Blog
ONLINE ART LATEST
Avoiding getting blog online because when I start on the computer I always seem to end up being online for most of the day. Can’t seem to restrict myself to a certain length of time especially on sunny days. Anyway I have been painting oils for the passed few months and exhibiting as well. Exhibiting in the open air is definitely my fav. Am getting fresh air and also get to talk to people. Most days there are no sales but I still go home happy.
My more recent work has been in sets of two. Views of Portmarnock and Donabate and more recently, Large trees.
The tree ones are Malahide Cricket ground and a pastoral scene of the fields around Farmleigh in Pheonix park.
I am also completing an art course on line, which details more of the school work involved in creating a piece of art. Most of the coursework is familiar but it helps to do repeat exercises and hopefully the theory will stay in and the composition and paintings of pictures will get easier.
I recently became Honorary Secretary of the Portmarnock Art Group and have been planning talks and exhibitions for the next few months. Hopefully the members will enjoy what has been planned and will continue to be inspired to paint beautiful pictures.
My friends, from 4rtists and friends are having an exhibition in Malahide Library from 1st September and we hope to see all our regular followers over the coming week.
TIP OF THE WEEK
When planning a painting check out a few compositions before committing to paper/canvas. Use your artistic license.
online art update
Am getting ready for the Summer season of exhibiting. I will post my new artwork online as and when I finish it. The ‘Peony roses’ I completed last summer is still in Kuala Lumpur, but I have started another one here in Dublin and hope to have it finished soon.
The ‘Pigeon House’ picture recently sold in The View Restaurant, Grange Driving Range, Church Road Kinsealy, first of the year, lets hope there will be a few more over the coming months.
Latest exhibitions that I am participating in:
coming up is the AISLING ART GROUP in the Old Court House Howth, this coming Sat and Sun 26th and 27th April. It is also the DUBLIN BAY PRAWN FESTIVAL so should be nice a busy weekend with lots of buyers. Also the PORTMARNOCK ART GROUP Annual exhibition in the Country Club Portmarnock this coming Sunday and Monday 27th and 28th April. A great selection of wonderful paintings by many an experienced artist.
Here are a few of my paintings ready to hang over the weekend.
Lots more exhibitions coming up including 4RTISTS AND FRIENDS Summer exhibition in Howth, but more on that later.
Just a short blog this time, but the sun is shining and I am off out to enjoy it while it lasts.
TIP OF THE DAY
ALWAYS TAKE CARE STORING YOUR PAINTINGS,OR YOU WILL HAVE A FEW SURPRISES LIKE, DENTS, HOLES AND EVEN TEARS IN CANVASES, NO ONE WILL BUY THEM SO IT PAYS TO WRAP.
latest update online art
Sorry have not updated recently, but have been ill and not up to sitting at computer talking about online art to people but am on the mend and here we go.
Summer is well over now so no more exhibiting on tennis club railings in Malahide. Had a lot of success this year and look forward to doing it all again next year. Hope we have another good summer 2014.
Myself and a few friends Paula Bradley, Godfrey Smeaton and Mary O’Callaghan formed a new art group 4rtists and friends and we had our first exhibition in Malahide Library in September. (email: 4rtistsandfriends@gmail.com) It was a great opportunity to launch the new Art Group and we got great feedback from other artist friends.
We hope to have more exhibitions at Christmas and throughout next year. So watch this space for upcoming art exhibition openings. Our next outing was to exhibit at A. L. Goodbodys Charity art exhibition in October, this was our first venture in the big arena of corporate charity art sales and a very successful opening in that our little art group sold 4 out of 8 pictures submitted. We were all delighted.
Another exhibition to prepare for, my friend Anne Harnett and I held an exhibition in Malahide Library in early November. Not as late as last year’s one which was nearer Christmas and very successful. We put on a good show with many new pieces of work, and had lots of visitors and favorable comments.
We have booked the Malahide library again for next year so hopefully we will all be well and can organize a successful opening again .
One other project I completed at the end of the summer was a mural for my grandsons’ playroom. I had promised them to paint some artwork when they had their own playroom, so when they moved into their new house recently the project began. It was my first time to paint a mural and it was very enjoyable and i learned new techniques for future projects.
