowers close by to inspire me. One thing that I love to do, is work with 3 or 4 paintings to create sets.

A medley of small nasturtium paintings

SOLD

A set like this can fill a colourless corner with light and brightness.
Contact me at m.theron@wam.co.za to order sets

SOLD

This is my latest nasturtium painting.
By using the blues in the background, the bright colours of the leaves,
 petals and buds are emphasized.
It also provides a clean contrast for the little Delft vase.

Hello New Year Nasturtiums
by Marie Theron
150mm x 210mm
5" x 8"

It is important to do sketches of your subject and to learn the parts of the flowers.

Where I sit at the moment, I look upon a wonderful large bush filled with hibiscus flowers. In my next post I will show new as well as past work on the subject of hibiscus. 

Painting Poppies

Aren't they the most uplifting of flowers? In our warm country the vase life of poppies is not very long, but what joy they give, pushed into a jug or tumbler, as informal as possible. Where poppies are, there will be colour! 

We often had them as painting subjects in my watercolour courses. Once again, like with most flowers, I made sure that my students held a poppy in their spare hand while making the initial drawing. That is the only way one can discover the beautiful intricate folds of the petals, the splendid capsule form in the centre with stamen like the rays of the sun, and the grey-green stems.

Freshly picked poppies in various stages of popping open.
Photo: Marie Theron  ‪ ‪#‎artmatters‬

This design of "poppies blowing in the wind" appeared as a card in book stores during the 1990's

©Marie Theron 1991  ‪#‎artmatters‬

This is probably my oldest painting of poppies
©Marie Theron 1991  ‪#‎artmatters‬

Aquarelle pencils are such nice tools for getting the detail of poppies.
I enhanced the drawing with white designer's gouache.
©Marie Theron 1991  ‪#‎artmatters‬

A large watercolour 1993
©Marie Theron 1993  ‪#‎artmatters‬

Another large watercolour  1993
©Marie Theron 1993  ‪#‎artmatters‬

Noticing my poppies in watercolour, a friend gave me a commission to make an acrylic painting. It was a hit, and I stepped away from watercolours! I started the new era of 2000 as a painter and no longer as an art lecturer. I still love teaching, so please feel free to ask tips on anything. 

The painting that started my career in oils and acrylic painting  ‪#‎artmatters‬.

My Facebook Page is for you to ask any art-related question. Visit my FACEBOOK PAGE 

An apology: All the poppy paintings on my page has been sold. However, you may want to consider some lovely prints, available HERE, ON THE BLOG OF CAROL NELSON

Later this year I will attend a workshop with Nancy Medina in Texas. HAVE A LOOK AT THE VIBRANT POPPY PAINTING ON HER BLOG or THIS LOVELY SET BY NANCY