michaelmcguire

A Bright Winter Day at Johnstown Castle

2012-02-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

Our plein air group went to nearby Johnstown Castle and gardens on Sunday last. After a dull, misty start, it turned into a beautiful clear day. I only did the one painting (I think staring into the sun took its toll on my eyes!).

February Morning, Johnstown Castle
(14" x 11" Oil on Board)

This is a photo of the scene taken before I started:-

Group Paint-Out at Forth Mountain

2012-02-07T08:36:00.000-08:00

We stayed local for our group paint-out on Sunday last (5/2/12). Very local for me, and I've painted the rocks up there several times. But I always seem to find a different angle or interesting light to get me interested. For my first one, I braved the bighting wind for about an hour and a half in a very exposed spot.

Winter Morning, Forth Mountain
(11" x 14" Oil on Board)

It was threatening rain by early afternoon (and there was a rugby match to watch - for my American friends, think Superbowl, but without all the stoppages and ad breaks), so I worked really fast and got my second one about 90% complete, finishing it in the studio this morning.

The Mass Rock, Forth Mountain

(12" x 10" Oil on Board)

These are photos of both scenes:-

Paint-Out at the South Slobs

2012-01-23T05:34:00.000-08:00

We had a group paint-out at the South Slobs, Wexford yesterday (the South slobs is a low-lyiing, marshy area, frequented in winter by migratory birds and the occasional mad artist!). It was a relatively good January day, with no rain and good sunshine in the afternoon - it was only about 8C (45F) though with a cold North-Westerly wind. The area is very flat - actually looks very like Holland - and it can be difficult to find anything interesting to paint apart from the obvious. For my first one, I stuck to the "obvious", settling for the old pumphouse, mainly because I managed to get a sheltered spot. But it presented a fairly dramatic silhoutte against the winter sky.

The Pumphouse, South Slobs, Wexford
(12" x 10" Oil on Board)

I just went for a sky study for my second one.

Winter Sky, South Slob, Wexford

(12" x 10" Oil on Board)

Here are photos of both scenes. As you can see, I edited/re-arranged both scenes quite a bit.

A Cold Day for Plein Air Painting

2012-01-16T03:45:00.000-08:00

A few of us braved the elements yesterday for a paint-out in Rosslare. It was only about 5C and there was a strong South East wind blowing in from the Irish Sea, which ruled out any prior thought of cliff-top locations! So we all headed down to the relatively sheltered little harbour, known as "The Safe". It was mostly cloudy, but there was an occasional burst of sunlight and I tried to capture that. So my first plein air of 2012 then:-

Winter Afternoon, The Safe, Rosslare
(12" x 10" Oil on Board)

This is a photo of the scene, taken before I started. I took the liberty of moving things around a bit for the painting.

Another Studio Painting

2011-12-05T07:22:00.000-08:00

I just finished this new studio painting this morning. It's based on a plein air I did last year.

Autumn Afternoon, Carnivan Bay
(24" x 30" Oil on Canvas)

A Windy Morning in West Kerry

2011-11-12T07:37:00.000-08:00

This studio painting is based on a small plein air study I did in West Kerry earlier this year. It was a wet, windy morning and about difficult as plein air can get before it becomes impossible. It was real fun to do a larger studio version without having to worry about the weather (or the large mountain ram who kept checking me out while doing the plein air!). I played around a lot with texture variation in this one to enhance the separation and distance between the foreground rocks and the sea below.

Rough Seas, Near Brandon Creek
(30" x 24" Oil on Canvas)

This is a detail showing the degree of texture in the foreground rocks (mostly knifework):-

Another West Kerry Painting

2011-11-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

This is a large studio painting based on a plein air I did earlier this year. I laid the paint on in thick impasto strokes to depict the main breaking wave, as I felt it helped to capture the sheer power of it. I can still hear the loud bang every time a wave hit that rock!

Windy Afternoon, Clogher Head
(24" x 30" Oil on Canvas)

Here's a close-up to give some idea of texture:-

Summer Morning, Coumeenoole (West Kerry)

2011-10-25T03:29:00.000-07:00

This is a larger studio painting, based on a small plein air done earlier this year. I made some minor compositional changes, but otherwise remained fairly true to the observed colour.

Summer Morning, Coumeenoole
(24" x 20" Oil on Canvas)

This is the original plein air painting and a photo of the scene:-

Altamont House Paint-Out

2011-10-17T04:54:00.000-07:00

We had a group paint-out to the beautiful Altamont House and Gardens in Co Carlow yesterday,. We were blessed with a beautiful sunny day, but unfortunately limited painting time due to a late start and early closing time. Still I managed to do one painting. The photo has come out a bit blotchy for some reason. In particular the softer passages of the painting are less textured than they appear on the photo.

Autumn Sunlight, Altamont House
(14" x 11" Oil on Canvas)

This is a photo of the scene:-

Ballymaloe House Paint-Out

2011-10-10T05:35:00.000-07:00

I joined a neighbouring plein air group for a paint-out at beautiful Ballymaloe House yesterday. It was a dull misty morning, but cleared up a little in the afternoon. I had to look hard to find some colour in the morning, but found these dahlias in the yard.

Dahlias, Ballymaloe House
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

Since the sun was coming and going in the afternoon, I settled for this shaded corner of the garden for my second painting.

A Quiet Corner, Ballymaloe House

(14" x 11" Oil on Board)

Photos of both scenes:-

Back in the Studio

2011-10-06T05:18:00.000-07:00

It's probably been over a year since I did my last studio painting, but I finally got the urge to do so a few days ago. This is based on a plein air painting I did earlier this year.