Am in Kuala Lumpur recuperating at the moment, looking for inspiration and generally enjoying visiting the tourist sites again. Didnt get a chance to call into Amir Ariffen’s art class this visit, but will definately be back there in the new year when I return. Will be home soon and ready to complete all those art projects piling up over the summer.
TIP OF THE DAY
When painting with oils, use different brush with each colour, just wiping inbetween, and clean brushes in white spirit at end of session.
Latest News from Artists online
Well I might not have sold on the railings in Malahide last week or this week, but as you can see the family support me all the way and weather has been beautiful.
Now for the latest news from Baldoyle Forum Exhibition just this last weekend, no I didnt sell any pictures, but I did win a prize for my picture of Grafton Street. Well who would have thunk it,and I got a star too!!! I was delighted. Going to chance one more Sunday on Malahide Tennis club railings next weekend, and that might be it for the summer. But if we get an Indian Summer, sure we will be out there for September too.
TIP OF THE WEEK
Keep painting, there is someone somewhere who will buy your painting.
ART SALES
I had great success last weekend on the railings in Malahide, I sold three paintings, and next day I had a lady contacted me to buy a painting she had seen on the railings two weeks previous. Needless to say I will be back on railings (weather permitting) this Sunday.
Baldoyle Forum are holding a charity art exhibition in their hall in Baldoyle 23rd-25th August and
Portmarnock Art group will be exhibiting in Baldoyle Library next month. Watch this space for more exhibitions.
ONLINE ART IN KUALA LUMPUR
Just back from my latest trip to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Missed all the sun here in Ireland but temperatures were nearly the same, except for the humidity being higher in KL. As usual I headed straight for my art classes with Amir and Zai Ariffen in town near Istana Budaya which is beside the national art gallery on Jalan Tun Razak. I met up with some of my student colleagues from Norway, Australia, Singapore and India. See the map which gives you an idea of how popular these classes have been over the years. Only one person from Ireland though. The studio is light and airy with lots of Amirs painting around the walls for inspiration.
I brought a picture I had taken of some peony roses my mother had in a vase at home and chose a large canvas to paint it on. Amir started me off and divided the picture into triangles then it was easy to pick a petal and then add on the rest. Started putting the colour in, but had to take regular breaks. Painting with similar colours was very tiring, and had to stop myself painting all the petals all the same. Quite pleased with the result.
I also had a look around the the Art galleries and one exhibition was very interesting it was Chinese Calligraphy, I didn’t realise there were so many different types of print or writing. Am going to practice the Chinese writing with my new brushes and ink and watch this space.
When I arrived home the weather had turned to changeable (rain and storms) but I still went out to the railings in Malahide for the Malahide Has it! festival. We got about 2 hours before the showers started, plastics at the ready, but we all got worn out and headed for home around 3pm. Lots of interest in pictures and lots of business cards taken, am very hopeful.
TIP OF THE DAY
When sketching, look for angles and negative spaces and even draw upsidedown. You can see your errors much easier.
New paintings and more art classes
A busy time finishing paintings, one of my acrylic creations was finally finished. I found it very hard to work on the large spaces with the acrylic. Even with the extender medium blending was not so easy. Its a nice summery subject for the lovely weather we are having at the moment and it goes with my previous picture of the deck chairs, check out the gallery. Speaking of summery weather what do you think of my caricature by James Harpur from a phtograph taken on the last summery day I was in Malahide.
I just finished a drawing course at NCAD Dublin. One of their summer courses. The subject list was extensive, with every drawing implement you could think of. It was all very daunting, but our teacher Helen Killane made it all seem so easy, ok well not easy but we understood the logic and all it was going to take was practice. I was surprised how easy I took to the continuous line drawing with pen. Subject actually looked like what I had drawn!
We also had life drawing class, and we got to draw the rest of Des (from a previous class).
Helen was presented with a photograph of herself as a life model when demonstrating where all our bendy bits actually are. A great, educational week. We all learned lots and were left wanting more. So much so most of class were planning to attend courses later in the year.
Am taking a break from exhibiting on the railings in Malahide and heading off to Malaysia, where I hope Amir and Zai have a place for me in art class for the two weeks I am there.
