The Painted Journey

Painting Light - A New Blog featuring my Small Oils

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 07:12:00 +0000

Hope you all had a great Christmas and wishing you a very happy & prosperous New Year.

I have started a new blog "Painting Light" which will feature my new small oil paintings, released as they are completed. Two paintings that will appear on this new blog over the next week appear below. Both are oil paintings and priced at $99.

Three Cherries on a Shelf

Vines near Mount Ventoux, Provence, France

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This blog "A painted Journey" will continue to feature drawings and travel sketches.

click here to contact me

Sydney to Great Ocean Road - Part 3 from Apollo Bay

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:03:00 +0000

Cape Otway - looking east from the lighthouse.

Koalas - Cape Otway

I have lived in Australia for over 40 years and whilst I am mainly a city boy I have never seen a Koala in the wild - until now. Every tree driving back from the Cape Otway Lighthouse had a Koala in it, and some with a joey (baby) like this one. Quite amazing.

Gibsons Steps
Oil on Canvas 6.5 x 5 inches ( 12 x 7 cm)

For Sale $110 plus $18 shipping / insurance

A kilometre or so before the 12 Apostles rock formation, where one is not allowed on the beach. Climbed down some very steep steps to get to the beach. It was so very peaceful painting on the beach with only the sond of the surf.
UNTIL!!!!
a flotilla of buses disgorged a hundred or so tourists and they all clambered down and made so much noise. After about 10 minutes they all disappeared back up and it was peaceful again I guess they had their 10 mintes and were off for 10 minutes somewhere along the road.

12 Apostles, Port Campbell, Great Ocean Road
Watercolour, Goauche, pen and pencil on paper

For Sale $95 plus $15 shipping / insurance

Loch Ard Gorge

Named after the ship that floundered here in 1878 after a 3 month voyage from England to Melbourne/ Only two of the 53 passengers survived, having been washed ashore here.

London Arch , Great Ocean Road, Victoria

The inner arch collaped in 1990 and two tourists were stranded on the outer part of what was then known as "London Bridge" Fortunately there were no injuries and the tourists were rescued by helicopter.

If you are interested in a painting click here to contact me

Sydney to Great Ocean Road - Part 2 On the Road

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 05:55:00 +0000

Brunswick Street, Fitroy, Melbourne
Goauche on Black Paper

Leaving Melbourne we stayed overnight at Torquay and next morning headed out through Barwon Heads.

Barwon Heads, Victoria
Watercolour, Ink and Goauche (7.75 x 5 inches or 20 x 13 cm)

This painting is available for sale $95 plus $15 postage.

Barwon Heads is well known in Australia as it was the main filming site for the popular TV series Sea Change, and more recently where Cadel Evans (the 2011 Tour de France winner) has a home.

A Lorne morning from the balcony of the Grand Pacific Hotel

Spent the second night at the Grand Pacific Hotel. 140 years old & it is a gem from the past with great atmosphere, super upper viewing balconies and big rooms with high ceilings. It just oozes character from a bygone age.

Apollo Bay
Watercolour, Goauche, pen Pencil on watercolour paper
5.83 × 8.27 inches or 14.8 x 21 cm

As we were leaving Apollo Bay I saw this house on the edge of the bay. It reminded me of the style of the american painter Edward Hopper. Couldn't resist the cypress tree. Dont see many in Sydney but seem common around Melbourne, and in the paintings of Rick Amor.

This painting is available for sale $95 plus $15 postage

Apollo Bay from the hinterland

Next - Otway and 12 Apostles

If you are interested in purchasing paintings from this blog click here to contact me

Sydney to Adelaide via Great Ocean Road - Part 1 Melbourne

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 10:22:00 +0000

The Plan
Travelling from Sydney to Melbourne, along the Great Ocean Road then up to Adelaide, to the Grampians then back to Sydney. About 5000 kms

A rare platypus sighted from the bridge over the river right in the middle of Benala.