Towards Clogher Head, West Kerry
(20" x 24" Oil on Canvas)

A Day in Leighlinbridge

2011-09-26T06:49:00.000-07:00

We had a group paint-out in the picturesque little village of Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow, yesterday. Unfortunately, it quickly turned into a very wet and windy morning, but a local hotel kindly let us paint under the large umbrellas in their external dining area, overlooking the river and marina. I did my first painting while it was raining and was immediately drawn to the red and yellow boat. I still had to push the colours a bit for added impact.

"Standing Out from the Crowd", Leighlinbridge
(12" x 10" Oil on Board)

The sun came out for a short while in the afternoon, but it quickly clouded over, so I had to rely a lot on memory to complete my second one.

Afternoon Reflections, Leighlinbridge

(12" x 10" Oil on Board)

These are acouple of photos of the scenes:-

A Day in Courtown

2011-09-05T04:27:00.000-07:00

Our plein air group went to Courtown in North Co Wexford yesterday. It started off cloudy, then rained for a couple of hours, and then became sunny but very windy - a good Irish day then! Actually, it worked out quite well, because the rain came just as we were about to break for lunch.

I wasted about twenty minutes painting my frst one, when one of the boats disappeared! So I had to start again. This time I fell for the charms of the "Brazen Hussy", hard to resist that bright colour on a dull morning.

Morning Reflections, Courtown
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

I didn't start my second until almost 4-00 pm, waiting for the light conditions to become more settled. I was rewarded with lovely glowing light.

Afternoon Reflections, Courtown

(12" x 10" Oil on Board)

Finally, here a photos of both scenes:-

Bright Sunlight!

2011-08-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

Seems like we've had nothing but grey days here for weeks on end, so even though I was tired, having been on the road for a few days, I headed down to my favourite headland in glorious sunshine yesterday morning. It clouded over later in the afternoon, but I managed to complete this while the sun was shining.

Summer Afternoon, Carnivan Beach
(11" x 14" Oil on Board)

This is a photograph of the scene taken before I started:-

Screen and Ballyhack Paint-Outs.

2011-08-22T04:20:00.000-07:00

I did this one a couple of weeks ago in the picturesque little village of Screen. A bit showery, but nice bright sunlight in between. I got drawn to these old tree stumps behind a derelict building. Had to move things about a bit, but I like the resulting composition.

Fallen Trees
(11" x 14" Oil on Board)

I did this one yesterday at a group paint-out in Ballyack. It was mostly overcast, but there was a hint of sun every now and then and I tried to capture that light effect.

Harbour Reflections, Ballyhack

(11" x 14" Oil on Board)

Here are photos of both scenes:-

Some Stuff from Art In the Open Festival

2011-08-15T03:02:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy few weeks, so I haven't really painted that much. Our annual plein air festival (www.artintheopen.org) was bigger than ever this year, with over 120 artists entering the main competition and probably another 100 or so attending workshops and other events. It was also great to see a much increased international presence this year.

I managed to paint for 3-4 hours on the Saturday of the main event and also got out to paint on a local beach a few days later. As a steering committee member, I was excluded from the competition, but allowed to enter a few paintings in the exhibition. The first one below is no surprise, as I always get drawn to water. The second is a famous Wexford landmark, its rather dull exterior playing down the fact that the Centenary Stores is really a lively place comprising a pub, restaurant and nightclub. I think it is this which attracted me to it, but I also liked the fact that I could see a lot of subtle warm reflected light in the front facing wall, despite the dull, overcast conditions.

Reflections, Wexford Quay
(11" x 14" Oil on Board)

The "Stores", Wexford

(11" x 14" Oil on Board)

Finally, I got out to paint at a local beach a few days later. It turned into a beautiful sunny afternoon, made extra special by the generosity of one of our painting colleagues, who hosted a barbecue for almost 50 artists. To top it all, I sold this one "off the easel" to a lovely German lady who was on vacation in Wexford.

Summer Afternoon, Rosslare Strand

(11" x 14" Oil on Board)

Here are some photos of the scenes, taken before I started in each case.

"Art in the Open" Begins!

2011-07-25T05:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's paint-out to the riverside town of New Ross marked the beginning of our annual plein air festival. Now in its fourth year, it has just gotten bigger and bigger. We already have almost 100 pre-registered on line and the main festival competition doesn't begin until Friday! This year we will have some 12-15 international artists which will add tremendously to the festival.

Yesterday's paint-out was a relatively low-key affair, but there were still approximately twenty of us. I stuck to the obvious (for me!), choosing two riverside subjects. The first show the replica "Dunbrody Famine Ship" in the background, now a permanent visitors attraction. The original Dunbrody would have brought the unfortunate, or perhaps, the more fortunate famine victims in search of another chance at life in the USA. Still many would have died en route on these voyages, probably mainly from famine related illnesses such as typhoid fever. While I painted the boat, my painting interest was the left foreground area with the striking reflections. It was quite a dull, but warm and humid morning.

Morning Reflections, New Ross
(14" x 11" Oil on Board)

It brightened up a little in the afternoon, but it still remained mostly cloudy. This permanent fixture on the quayside provided some welcome colour. The owner runs frequent river tours daily on a separate boat which is usually moored to the outside of "The Galley". I considered painting both boats from the other side, but thought better of it, having been victim to disappearing boat syndrome on a number of occasions!

"The Galley", New Ross

(11" x 14" Oil on Board)

Here are photos of both scenes, taken before I started:-

Two West Kerry Seascapes

2011-07-19T08:38:00.000-07:00

I painted these about six weeks ago but then forgot about them (well, I did spend three weeks in France in the meantime!). When I looked at them again this morning, I noticed that the highlights had "sunk" quite a lot, so I restated them in thicker impasto strokes. Perhaps no longer plein air to the "purists", but better paintings for the changes.
Both were painted on a foggy monring in West Kerry. I was almost going to turn around and go home but decide to stick with it as the fog started to lift. The first one was painted as the light was coming and going, but it had cleared away completely by the time a started the second one.