Festival weekend in Malahide, (MALAHIDE HAS IT!) is on the last weekend of this month so lots of art for sale all over the village that weekend Lots to see so come on down, TOOTS the train will be there to take you from venue to venue and lots of food, and entertainment too. Check Facebook for details (ENJOY MALAHIDE).
Then the bank holiday weekend we are back on the railings with the PORTMARNOCK ART GROUP.
TIP OF THE WEEK:
WHEN STARTING A SKETCH IN PENCIL, MAKE SURE THAT YOUR INITIAL MARKS ARE NOT TOO HEAVY, THIS MAKES IT EASIER WHEN ADDING SHADING LATER AND THE ORIGINAL LINE DOSEN’T STAND OUT.
learning more about art
Still turning up every Sunday at Malahide Tennis Club railings to exhibit my paintings. We are taking advantage of the good weather while we have it. Sales are slow but its nice to have people comment about your pictures or ask questions, there is always a chance that they will come back another day. Am meeting more painters too and everyone is eager to share tips and experiences.
I went to a new framers today, Dolores of Art Design in Baldoyle Industrial Estate. Three pictures framed and ready for next Sunday.
I went to the free life sketching class for over 55’s in National Gallery of Ireland this week. The teacher had us drawing with our ‘other’ hand and with pen on the end of a stick. It was very, what’s the word, eyeopening! invigorating! freeing! while they were not finished pictures by any means the position of the model was evident even in the 30 second challenges. I was quite surprised.
Had a go at some little abstract pieces today. Was always wary of abstract painting, when do I stop, what colours do I use. But when doing just little ones it was easier.
TIP OF THE DAY
ALWAYS PHOTOGRAPH FINISHED WORK. IT IS GREAT TO HAVE A REMINDER OF A NEW TECHNIQUE OR MAYBE IF IT IS SOLD THEN YOU HAVE REFERENCE MATERIAL TO PAINT IT AGAIN.
SUMMER EXHIBITIONS
The summer exhibitions have started. I was exhibiting on the Malahide Tennis Club Railings this bank holiday week end. First day there were about 9 of us exhibiting, weather wise it was mixed, overcast and not that warm. Not as many people about as we thought, but a lot of things happening in Dublin this weekend so people can’t be everywhere. Monday weather was much better and warmer. More people about but they were just interested in buying ice cream unfortunately. Lots of friendly people though stopped for a chat and reminised about some of the places we had in the paintings.
I also went to a workshop on portraits in Kennedys Art supplies with P.J. Lynch Illustrator. My friend Angela came with me and together with about 8 other people we had a very informative day painting Des. Learning new techniques and basically surprising ourselves at the results of our days tuition. We broke for lunch and ate it in the St.Stephens Green, plenty of scope for live drawing there.
Also one more Sunday on the railings in Malahide, the weather was so good I decided to give it another go and see if anyone was out there was in the mood for buying artwork. There were a lot more sales this time including one of mine I was delighted. There was a slight breeze and this made the heat bareable.
TIP OF THE DAY
Sharpen sketching pencils with blade not parer.
ART ON THE GREEN
ART ON THE GREEN
The first exhibition of the year for Peoples Art in Dublin. Weather forecast was mixed but we braved it out anyway. We just finished a very tiring weekend at the People’s Art Exhibition on the railings of St. Stephen’s Green in the center of Dublin. The weather was very unpredictable and we spent a lot of time rolling the plastic covering up and down. We were on the east side so when the sun came out at least we heated up and dried out quite quickly. The first day it is mostly the other artists checking out everyone’s work. Lots of chat and sharing of information on how to set up camp.
There were some sales, but unfortunately I was not one of the lucky ones. Lots of interest but just no buyers. We used the weekend as a learning curve as to how to display and sell our paintings. We seemed to have all the right equipment, hanging was ok but we needed a more user friendly plastic cover sheet and a quick course on selling techniques would not go amiss. We are working on a covering system that is easier to use, and getting parking near our spot was great during the rain.
TIP OF THE DAY
Start underpainting with acrylic paint. This dries quickly and oil painting can start more quickly.