View from the lane near our apartment of the Exhibiton Building Melbourne
Watercolour and coloured pencil sketch

As we were coming home from dinner we heard this loud music. as the night was still young we followed our ears and found an outdoor skating rink outside the exhibition building. Interesting find in September in Australia. We purchased some crepes from a couple from Brittany and watched the fun. Thought about hiring some skates, but it was way too early in the trip, for broken ankle, so I chickened out.

We stayed just off Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. it is very quirky area with lots of interesting speciality shops uniquly decorated. Check the one below with a giant flower attracting bees.

One of the reasons we stopped in Melbourne was to see the Klimt and Schiele paintings at the National Gallery of Victoria.

Next The Great Ocean Road

Into the Light , Luna Park, Sydney Harbour

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 06:55:00 +0000

Oil on Board 7 x 5 inches (17cm x12 cm)

A small painting near Luna Park at Lavender Bay in Sydney Harbour

If you are interested in purchasing this painting click here to contact me

Daily Paintworks Challenge - Red Onion

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 07:28:00 +0000

Daily Paintworks has been around for a while, featuring a group of highly regarded representational painters who do a painting a day.

Recently they have started "Challenges" in which they anounce a subject and invite artists to take the challenge by painting their version of the subject. One of the recent "Challenges" raised over $28k to assist various charities with their Japan relief effort.

I took this weeks challenge to "Paint a Vegetable" and contributed a Red Onion.

Red Onion
4 x 5 inches on Canvas

The painting is available at Daily Paintworks for $95 plus $15 freight

San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice & Daily Paintworks

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:48:00 +0000

Size 12 inches x 10 inches (30.5 x 25.4 cm)
Oil on canvas.

I've joined the daily painting artist group "Daily Paintworks" which offers original fine art daily paintings from a goup of talented artists I will be posting this painting of Venice to the gallery of paintings that I have available from that site.

Click here to go my gallery at Daily Paintworks

click here to contact me

Art on the Boardwalk, Lavender Bay, Sydney

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Tue, 31 May 2011 11:58:00 +0000

Last Sunday I participated in Art on the Boardwalk for the first time. Despite the forecast it turned out to be a fine Sydney day. For those not familiar with Sydney, Lavender Bay is on the north shore, just west of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. It overlooks the Sydney skyline and it is a fabulous location for "plein air" painting particularly on a day like this with plenty of sunshine. It is amazing to realise that this location is only minutes (or 1 train stop) from the CBD.

About 30 artists participated with musicians and mime artists, and whilst the day was about painting on location it was nice chatting to the many people passing by. Mosman Daily newspaper reported that there was 10,000 people who walked the boardwalk on the day. It kept us fairly busy chatting and answering questions about painting, etc. The interest people had in the paintings was very heartening, also many people talked about wanting to learn how to paint. In short it was a great fun day and very well organised by the North Sydney council.

I did not get my demo painting finished on the day. Too much chatting , but here is the finished painting below.

Opera House, Luna Park and Harbour Bridge from Lavender Bay
Oil on Board 10 x 12 inches (25cm x 30cm)

Working hard.

Chatting to people about painting

If you are interested in purchasing a painting click here to contact me

Royal Botanic Gardens Paginated Garden Exhibition & Sydney Opera House

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Sat, 07 May 2011 10:09:00 +0000

Three of my paintings were selected for the Paginated Gardens exhibition & shortlisted for the Derivan prize. My Lotus Pond painting was awarded "Highly Commended". The prize was won by Heidi Hereth

The exhibition proved very popular with 700 people attending over the weekend, & by popular demand the Royal Botanic Gardens are to re-hang the exhibition at the end of July for 2 weeks.