Fog Clearing, Cloger Strand
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

After the Fog, Near Clogher Strand
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

Some Paintings from France

2011-07-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'm just back from an extended holiday in France, which included a week painting with the renowned Wapping Group. It was great to meet up again with such renowned artists as Trevor Chamberlain, Bert Wright and Michael Richardson and many other too numerous to mention. So a lot of healthy competition then for someone who doesn't usually paint street scenes!

Here is one from Honfleur:-

The Lieutenant's House, Honfleur
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

And one from Saumur:-

Sunday Lunch, Place St Pierre, Saumur
(14" x 11" Oil on Board)

I did this one in the beautiful little town of Bayeux on my way back to Cherbourg:-

The Day Before the Fair, Bayeux

(12" x 10" Oil on Board)

Here's a photo of the first scene:-

More to follow when I get time.

Ferrycarrig Paint-Out

2011-05-30T05:40:00.000-07:00

Our local plein air group went to the Heritage Park, Ferrycarrig, just outside Wexford town, yesterday. A disappointingly cloudy day (apart from when we took a break for lunch!), so I decided to have fun. A little imagination led to a lot of colour!

Pond Ripples, Ferrycarrig
(12" x 10" Oil on Board)

High Tide, Ferrycarrig

(12" x 10" Oil on Board)

And a couple of photos of both scenes:-

A Day in Kells, Co Kilkenny

2011-05-24T06:56:00.000-07:00

We had a group paint-out on Sunday to the picturesque little village of Kells, Co Kilkenny. Despite being very chilly with a strong wind and a couple of heavy showers, there was lovely crisp light when the sun shone. As usual, the river called me, despite being even colder down there! I managed to get two done before the prospect of a pint and chat with friends in Shirley's Bar proved irrestible!

King's River, Near Kells
(14" x 11" Oil on Board)

The Small Weir, Near Kells
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

A couple of photos of both scenes:-

The Last Day!

2011-05-09T03:24:00.000-07:00

Well Day 5 of my West Kerry painting trip! And what a day it turned out to be, not a cloud in the sky all day, and the Atlantic looking a Mediterranean turquoise blue. I arrived at Coumeenole at about 8-00am, and did this one looking South over the beach.

Going Surfing, Coumeenoole
(12" x 10" Oil on Board)

I just walked over to the far side of Dunmore Head for my second one, but brought two panels with me, since I planned to complete two before returning to my car. I was amazed at the colour of the sea - I don't think I've ever seen the sea this colour in Ireland.

Towards Dunquin (From Dunmore Head)
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

Things went a bit downhill after that. For some reason which escapes me, I decided to walk right out to the Western tip of Dunmore Head (that means climbing as well as walking), lugging all my gear plus a wet painting. When I got out there, it wasn't particularly inspiring, so I just settled for painting what was in front of me (rarely a good idea). A couple of hours later, I realised that I now had quite a long hike back, this time with two wet painting (and no carrier box)! I must have been a sorry sight trudging towards my car about an hour later! This was not quite the end to the week I had in mind, but a well deserved pint of Guinness when I got home cheered me up a bit!

I tried to "rescue" the painting by adding the figures later, but it is still probably the weakest of the series. I like the title though.

"The End", Dunmore Head
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

Here are some photos of the scenes:-

A Week in West Kerry (Day 4)

2011-05-07T12:25:00.000-07:00

My first one from Day 4. I had my eye on this scene all week and was determined to get up early enough to catch the sun in the right place, should the weather clear.

Morning Glow, Milltown (Near Dingle)
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

My second from Day 4. I wasted a lot of time trying to find a place to get at this view. I eventually took a chance on trespassing on some farmland, but thankfully got away with it!

Towards Clogher Head, Near Ferriter's Cove

(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

My third from Day 4. I had quite an audience while painting this iconic view, but it was fun.

Evening Glow, Coumeenoole

(14" x 11" Oil on Board)

Here are some photos of the scenes:-

I'll post the final three tomorrow, if I get time.

A Week in West Kerry (Day 3)

2011-05-06T07:04:00.000-07:00

It was sunny when I headed West at about 8-00am (I had a lie in!). I could see a lot of cloud ahead and then the weather forecaster said it would be cloudy with outbreaks of rain in the West all day. I actually considered turning around at one stage. When I got there it was indeed starting to rain fairly heavily, so I found a spot under a rockface, where I could just about paint. I saw what I thought was the last of the sunlight for the day hitting Mount Brandon in the distance, and settled on that for my first one.

Towards Mount Brandon (From Clogher Head)
(11" x 14" Oil on Board)

Just as I was finishing, it stopped raining and I could see a lot of clear weather heading my way. The weather forecast proved to be completely wrong, as it turned into a beautiful day. I decided to head back to Clogher Strand, where I had painted the previous day, but this time I went further out along the cliff - the sea had calmed down enough to make it safe to do so.

Sunny Afternoon, Near Clogher Strand
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

I was feeling fairly tired by late afternoon, so I decided not to go too far, so just up the headland (An Drom) and liked the light looking West towards Inis Tuaisceart, the most Northerly of the Blasket Islands.

Afternoon Glow, Near Clogher Strand
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

Here are some photos of the scenes:-

More to follow tomorrow.

A Week in West Kerry (Day 2)

2011-05-05T09:43:00.000-07:00

It was overcast and drizzly by the time I got to West Kerry, but there was terrific action in the sea, which meant a little rain wasn't going to stop me! I drove out to Cuas an Bhodaigh for my first one - I know this area very well as it is only about a half mile from where my mother was born, and I spent a lot of my chidhood there, basically exploring all the places Mum told me not to go near!

The harbour and pier weren't particularly enticing, so I walked a few hundred yards east along Brandon Creek and found this amazing display of Atlantic power.

