Spring and colour
Spring it here and I’ve taken to cycling out to the countryside in the evening with a camera and photographing likely scenes to paint. I’m still too agitated to embrace the idea of spending an afternoon out in the open painting what likely will be a disaster. Time is of the essence and I’ve programme of things that I need to get through that are better achieved in a studio. One is painting with just white, cad red, alizarin, cad yellow and ultramarine. I want to experiment with pure secondary colours and then add small amounts of others to tone them down and create duller versions. It’s a type of colour wheel experiment, but more about hues and values that colour mixing.
Spring it here and I’ve taken to cycling out to the countryside in the evening with a camera and photographing likely scenes to paint. I’m still too agitated to embrace the idea of spending an afternoon out in the open painting what likely will be a disaster. Time is of the essence and I’ve a programme of things that I need to get through that are better achieved in a studio. One is painting with just white, cad red, alizarin, cad yellow and ultramarine. I want to experiment with pure secondary colours and then add small amounts of others to tone them down and create duller versions. It’s a type of colour wheel experiment, but more about hues and values that colour mixing.
Moving sideways
Niamh (Curry) is moving on from the studio and her space at the other end of the room is available. It’s not really any bigger and it might be darker, but its not right inside the door and she also has the carpet covered in a spill-proof fabric, so I’m going to grab it while its going. Niamh has been running the life drawing classes down at Bollards. I’ve really enjoyed them, but getting sketchers to commit is like drawing blood from a stone so they’re on hiatus for the time being. Hopefully might organise some at the Home Rule club in the future.
Niamh (Curry) is moving on from the studio and her space at the other end of the room is available. It’s not really any bigger and it might be darker, but its not right inside the door and she also has the carpet covered in a spill-proof fabric, so I’m going to grab it while its going. Niamh has been running the life drawing classes down at Bollards. I’ve really enjoyed them, but getting sketchers to commit is like drawing blood from a stone so they’re on hiatus for the time being. Hopefully might organise some at the Home Rule club in the future.
Tuesdays
Tuesdays have become my painting days. I need a day without interruptions to get going and make some progress. Monday carries with it the build up of emails and print orders over the weekend and it would be too hard to switch off. Wednesday would do too, but Tuesday it is. No emails. No phone calls where I can help it. Switch on a podcast and get painting. Thats the plan… what was it Robbie Burns said?
Tuesdays have become my painting days. I need a day without interruptions to get going and make some progress. Monday carries with it the build up of emails and print orders over the weekend and it would be too hard to switch off. Wednesday would do too, but Tuesday it is. No emails. No phone calls where I can help it. Switch on a podcast and get painting.
Thats the plan… what was it Robbie Burns said?
Mono type
The theme of estuaries is starting to develop, but in my minds eye the images are Monochrome.
I’m keen to start working with more colour so I think I’m going to do one painting on canvas to kind of sum up my explorations around the Boyne Estuary and then park it for a while as I get on with some other studies
The theme of estuaries is starting to develop, but in my minds eye the images are Monochrome.
I’m keen to start working with more colour so I think I’m going to do one painting on canvas to kind of sum up my explorations around the Boyne Estuary and then park it for a while as I get on with some other studies
New Beginings
It all begins with an idea.
The latest tome: Legendary lighthouses of Britain.
October 2023
Date unknown.
The new book- Legendary Lighthouses of Britain- is complete and off with the printers in Hong Kong. Apart from the day to day of running the online store, I’ve been working on US lighthouses for a future project and I’m beginning to feel the onset of burn-out
I really feel its time for a bit of a re-set. I need to get back to painting, but it’s never going to happen at the home studio. There are just too many distractions and excuses to turn to something else.
I’ve heard of a small shared space going in town with a group called An Chead Tine (The first/original fire) and I’ve applied for a spot.
A new studio
Have moved into a new studio in the centre of town. Its an old Georgian Building which once housed the De la Salle Brothers that taught in the town. High ceilings and large windows looking over the Parade. The room is divided into three. The space is fine. Getting used to creating with others about is going to be a challenge. The idea is to start small with few expectations.
Have moved into a new studio in the centre of town. It’s an old Georgian Building which once housed the De la Salle Brothers who taught students in the town. High ceilings and large windows overlook the Parade. The room is divided into three. The space is fine. Getting used to creating with others about is going to be a challenge. The idea is to start small with few expectations.
Scratching the surface
I’m working small to begin with. Old scraps of hardboard, sealed with PVA. I’m painting with watery acrylics and charcoals and chalks, just moving tones around on the surface. Drawing with a very restricted palate. The inspiration is the Boyne Estuary. I revisited it for the book on Lighthouses and was surprised at how visceral and personal the area felt to me. I spent countless days as a kid amongst the marram grass and the faintly alien little light houses perched amongst the dunes. The Maiden Tower stood like a totem amongst the scattered houses, beacons and lights. A kid friendly eye of Sauron. Unfortunately, climbing to the top is out of bounds these days.
I’m working small to begin with. Old scraps of hardboard, sealed with PVA. I’m painting with watery acrylics and charcoals and chalks, just moving tones around on the surface. Drawing with a very restricted palate. The inspiration is the Boyne Estuary. I revisited it for the book on Lighthouses and was surprised at how visceral and personal the area felt to me. I spent countless days as a kid amongst the marram grass and the faintly alien little lighthouses perched amongst the dunes. The Maiden Tower stood like a kid friendly Eye of Sauron amongst the scattered houses, beacons and lights. Unfortunately, climbing to the top is out of bounds these days.
Workworkwork
Working with no goal is so liberating. I thought I’d find myself stuck in the studio with artists block, but just like writing, the hardest part is sitting down (or in this case, standing). You just get out the tools, you start scribbling and you see where it takes you.
Sometimes it works. Often it doesn’t.
Working with no goal is so liberating. I thought I’d find myself stuck in the studio with artists block, but just like writing, the hardest part is sitting down (or in this case, standing). You just get out the tools, you start scribbling and you see where it takes you.
Sometimes it works. Often it doesn’t.