This week the Chronicle will run a story headed "Fred Marsh listed in Sydney Royal Botanic Garden Paginated Garden Exhibition"

The article starts "If a picture is worth a thousand words then artist Fred Marsh had plenty to say at the Sydney Royal Botanic Garden. Mr Marsh, was an artist at the garden’s Paginated Garden exhibition from April 29 to May 1 with three works short-listed for the special event.
The Paginated Garden invited artists to visit the botanic garden and sketch what they saw over a six-week period." The full article is at this link

After the sketchabout finished I did a sketch of the opera house from the gardens. I have listed it to raise funds for the Red Cross Japanese Earthquake Appeal at Daily Paintworks, which has a neat new auction site developed to sell paintings. The painting appears below & the auction is at this link

I can be contacted by clicking here , or via my website

Botanic Gardens Sketchabout - Boy Extracting Thorn Statue

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 08:22:00 +0000

A couple of recent sketches from the last few weeks.

Calla Lilies & Statue of Boy Extracting Thorn

Sketching Statue of Boy Extracting Thorn

Great weather last Saturday, which unfortunately has been a rarity during the sketchabout. As I sit posting this I am getting ready for the last sketchabout and it is bucketing rain. Well I shouldn't be concerned, it didn't worry Turner who went out in all conditions including strapping himself to a ship mast in a storm. A downpour is a doddle by comparison -well maybe.

Anyway it has been a lot of fun and a great learning experience.
More sketches of the gardens are on the Royal Botanical Gardens Sketchabout Blog

Thirty sketches will be chosen, framed and hung as part of the Paginated Garden Exhibition from Fri 29 April to Sun 1 May 2011 in Rathborne Lodge, the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Hope to see you there

More paintings at http://www.marshstudio.com/ or click to contact me

Sketchabout in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 23:36:00 +0000

I have been participating in a sketchabout in the gardens which is being held over a 6 week period. This week is week four. More information on the garden's blog where you can also see the work of the artists who are participating.

Here are a few sketches from the last few weeks in the gardens

Lotus Pond
This work was "Highly Commended" in the Paginated Garden Exhibition

Fig Tree on Sydney Harbour

Maiden Theatre

Mount Annan Botanic Gardens

More paintings at http://www.marshstudio.com/ or click to contact me

Prinsengracht, Amsterdam

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 09:43:00 +0000

Click on image for a larger version

Prinsengracht, Amsterdam

Watercolour, gouache, & pen on paper (8 x 10.5 inches or 20 x 26 cm)

The first time in The Netherlands. It took me a day or two to learn that I had to change my traffic detecting habits to avoid being run over by the hordes of silent cyclists coming up your back in Amsterdam.

After a few near misses & when I learned that I needed to do a 360 degree turn to cross roads & couldn't rely on my ears to detect traffic I came to love this people friendly city. The canals are so picturesque and used by so many different type of craft.

If you are interested in purchasing this painting click here to contact me $175 plus postage outside of Australia

Release of prints from my paintings

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 07:10:00 +0000

I have just released four prints based on my paintings

Into the Light , Sydney Harbour
Twelve Apostles, Great Ocean Road, Australia
L'escargot on Rue Montorgueil, Paris, France

Rue Saint Dominique, Paris, France

Click on the image below to see the prints

Leonard Cohen, playing with Javier Mas and Dino Soldo in Sydney 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 06:28:00 +0000

Gouache and watercolour pencil
8 x 5 inches on paper

Last week saw the return of Leonard Cohen to Sydney. It has been 18 months since Leonard Cohen & his bands sensational last concerts in Sydney; which were followed by sensational reviews and desperate envy from those who were unable to attend.

Now 76, Leonard only improves with age as his voice keeps maturing like a deep soulful red wine. His energy is amazing, playing well over 3 hours.

The same superbly talented musicians and singers were with Leonard, they all play multiple instruments and one will rarely hear the richness & excitement of music such as this ensemble plays. My particular favourites are the spine chilling openings by Javier Mas in "Who by Fire" and "The Gypsy's Wife" & wonderful to hear the rarely performed "A Singer must Die". A treat to hear a couple of bluesy new songs (The Darkness and Born in Chains) which will appear on his new album to be released next year. Read the Sydney Morning Herald's review at this link

Click on the following images to see the previous drawings & posts of the Sydney concerts in February 2009.