Rough Seas, Near Brandon Creek, West Kerry
(12" x 12" Oil on Board)

I then drove West to Clogher Strand, knowing that this can be a dramatic place when there is a good swell in the sea. It didn't dissapoint. I can still hear the loud boom when a big wave hit the large rock in the middleground, followed immediately by a cheer from the enthuiastic "audience". There's a sign warning that this beach is unsafe for swimming, as if anyone needed to be told on a day like this! Real fun - plein air painting doesn't get much better than this! And it stopped raining too!

Stormy Day, Clogher Strand
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

I was under a bit of time pressure as I was meeting my brother and his wife for dinner later, so I just walked up the headland (An Drom) for my last one of the day.

Towards Clogher Head, An Drom
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

Here are some photos of the scenes:-

More to come tomorrow.

A Week in West Kerry (Day 1)

2011-05-04T14:41:00.000-07:00

I painted for five days last week in West Kerry (South West Ireland). I was based about an hour and a half's drive away, so considering that I spent at least three hours in my car every day, my average of three paintings a day wasn't too bad.

Monday started out sunny, but clouded by early afternoon. This was my first, painted right down on Coumeenoole Strand, Slea Head. Hard to beat morning shadows on a beach.

Morning Shadows, Coumeenoole Strand
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

I then moved a little further North towards Dunquin and got drawn towards this scene on the way down to the pier. No ferry's to the Great Blasket Island that day as the sea was too rough.

Down Towards the Pier, Dunquin
(12" x 10" Oil on Board)

For my final one of the day, by which time it had gotten cloudy, I drove a couple of miles further North and found this spot just a couple of yards down from the Blasket Interpretive Centre.

Toward the Great Blasket, Dunquin
(12" x 10" Oil on Board)

I'll post some more tomorrow, when I get around to photographing them.

These are photos of the three scenes above:-

Keeping it Simple

2011-05-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

It's nice when you turn up somewhere and know exactly what you want to paint within a few minutes. And then make a conscious decision to keep it very simple and eliminate all unnecessary detail. Well that's what happened to me at a paint-out with some friends yesterday. Turned out to be a cold, wet afternoon, but I got this one in before the rain came down.

Before the Rain, St Mullins
(12" x 10" Oil on Board)

This is a photo of the scene:-

A Bit More Colour

2011-04-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

I felt that I had become a little too tonal in some of my recent plein air paintings, so I deliberately pushed myself to see the colours in the close to neutral greys this morning, and then pushed those differences a little. Fairly pleased with the results.

For the first one, I just got out of my car and the light stopped me in my tracks looking up towards this local landmark. I think it was possibly a "mass rock" during the the Irish "penal laws" when Catholic services were deemed illegal. There are still occasional religious services held there - must find out more - so the title is temporary.

Mystic Morning, Forth Mountain
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

For my second, I went further up the track and painted a rock outcrop I've done several times before, but the hazy backlight made it really striking, so I was happy to paint it yet again.

Hazy Morning, Forth Mountain
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

These are photos of both scenes:-

A Couple of Larger Plein Airs

2011-04-17T05:39:00.000-07:00

Our plein air group returned to the beautiful little village of Clonegal, Co Carlow yesterday, partly because it is such a beautiful location, but also because Ireland's main TV station was doing a piece on us for an upcoming show. Yours truly, being a modest fellow, shunned the camera and basically hid in the bushes, but they may have caught me munching on a sandwich at lunch! It was an overcast, but dry and calm day, so I decided to go for my seasonal larger plein airs. The driveway up to the castle still looked impressive in the overcast conditions, so I did that first, adding a few figures for interest.

Towards the Castle, Clonegal
(16" x 20" oil on Canvas)

In the afternoon most of us went up to the main gardens in Huntington Castle. The sun made an effort to peep through so I went for a sort of non-directional hazy light effect with my second. I must find out why there is something that obviously housed a bell on top of what is now just a shed at the back of the castle. Regardless, it was the colour on the roof that caught my eye here.

Wild Flowers, Huntington Castle Estate, Clonegal
(18" x 14" Oil on Canvas)

Here are a couple of photos of both scenes:-

JFK Arboretum Paint-Out

2011-04-11T05:09:00.000-07:00

Our plein air group had a paint-out yesterday to JFK Arboretum (near the ancestral home of President John F Kennedy in South West Wexford). A beautiful place when you get a lovely sunny day like yesterday. It also has the advantage of having the more windswept and rugged Sliabh Coillte park nearby. We got a really good turn-out for mid-April and it was great to have quite a few new artists join our group.

I decided to capture some of the beautiful spring colour in the arboretum for my first.

Spring Colour, JFK Arboretum
(14" x 11" Oil on Board)

I went across the road to Sliabh Coillte in the afternoon, and wasted a lot of time just looking for something to paint that I hadn't done there recently. Eventually, I settled for this panoramic view looking West from the summit. I had to re-arrange the foreground somewhat more than usual, but the perfect scene can be hard to find sometimes.

Down Towards the Barrow, Sliabh Coillte
(11" x 14" Oil on Board)

Here are some photos of both scenes:-

Website Update

2011-03-31T14:45:00.000-07:00

I'd much prefer to be painting, but my website needed a bit of an overaul, so I've spent almost two days updating it.

I've added a lot of recent work and have also added a new collection "Field Studies", mostly stuff painted quickly plein air, with the sole intention of capturing light effects for subsequent studio paintings. The latter are very keenly priced compared to my other original work. It is also now possible to purchase paintings electronically through the website (my website uses Paypal, but you don't need a Paypal account to make a purchase; most major credit cards are accepted).

Take a look at http://www.michaelmcguireart.com/.

Paint-Out in Clonegal

2011-03-28T05:01:00.000-07:00

Our plein air group SEPA, had a paint-out in the picturesque little village of Clonegal yesterday. We were fortunate to get a beautiful sunny day, once the morning fog cleared. We had a lot of new faces at the paint-out, so our little group grows from strength to strength. I took it easy and just did two paintings, but I'm fairly pleased with both of them.

