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... :)

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

More paintings..

I have been working away yesterday and today, I also picked up some more supplies this morning. The work is going well, but I am not sure I really want to continue with it. My lack of colour in them is making me uneasy. They are of the western loughs, irish landscapes with lots of water and quite atmospheric, but not my usual work.

I will evaluate some of it over the next few days, and decide if it is worth continuing with.

Another week over, and a busy one ahead..

Another week has passed.
I have done some painting,.... but not a great deal.
I am fishing competitions again tomorrow and Sunday, so none will be finished this weekend.

I need to finish a few for the end of the month, but I have to get a few other jobs done also. I am due to fly into London for a day next week too. At this stage I am glad I didn't go to Montenegro for the Art festival/residency this month. It is something to look forward to for next year anyway. (I have been asked to go next year...)
I need to get some more paint and canvas this month, supplies are not low, they are almost non-existent. I will get into town as soon as I have the work ready for the upcoming show.
Don't expect too many posts this month, it's not likely to happen unless work progresses greatly.

I have been working away quietly, trying a few things in small sizes. However I don't have much to show for it.
I am not particularly worried though, I think I may need to work through the ideas anyway.
It can be frustrating, but it is also rewarding.
I will be fishing competitions this weekend, and next so I will get a break from the work.

I have been working away from my lough Mask studies.

These are photos of three little acrylic paintings.


I am at the moment working on a larger oil painting. It is progressing quite well but I am not ready to photograph it yet.













I am hoping to get some more work done next week but I have a few things I must do before getting back to the painting.

Added to the list of things to do are prepare for two major fishing competitions next Sunday (8th) and the following Sunday (16th), two Club competitions to be organised and fished on the Saturday evenings of the 15th and 21st and I am going to be quite busy over the next few weeks. I also have a trip to London this month too.

I still have to organise frames for the end of the month, though my framer knows that they are wanted, and, to be honest he rarely does them before the last minute anyway!!

In the mean-time I hope to post a little more later in the week.