Leonard Cohen Sydney 2009

Javier Mas - Sydney 2009

Click here to contact me if you want to check availability and price of these paintings.

Rue Mazarine Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 12:21:00 +0000

My favourite area in Paris is the 6th arrondissement. I just enjoy soaking in its atmosphere. Rue Mazarine is in the heart & runs off the energetic and Rue Buci , running parallel with the colourful Rue de Seine

Oil on Canvas 12 x 10 inches (500x 600mm)
This painting is available with some of my other paintings of Paris at Edmonds and Greer, Oatley, Sydney. click here to enquire or contact me

L'escargot Rue Montorgueil Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 05:48:00 +0000

Rue Montorguil is on the right Bank near Les Halles. It was the subject of a famous painting by Monet who painted it from a balcony in the street depicting it full of flags during the World Fair of June 1878. More info at this link

If you loo closely at my painting you will see the golden snail which is the sign for the famous restaurant L'Escagot.

Rue Montorgueil Paris

Oil on Canvas 12 x 10 inches (500x 600mm)

This painting and some of my other paintings of Paris & Venice are now on display & for sale at Edmonds and Greer, Oatley, Sydney. This painting has now been sold. However prints are now available here at Redbubble.com

click here to contact me

Notre Dam Cathedral Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 05:18:00 +0000

I haven't posted for a while as I have been in France & The Netherlands. A great place to start posting the sketches & paintings is a small watercolour of a classic view of Notre Dam.

Watercolour with Pen 8 x 5 inches (approx 20 x 12cm) on paper.
This painting of Notre Dam is for sale for $100 plus $20 shipping click here to contact me.

Cockatoo Island from Elkington Park Balmain, Sydney

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Mon, 17 May 2010 13:37:00 +0000

Watercolour, Pen & Pencil on Watercolour Paper

8.5 x 6 inches (21 x 15 cm)

One of the wonderful things about plein aire painting (painting on location) is the discovery of so many great places in Sydney that I have never been to before.
Elkington Park is one of those places & located right next to the Dawn Fraser Baths. It is only a few kilometres from the heart of Sydney & provides a continious view of water traffic moving out of and into Sydney Harbour. That is Cockatoo Island at the top of the painting.
It is meditation to sit with the feel of the sun & only the sound of the birds and the sea, and peacefully focus on drawing what is before me.
This painting is for sale for Aust $100 within Australia or Aust $110 for overseas delivery (approx.US$98) click here to contact me

Painting of Rue De Buci, Paris, France

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:36:00 +0000

Rue de Buci, Paris France

Oil on Canvas 12 x 10 inches (500x 600mm)

I am getting in the mood for an upcoming trip to France, & as always I get this urge to paint where I am going before I get there. Last time I was in Paris I stayed in the Hotel de Buci and loved the area, so this is great way to start.

Rue de Buci is in the 6th arrondissement and the area is full of small shops, cafes, and markets selling fresh produce. It is surrounded by narrow streets full of character at one end, and at the other runs into the fashionable Boulevard Saint-Germain-des-Prés near where the Café Les Deux Magots , Café de Flore and the Brasserie Lipp are.

This painting and some of my other paintings of Paris & Venice are now on display & for sale at Edmonds and Greer, Oatley, Sydney.

This painting has now been sold.

click here to contact me

Sydney Harbour Bridge from Observatory Hill

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Sydney Harbour Bridge from Observatory Hill

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Watercolour, ink and pencil on paper

8 x 6 inches (210 x 148mm)

After leaving the Nicholas Harding exhibition see previous post, I stopped to sketch the harbour bridge from Observatory Hill. I have drawn the harbour a few times from here and there is usually beautiful light in the late afternoon. However this is the first time that I have included the harbour bridge. I like the view from here with just a hint of the streets in the Rocks area below it

This painting is for sale for Aust $95 within Australia or Aust $105 for overseas delivery (approx.US$95) click here to contact me or buy via the Paypal button below.