I did the first one at the river bank, facing the sun. Almost went blind with the sparkle on the water when the sun came out fully!

The Bridge, Clonegal
(12" x 10" Oil on Board)

The owners of the Castle in Clonegal were kind enough to allow us paint in the fabulous grounds, so I decided to "paint the obvious" in the afternoon. But it was really the strong backlighting which grabbed my attention.

Huntington Castle, Clonegal
(14" x 11" Oil on Board)

These are photos of both scenes:-

Sliabh Coillte Again!

2011-03-26T09:11:00.000-07:00

Our fine settled spell of weather is still with us, so I decided to head to Sliabh Coillte for another panoramic painting. Much more hazy today and it was morning with the sun to my left, so a little less atmospheric bluing with distance. I worked on a larger canvas than last time so as to have better control. These kind of scenes require very subtle separation of values and chroma between and within masses, and it is easier to do on a larger canvas as opposed to a pochade size panel.

Spring Morning, Sliabh Coillte
(12" x 16" Oil on Canvas)

This is a photo of the scene taken before I started:-

A Summer's Day in March!

2011-03-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was just beautiful here, clear blue sky all day, and barely a breeze. Temepratures not too bad either, got up to about 10C (50F). So I made the best of the conditions and drove to place called "Sliabh Coillte" about a half hour drive from my home. Great views from there on a clear day, but if it's windy, not the place to spend a day painting! I got three almost finished on location, and then spent about twenty minutes or so on each of them in the studio this afternoon.

I couldn't resist these old farm buildings enhanced by the strong backlighting:-

Morning Glow, Near Sliabh Coillte
(10" x 12" Oil on Canvas)

For my second, I drove about half way up the hill, and this patchwork of fields dissappearing into the afternoon haze caught my eye:-

Afternoon Haze, Sliabh Coillte
(10" x 12" Oil on Canvas)

I was on my way home when this view on the way down tempted me into doing a third one:-

Evening Shadows, Sliabh Coillte
(10" x 12" Oil on Canvas)

These are photos of the three scenes taken before I started painting:-

Something Different

2011-03-14T06:56:00.000-07:00

This one is from a portrait workshop, I did yesterday. Not something I've done much of, but I have to say I enjoyed the session a lot.

Colour on A Dull Day

2011-03-06T06:16:00.000-08:00

I went out with a few friends to paint yesterday, but once again it was one of those boring, grey days that we've been getting a lot of lately. Usually, I try to find something with a bit of colour to paint on such days, but the landscape where we agreed to meet up is very flat and devoid of any strong colour at this time of year. However, if you look close enough there is always something worth painting. I thought the mud pools left behind after the receding tide (this lake is actually a tidal lagoon) made an interesting pattern, and there was an attractive warmth in the foreground grass and in the reeds, which I played up a bit.

About an hour and a half on location and another twenty minutes or so in the studio this morning.

Overcast Morning, Lady's Island
(10" x 12" Oil on Canvas)

This is a photo of the scene taken before I started:-

So Much for the Weather Forecast!

2011-03-03T04:20:00.000-08:00

The forecast yesterday was for clear blue skies once the morning fog and mist cleared, so I headed to Carnivan Beach anicipating perfect conditions. Unfortunately, the fog and mist hung on stubbornly all day, so I had to make do with it. I was attracted to the lead in provided by the tide pools in front of me and also some light broke through the distant clouds occasionally. I should have know better, but the incoming tide quickly took care of the tide pools within about ten minutes, and then I had to move up the beach a couple of times too so as not to be knee high in water!

About an hour and a half on location and another half hour or so in the studio this morning.

Overcast Morning, Carnivan Beach
(12" x 16" Oil on Canvas)

This is a photo taken before I started:-

Back to the Slobs!

2011-03-01T08:10:00.000-08:00

I went back to the South Slob this afternoon expecting the reflections and shadows under this bridge to offer an interesting composition. I wasn't disappointed, but perhaps it would have been more interesting if the water was a little more choppy. Still it was dry and sunny, so no complaints!

South Slob Reflections, Wexford
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

This is a photo of the scene taken before I started:-

Second Group Paint-Out of 2011

2011-02-28T04:41:00.000-08:00

We got a fairly pleasant spring day here yesterday, so at short notice, we managed to get five artists out for a group paint-out. I felt a bit rusty and my first was a wipe out. However, I got a lot down in about an hour or so for my second one, before rushing home to watch Ireland v Scotland in the "Six Nations" rugby championship (and we won, but only just!). Finished it in the studio this morning, just brightened it up a little and softened a few edges here and there.

Low Tide, South Slob, Wexford
(12" x 10" Oil on Board)

This is a photo of the scene, taken before I started painting:-

SEPA Group Paint-Out February 13th

2011-02-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

Our local plein air group, South East Plein Air (SEPA) had its second outing of 2011 yesterday to the picturesque village of Blackwater. Unfortunately, most of the day was dull and grey with occasional rain, making the village rather dull and lifeless as a result. I decided to go to nearby Ballyconnigar Beach instead in the morning and then joined the others on the banks of the Blackwater River about a mile downstream of the village in the afternoon.

It was wet and windy at the seaside, but their was great wave action, so I decided to do a little study of the water.

Rough Sea, Ballyconnigar
(10" x 12" Oil on Canvas)

The river was in flood and it was overcast in the afternoon, so I had to look hard to find some interesting patterns in the water. But there was some nice magenta colour in the bare background trees which worked well against the dull green of the water.

Winter Flood, River Blackwater, Wexford
(12" x 10" Oil on Board)

The photos show that I had to work hard to find some colour, but of course the camera usually fails miserably to capture the colours of nature.

