Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Pond paintings and my studio



I have finished the painting I posted earlier, this is it here. I have also completed another one, painted from outside the studio. You will notice the reflection of the studio in the bottom left corner of the work.
I was going to do some more work from the pond today, but it is overcast with rain forecasted later so I will leave it until the weather is more suitable. In the meantime I have other jobs to do anyway, so I can get stuck into them today and I have a meeting tomorrow I need to prepare for. I will try to update a little more regularly, but I tend to get sidetracked to easily... :)

Friday, July 18, 2008

I have almost finished the painting. I have been busy elsewhere other than the studio too. I also managed to get out fishing on Wednesday, and hopefully will get out again over the weekend.

I have been reorganising and tidying around the studio, Having moved a few paintings out I have more space at the moment.

Monday, July 14, 2008


I have decided to paint my pond, photos of which are both with and without the pump running for the stream.
It is nice to have a little summer agaion...yes it has stopped raining :)
I have included a photo of the first laying-in stages of the painting to give you an idea of what I intend. I don't have a polarising lens on the camera so you cannot see any fish.
To give a little scale the pond is edged with 8X4 inch bricks

Saturday, July 12, 2008

I have not been doing much painting this last week. I was too busy delivering paintings to framers and galleries. I have fished three days in the last week too. I broke the top of one of my river rods last saturday while fishing a competition. This evening I broke my other river rod fishing another competition. This evenings victim has a lifetime warranty but it will probably take a couple of months for the replacement section. I will need to replace the other rod anyway.

I haven't broken a rod in years, and now manage to break both my river rods in one week.......at least I won the competition this evening, it's some comfort, but it's a pity there wasn't a rod as first prize LOL.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Finn Eces (Finnegas) Salmon of Knowledge, final stages.


Here is the finished painting of Finn Eces' salmon. I added two more hazelnuts, mainly to help break the horizontal across the back of the painting. I had considered putting the nine nuts the salmon was said to have eaten in the myth but I don't really see a need to be a slave to the legend.


I am considering doing a series based on the Irish legends and have started another work, the hound of Culainn the Blacksmith, reputed to have been slain by the boy Setanta, thereafter known as Cuchulainn.




Tuesday, July 1, 2008

bradán feasa, a painting and searching for the inspiration....

I have not posted in a while, I have been busy both with an exhibition and also re-evaluating my art. I feel I have to move forward with my painting. I have not been totally happy with my work recently, it is/was in a rut. I have decided to move from my normal representational work further into a more stylised conceptual way of painting. I may even move more into semi-abstract works if the fancy takes me.



I suppose I am overdue a change, I have been working on a painting, based on my lino print of the salmon of knowledge, Bradán feasa in the Irish language.

Here are some photographs of the work in progress, although it needs to progress quite a bit further yet.




















the first stage, drawn in charcoal and fixed. The hazelnuts have been painted green.










a base colour in position



further work, mainly on the salmon, note the repositioning of the Newgrange passage tomb to below the hill-line








the present stage of the work


















detail of the salmon





I will give an update later in the week, after I do a bit more to the painting.

Incidently, it is acrylic on canvas, 24 by 20 inches.





The painting has an accumulation of themes, the salmon is said to have gained it's knowledge from the hazelnuts that grew on trees around the magical spring from where the rivers of Ireland grew, hence the contorted hazel trees and hazel nuts. The Salmon was caught in the river Boyne, which runs through the valley at Newgrange, two more elements of the work. In the clouds and river, the swirls of the contorted hazel are echoed, also encompassing the spiral decoration from pre-christian celtic art found on the stones at Newgrange. All of which combine to create a history of the salmon of knowledge while the dissapearing river leaves us seeking knowledge of where it is going.