A pleasant surprise in the mail.

I received my invitation to the opening of the 3rd International Ex-Libris Biennale today. My submission to the Biennale is included on the fron t of the invitation.

If you didn't see it in my earlier post it is six from the bottom left. Sadly I won't be at the grand opening. It's hard to get a Taxi to and from the venue.. LOL.

I am quite busy doing everything except painting at the moment. Hopefully I will get back down to serious painting next week. I still have to organise some frames for the upcoming Christmas shows. If you read this Liam, I'll see you tomorrow. :D

I really need to get organised rather than leave it all to the last minute. Hopefully I will sell a few over the pre-christmas shows, I also need to decide if I am going to do another show other than the four already planned. I still have to finish proposals for my hoped for show next year.

River Sheen, Bonane, Kenmare

This photograph is not particularly good, mainly due to poor light and an automatic flash. This is the river Sheen painting. I have finished the rework now, the painting is heavily influenced by my recall of the warm sun and the 'lazy afternoon' of our trip to Cork and Kerry earlier in the year.

This is the view across the road from Molly Gallivans farm and mill shop, on the Glengarriff road. There is an interesting carved monk in the carpark, but as usual I was more interested in the river. I will take a better picture later on when I have daylight. I hope to finish the other work, Cashel Bay, tomorrow or Sunday.

I am working on another painting from Connemara. It still needs work as I am not happy with the foreground. I am also working on another landscape, this one of the river sheen in west Cork. It is in the middle of it's fourth rework from the original plein air study.

I took time off to fish the last few days of the trout fishing season, so I am only just back into my studio today. I will, I hope, rework the foreground on the Connemara painting tomorrow and Saturday, as I am almost satisfied with the river sheen painting. I am looking at it now, I see one small adjustment to the waterfall that is needed to correct what is actually an optical illusion within angles of the fall of the water. It has taken a while to see where the 'problem' is, although I knew it was there somewhere, but it is not obvious, even to my eye.

Now as to the fishing, you will see by the photograph of lough Sheelin, conditions did not suit the fishing. However I did manage to catch a few even in the sweltering sunshine with no cloud or breeze. It was great to have such warm bright weather so late in the year too, it will shorten the winter, and we had a very relaxing couple of days on the water.... just look at Noel.....

There is more to fishing than just catching fish... and you will notice this is towards the evening by the low sun shadows and Noel wearing his coat against the coming evening chill...

Four leaf clovers.........

I found this while out for a walk with the dog and other family today. The proverbial four leaf clover...

....I spotted it from a distance of about 12 feet, it seemed to wave at me from a clump of clover leaves growing near the path, I walked over and there it was, one only four leaf clover, and as much as I looked I couldn't find another one. I am looking forward to our good luck :D

I have been busy painting this week, I haven't even been fishing, but I'm off for the last two days of the season Monday and Tuesday (11th & 12th) so it was good to get work done. I have finoished another piece, based on a study of Cashel in connemara. I'll upload a photo later, I'm tired after my walk and too lazy to do it now.. :)

Cashel Bay II

I reworked the foliage in the Cashel Bay painting. I thought I may as well upload the photograph now. I don't think I'll do any more work on the painting now.

In the meantime I am working on a new project, I hope to obtain some grant aid towards it next year. Consequently I am busy preparing outlines, aims and benefits while planning out the project.

I will need to check up on deadlines for funding and exhibition applications next week so that I am prepared enough when the time comes to submit proposals. Either way I intend to try to be well prepared and advanced along the project before the new year.