Two Seascapes and a Woodland Scene

2011-01-20T03:24:00.000-08:00

It's been very cold here for the last few days, but the upside is that it has been sunny and calm. Near ideal plein air painting conditions, because of the consistent light. I went to Baginbun Head on Tuesday and managed to do two while perched on cliff-tops. It was only about 2-4 C (approx 35-40 F), but felt warmer because of the sunshine and absence of any wind. I've been learning to be a bit more creative in "designing" my plein airs lately, so there is a bit more editing/re-arranging, while still being faithful to the light conditions. I've also been paying a lot more attention to composition recently and have included some panoramic photos here to show how I've cropped the scenes to focus in on what interested me.

For my first one, I was attracted by the vivid colours of the cast shadows of the rocks on the foam. The difficulty was that there wasn't a lot of action in the ocean and the foam only appeared for about 10-15 seconds every ten minutes or so. It didn't make things easy either that the tide was coming in rapidly and both rocks had all but disappeared by the time I finished.

Winter Sunlight, Baginbun Head
(12" x 10" Oil on Board)

I moved to the other side of Carnivan Beach for my second one. I thought the gap in the flat rocks provided a nice "lead-in", even if I had to tweak things a little.

Winter Surf, Carnivan Beach
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

These are two photos I took before starting, the first a panoramic shot and the second a closer crop which was closer to what I had in mind compositionally:-

This is a panoramic shot of the scene, which shows how I zoomed in on a particular area and arranged things somewhat. I also exaggerated the surf for effect.

First-Paint Out of 2011!

2011-01-17T04:28:00.000-08:00

I finally got back into painting yesterday after almost two months of inactivity. So firstly a belated Happy New Year to all the followers of this blog. And now that I'm back, I promise no more lengthy breaks from painting!

Well I have some of my painting colleagues to thank for persuading me to get back out there. We had our first group paint-out of 2011 yesterday. An overcast morning gave way to some pleasant afternoon sunshine, even though we didn't see to much of it in the deep forested valley of Edenvale.

This was my first one from the morning. The river was in flood, hence the dull colours and absence of any clear reflections.

Winter Stream, Edenvale
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

Even though the cloud cleared in the afternoon, the low sun had virtually disappeared, but I managed to catch a glimpse of it in the distance in this scene.

Heading Home, Edenvale
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

Here is a photo of the first scene taken before I started painting:-

A Great Winter's Day

2010-11-15T03:24:00.000-08:00

One of our painting colleagues had a "significant" birthday on Saturday, so we decided to mark the occasion the following day with a paint-out in his honour. We were lucky to get one of those all too rare perfect winter days - not a cloud in the sky all day. But the plan involved tea, cakes and good fun at the home of another colleague followed by a portrait session at her studio. So I only managed to do one small plein air painting. Unfortunately, I gave the portrait to the guest of honour before I got a chance to take a photo of it.

Our paint-out was at the little harbour of Carne, full of small fishing boats during the summer, but practically deserted at this time of year. Since the water looked fairly uninteresting, I looked around for something entirely different and settled for this old shed which looked very striking against the strongly lit background.

Winter Sunlight, Carne
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

I remembered to take a photo of the scene this time and include it here because it shows how I edited it somewhat to improve the composition.

Last of Autumn's Colour

2010-11-09T03:57:00.000-08:00

A few of us decided to catch the last of the autumn colour last Sunday in beautiful Kennedy Park (US followers of this blog may be interested to know that the park is adjacent to the ancestral home of John F Kennedy, hence the name dedication). A lot of the leaves were already gone, but some varieties, especially the numerous maple trees, were still extraordinarily colourful.

For my first painting, I was really attracted to the strong, almost abstract shadow patterns created by the low sun and the almost bare trees.

Late Autumn Shadows, Kennedy Park
(14" x 11" Oil on Board)

I could no longer resist the obvious for my second painting and painted these maple trees in all their autumnal glory. There are several varieties here, with autumn colours ranging from green-yellow to orange and the deepest reds.

Autumn Maples, Kennedy Park
(11" x 14" Oil on Board)

Good weather, good company and a great location. Plein air doesn't get much better!

Another Street Scene

2010-10-30T04:50:00.000-07:00

I painted on the street again on Wednesday. Thankfully, a much better afternoon than the previous Friday. Hopefully I caught something of the festive atmosphere, albeit against an autumnal sky.

Autumn Light, Wexford
(14" x 11 Oil on Canvas)

Beyond my Comfort Zone!

2010-10-28T09:13:00.000-07:00

I have an exhibition running during the annual Opera Festival in Wexford (yes, we are a cultured lot here!). But it's in a small upstairs gallery which is usually closed unless there is an exhibition and we were getting less "footfall" than venues at street level, so I decided to bite the bullet last week and paint on the street outside it (got loads of visitors too as a result!). As luck would have it, I got a cold, wet afternoon, but I got enough down in ten minutes to capture some brief fleeting sunlight. I know there are a few inconsistencies, i.e. the backlight suggests that the shadows should be aligned more to the right, but I want the shadows going to the left. I may be totally wrong, but I think having to work in such miserable conditions added something extra to the painting. A bit more expressive perhaps? OK, so bring on winter then!

Winter Approaching, Wexford
(14" x 11" Oil on Board)

Something a Little Different

2010-10-15T05:57:00.000-07:00

I went back to Newbay Forest on Wednesday afternoon, encouraged by some breaks in the cloud. But it got even darker when I got there. I looked around for something to paint and settled on this old tree. I had to invent the light to some extent because it was bordering on dusk down there, and I also played around with a few other things, including the shape and direction of the branches. I sort of felt that this old tree put up a fight before succumbing to the inevitable. I suppose I sensed something heroic about it, and it conjured up related images in my mind. Accordingly, the title draws from the frequent use of the word "fallen" for those lost in battle.

