Building on last weeks workshop

Here is a Plein air painting of part our garden. This picture is for my wife as I usually park my car blocking this view from the house. The photo is a little washed out possibly because of the sheen from the wet oil paints.

Garden view - Oil on canvas - 40cm x 40cm

More from Plein Air week

Our most enjoyable week on the Cosby Estate, Stradbally painting en Plein air has come to an end. Tonight as I clean my palette and brushes I feel quite drained but satisfied by the experience. It was great to see the different approaches of the other artists and also to make many new friends. Jock Nichol has helped us to really see the landscape. Here is a small selection of photos taken during the week.

Muireann Ni Chonaill opening Jock Nichol's Plein Air exhibition and week-long workshop

Stradbally Hall (would have spent all week on this to finish) - Oil on canvas- 14 x 18 inches

An attentive bunch

Jock making it look so simple

I make it look so laboured

View from my easel

Completed oil on canvas - 14 x 18 inches

Closing exhibition

Closing exhibition

For more visit:  www.arthouse.ie

Plein Air week-long art course with Jock Nichol

Sadly, tomorrow is the last day of a week-long Plein Air art course with artist Jock Nichol. Laois Arts Officer, Muireann Ni Chonaill and her team at the Arthouse, Stradbally have done a wonderful job organizing the course. We have worked each day in the beautiful grounds of the Cosby Estate, Stadbally and produced some varied and interesting works. If you have a spare few minutes why not pop in to view the exhibition.

Check out the Arthouse on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/thearthouseandlibrary?fref=ts

Carrickfergus Castle

Recently we stayed in Carrickfergus for a few days. As part of the trip we visited the beautiful Carrickfergus Castle. The kids had a ball learning about its history and exploring the various parts of the castle. Seeing their excited faces reminded me of when I was young and how much this castle matched the one that I imagined the Chivalric Knights of my play called home.

Each evening I ventured out of our hotel to sketch the castle. I got rained on twice so the first of my watercolour sketches were rather smudged. However I did one drawing in pencil and did a crude block in of colour before the light faded. I finished this in the studio when we returned home.

Carrickfergus Castle - Watercolour 10 x 14 inches

Another bit of fun for Castletown Tidy Towns

Here is another bit of fun painted in Acrylics on a door of the stables at the old Mill in Castletown. I hope these chickens settle in well.

87cm x 76cm

The photograph of the ladies new home isn't great as it is a miserable dark and wet evening.

Detail

A little bit of fun for Castletown Tidy Towns

This horse was painted using Acrylics on plywood for Castletown Tidy Towns.

Detail - 80cm X 76cm

New resident settling in at the mill stables Castletown

Now to paint a companion or two for Dobbin.

Mam

Sometimes it is difficult to make an image particularly if it has an emotional effect on you. This ink drawing is from a time when I remember my Mam most vividly. It's nine years since her passing and I grieve still.

Gay Rafter - Ink on A4 paper

Acrylic commission of Shergar

Painting with acrylic paints makes an interesting change from using oils. I like the way you don't have to worry about light over dark though keeping the acrylics fluid can present something of a problem. Mediums can extend drying times but have issues such as causing the paint to sink. Even using a stay wet palette doesn't prevent the formation of a skin on the paint when the palette is exposed to air so you tend to chuck away more paint than you use to make the picture.

This is a commissioned work is of the great horse Shergar and his jockey Walter Swinburn completed using acrylic paints.

Shergar - Acrylic on canvas - 50cm X 70cm

Detail

Another portrait sketch

Here is a drawing of Hugo. Drawn using fine clutch pencils in about 2 hours.

Hugo - Pencil A4 size

Portraits & Sketches

I think that I am using fine clutch pencils more often than standard pencils now. I like the accuracy and economy of line  that can be achieved with really fine clutch pencils, though if you need to cover ground standard pencils are what you need.

Gabby - Pencil on paper A4 size

Next up is an oil portrait (from a while ago) that has so much wrong about it that it shouldn't work. Still, the likeness is reasonable so I include it in this post.

Gela - Oil on canvas 16 X 20 inches

Interloper Watercolour

During the recent good weather I was struck by this single red tulip amongst a drift of daffodils so I did a quick rough and ready watercolour sketch of the interloper.

Interloper - Watercolour on DR Aquafine paper 20 X 16 inches

Here are a couple of ink pen sketches

Budding Sycamore - A4 size

Leaf Studies - A4 size

Same view different medium

Here is a view of the mill and weir at Castletown, that I have painted in oil and acrylic several times previously. This is a watercolour sketch of the same view. I love to have a big saturated blue sky scape in my pictures, so I have not broken with that tradition here, although the photograph is a little more washed out than the painting actually is.

Mill & weir at Castletown- Watercolour on DR Aquafine paper 20 x 16 inches