Minnie Waters, Coincidence and Nicholas Harding

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 03:15:00 +0000

Click on Image for a larger version

Oil on Canvas 12 x 10 inches (500x 600mm)

Before a recent painting session with my friend Steve we were discussing coincidences and instances of chance that had happened recently. As a topic for the days painting Steve picked a photo of Minnie Waters that I had taken on a recent trip to the north coast.

The next day we went to the Nicholas Harding exhibition entitled "Drawn to Paint" at the National Trusts SH Ervin Gallery, and coincidentally Minnie Waters makes more appearances in this exhibition.

I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition which covers the last 25 years of Nicholas practice. We see a wide range of subjects encompassing still lifes, beachscapes, portraits and urban scenes executed in his trademark thick oils and wonderful drawings in ink , charcoal etc. His composition skills are exceptional, & the drawings which don't play second fiddle to the paintings are exceptional. In them we see how he breaks through the surface to add new dimensions to the tonal qualities of the surface.

Magnolias - Nicholas Harding

It was interesting to see the evolution of his work from a murkier colour seemingly painted straight from the tube in "strings", to the current energetic light flooded works with large planes of thick luscious colour applied with a large palette knife. Well worth while visiting to see the large painting of the concourse at Central Station alone. More Nicholas Harding paintings at his website here

My painting of Minnie Waters is for sale click here to contact me , or click below to buy it unframed for Aust$295 (approx US $265) plus shipping and insurance (A$20 in Australia or A$40 (approx US35) overseas).

Garie Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:04:00 +0000

Garie Beach , Royal National Park
Watercolour & Pen 7 x 5 Inches (18 x 12.5 cm)

Off to Europe next year & have been been trying different mediums with a view to having an easily transportable kit to sketch with. My preferred medium is oil paints but they are difficult and bulky to carry, & one has to transport turps around. Acrylics are good and resolve the "turps" problem but they are quite bulky too and dry too quick for my liking. Been trying watercolours and quite like the transparency and light that comes from them and they can pack into a very small kit.

This is Garie beach in the Royal National Park, Sutherland in Sydney. Had a great day earlier with a body board and then retrieved my breath with a couple of watercolours. I like how figures are starting to appear in my paintings. I like the shapes that the groups of figures make, particularly that line that goes out into the surf.

I wrote an earlier post about the Art trail in the Royal National Park at Bundeena here

This painting is now sold click here to contact

Leonard Cohen in Sydney - Oil version

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:34:00 +0000

Leonard Cohen in Sydney

Oil on canvas - 10 x 8 inches

Oil painting based on the watercolour sketch done at the concert. Click here to see that post

This painting is available from my website , click to see a larger image. at my website www.marshstudio.com

Sketching a Spring Frost by Elioth Gruner - Art Gallery of NSW

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:22:00 +0000

Sketching a Spring Frost

Oil on Paper -by Barbara Gray
5.25 x 5 Inches (13.5 x 12.5cm)

The painting is the second work in a triptych which comprises 3 paintings of people reacting with the paintings in the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney. An artist sketches the painting entitled "Spring Frost" by Elliot Gruner.

The triptych features 2 paintings by Fred Marsh and this one by Barbara Gray, & will be available from marshstudio.com soon

The first painting "Couple in Blue" featured Fred Williams painting "My Garden" & is at this previous post

click here to contact me

Couple in Blue at Art Gallery of NSW

noreply@blogger.com (Fred Marsh) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:25:00 +0000

Couple in Blue

Oil on Paper

6.5 x 5 Inches (16.5 x 12.5cm)

This painting is part of a triptych which comprises 3 paintings of people reacting with the paintings in the Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney. This painting features one of my favourites by Fred Williams entitled "My Garden".

The triptych will feature 2 paintings by me and one by Barbara Gray, & will be available from my website in the coming weeks click here to contact me .