Fallen, Newbay Forest
(11" x 14" Oil on Board)

I took a photo, but you can see that this was much more out of my imagination than my usual plein airs:-

Back to the Woods

2010-10-12T09:20:00.000-07:00

We've had a really good couple of days in Ireland with clear blue skies and summer-like temperatures. The days are getting shorter though, so when other chores need doing, it is difficult to get more than one plein air done per day. But at least I managed that - these are from yesterday and today - both done between about 1-00 pm and 3-00 pm.

Around the Bend, Newbay
(14" x 11" Oil on Board)

Dappled Light, Newbay
(11" x 14" Oil on Board)

A Day in the Woods

2010-10-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

I spent a day painting with some friends in a wooded area in the grounds of a local hotel a couple of weeks back. It was cloudy and very dark but at least it remained very dry. Different from recent posts, but I feel I captured the feel of the day.

Lost in the Woods, Newbay
(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

Autumn Reflections, Newbay
(10" x 12" Oil on Canvas)

A Way Through, Newbay
(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

Autumn Pond, Forth Mountain

2010-09-20T07:47:00.000-07:00

I'd been thinking about painting this pond for a while but wanted to get one of those really clear bright mornings - usually when we get such a morning it clouds over by mid-day, but you can expect a couple of hours of fairly consistent light. I got such a morning last Friday, and true to form it clouded over after a couple of hours but I managed to get the painting finished before the light changed completely.

Autumn Pond, Forth Mountain
(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

Here is a photo of the scene:-

A Blustery Day at the Seaside

2010-09-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

It was a typical autumnal day here yesterday, cool, windy and with a constant threat of showers. Perfect plein air weather then! Especially if you're crazy enough to go to an exposed seaside location! Fortunately, there was only one shower all day, but it was very windy, particularly down at Hook Head where I started. It was bordering on being impossible to paint, but I stuck with it, because I liked this dramatic frontlit scene, even if the light kept changing every few minutes.

Showery Autumn Morning, Hook Head
(10" x 12" Oil On Canvas)

I moved up the coast a few miles where it was less windy and was really struck by the dramatic backlight on these cliffs overlooking Carnivan Bay.

Autumn Afternoon, Carnivan Bay
(10" x 12" Oil on Canvas)

Finally, I walked to the far end of Carnivan Beach and did this "contre jour" one looking South West towards Hook Head.

Autumn Evening, Carnivan Beach
(10" x 12" Oil on Canvas)

Here are some photos of the scenes:-

Group Paint-Out in Clohamon

2010-09-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

One of our colleagues was kind enough yesterday to let us loose around her home and farm near Clohamon, Co Wexford. Some beautiful panaromic views around the farm and interesting plants and an ornamental pond made for some great variety of subjects. Unfortunately, the bright morning sunlight gave way to more cloudy conditions slightly after mid-day, but at least it stayed dry until evening. I managed to get three completed.

I couldn't resist the combination of reflections and shadows in the pond for my first one.

Autumn Pond
(12" x 10 Oil on Canvas)

By the time I started my second one it had become increasingly cloudy and clouded over completely after about 45 minutes, so I had to wing it a bit.

Before the Rain, Near Clohamon
(10" x 12" Oil on Canvas)

It was totally overcast while painting my third one, so as I usually do, I looked for some colour. Not a lot left at this time of year, but these roses provided a bit of interest.

Maria's Garden
(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

Here are some photos of the scenes:-

A Testing Day

2010-09-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

A group paint-out yesterday to Cahore Harbour. A wet, windy day with a few brief breaks, just allowing enough time to get something done. It eventually came down really heavy at around 4-00 pm, just before I had finished my second one, so I had to wing it a little in the studio this morning.

Rough Seas, Cahore Point
(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

High Tide, Cahore Point
(10" x 12" Oil on Canvas)

Here are photos of both scenes:-

Making Hay (or Waves perhaps!) While the Sun Shone!

2010-09-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

We got some beautiful weather here this week. So I made the best of it and did a good few marine plein air paintings. These are my favourites from the week.

Evening Glow, Carnivan Bay
(10" x 12" Oil On Canvas)

Sun and Surf, Hook Head

(10" x 12" Oil on Canvas)

Hazy Morning, Hook Head
(10" x 12" Oil On Canvas)

Cliff Shadows, Hook Head
(10" x 12" Oil on Canvas)

Here are some photos of the scenes:-

Morning Shadows, Carnivan Beach

2010-08-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

I got out early this morning to catch the brilliant clear sunlight, suspecting that it was one of those days that would cloud over as the day progressed. As expected, it clouded over completely after about an hour and a half, but I was almost finished by then.

Morning Shadows, Carnivan Beach
(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

I took this photo of the scene before I started:-

Low Tide, Ballyhack

2010-08-25T04:41:00.000-07:00

Painted at a group paint-out last Sunday, once again we were blessed with a beautiful day despite ominous weather forecasts. I was immediately drawn to the combination of shadows and reflections in the mud, but I also wanted to draw the eye up the hill behind the castle.

Low Tide, Ballyhack
(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

I took this photo of the scene before I started:-

A Beautiful Day

2010-08-16T08:51:00.000-07:00

Some of our plein air group decided to go for a paint-out to the picturesque little village of Screen yesterday. And we got really lucky with the weather, warm and sunny all day! We've had few enough of those here for a couple of months now. I managed to complete three paintings.

I liked the shadow patterns on the road in the morning sunlight:-

Morning Shadows, Screen
(10" x 12" Oil on Canvas)

By midday it had become quite warm so I sought refuge under a tree near my car and found myself drawn to the strong "contre jour" light on the headstones in the old cemetery across the road. Hardly likely to sell though, but at least it proves I don't always "play to tthe gallery"!

The Old Cemetery, Screen
(10" x 12" Oil on Canvas)

After a quick lunch I returned and did this one in the late afternoon in a field just outside the village:-

Hay Bales, Near Screen

(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

Here are some photos of the scenes:-

More from Art in the Open 2010

2010-08-13T07:37:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to photographing the rest of the stuff from our annual plein air festival, Art in the Open. The first two were both done at a paint-out in historic Tintern Abbey. A great spot for painting if sunny, but unfortunately it remained overcast all day. It was, however, quite a bright and relatively warm day.

Reflections, Tintern Abbey
(12" x 10" Oil on Board)

Low Tide, Tintern Abbey

(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

Off to Johnstown Castle gardens the following day for another paint-out. Due to other commitments, I could only stay for the morning, but managed to finish this one of the glasshouse in the walled garden. Another overcast but fairly bright day.

The Glasshouse, Johnstown Castle

(10" x 12" Oil on Canvas)

The last one here was done around midday on the Sunday of the competition proper. I don't usually do street scenes, so decided to push myself right out of my comfort zone by finding the most public place possible!

Cloudy Morning, South Main Street, Wexford
(12" x 10 Oil on Canvas)

Here are some photos of the scenes:-

Kilmore Quay Paint-Out

2010-08-08T02:41:00.000-07:00

Our "Art in the Open" plein air festival kicked off with a paint-out to the fishing harbour of Kilmore Quay. A busy, bustling place with trawlers and smaller fishing vessels coming and going (a good idea to make sure that the boat you're going to paint isn't going anywhere soon!). We had a great turn out and the weather obliged too with a beautiful sunny afternoon.

I did the first one in the overcast morning conditions. Despite the clouds there were great reflections in the water.

Reflections, Kilmore Quay
(12" x 10" Oil on Board)

I painted the second one in the afternoon, opting for this close up view, with just enough information to suggest bright afternoon sunlight.

Afternoon Sunlight, Kilmore Quay

(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

Lunch was great fun, with the best fish n' chips in Ireland (the fish only has to travel about 100 yards!)

Here are photos of both scenes:-

Art in the Open 2010

2010-08-04T08:51:00.000-07:00

Our annual plein air festival is almost at a close for another year with just one more paint-out to spectacular Hook Head tomorrow. I managed to paint at four of our five paint-outs as well as painting for at least a couple of hours on all three days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) of the festival proper. As a Steering Committee member I had other duties this year, which meant less painting time and a lot less sleep, but I'm delighted to say that the whole thing was a tremendous success. It was also my pleasure this year to have two great plein air artists, Rob Ijbema and Michael Richardson, as guests at our home for the duration of the festival - the house seems strangely quiet today - our cat even misses them despite leaving a few scratch marks on Rob one night!

These are the paintings I did in Wexford and Enniscorthy over the week-end, currently included in the exhibition in the wonderful Greenacres Gallery (http://www.greenacres.ie/). I'll post other work when I get a chance to photograph it.

I started off about 11-30am on a dull, overcast Friday, which never really turned to rain despite threatening to do so all day. I've passed by this beautiful little lane several times in the past and thought how lovely it would be to paint it, but was never brave enough until now.

Mary's Lane, Wexford
(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

Off to the medieval town of Enniscorthy, some 15 miles North of Wexford on Saturday morning. I was on registration duty until lunch-time, which unfortunately co-incided with the mist turning to rain, so it took me almost three hours to complete this, following a number of hasty retreats for shelter from the weather. The arches really look that irregular IRL because of some variation in size and the double curvature of the bridge. I thought about making everything seem more uniform, but decided against it in the interest of authenticity.

Rushing Water, Enniscorthy

(10" x 12" Oil on Canvas)

Despite feeling a bit deflated, I soldiered on and did this little street scene in the evening. Funny how parked cars always seem to disappear before you finish them!

Evening Light, Slaney Street, Enniscorthy

(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

I took some photos of both street scenes, but forgot the river for some reason:-

Arthurstown Paint-Out

2010-07-19T03:43:00.000-07:00

A group paint-out to a wet and windy Arthurstown yesterday. A combination of bravado and stubborness helped me to complete two paintings despite the very difficult conditions. The rain cleared for a couple of hours but the very strong wind persisted. I did the first one between about 9-30 am and 11-00 am, the second between about 12-00 pm and 1-30 pm. A much needed sandwich and pint of Guinness in a nearby pub dampened my enthusiasm somewhat when I discovered the rain had returned in the afternoon, so that was it for the day!

Wet and Windy, Arthurstown
(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

Cloudy Afternoon, Arthurstown
(10" x 12" Oil on Canvas)

Here are photos of the two scenes:-

A Street Scene

2010-07-12T06:09:00.000-07:00

I usually avoid street scenes, mainly because the distraction just gets to me and I lose concentration. I used to be very self-conscious about setting up in a public place too, but I've largely outgrown that! Anyway, I had some moral support from a few fellow painters when doing this one in Kilkenny recently. I still have a lot to learn about doing such scenes, but at least I feel I'm improving:-

Lunchtime, St Kieran's Street, Kilkenny
(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

Here is a photograph of the scene:-

A Week in West Cork

2010-07-09T03:29:00.000-07:00

Just back from a week's break in West Cork. It was a "vacation", but I still managed to do some painting. The beautiful woodland surrounding our cottage provided ample material for me, so I ventured no further. I did all of them fairly early in the morning to take advantage of the early light, but also so as not to get into marital difficulties!

I did the first one just outside out front door. The woods were full of these beautiful wild foxglove flowers.

Foxgloves in Morning Light
(10" x 12" Oil on Canvas)

I painted the next one the following morning about a five minute walk away. The light was very variable so I struggled with this one.

Across the Bay, Ardnagoshel Wood

(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

It was a beautiful sunny morning again a couple of days later, so I got totally consistent light for about an hour or so for this one.

"Sisters", Ardnagoshel Wood

(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

I did the final one the following morning. The light was a bit variable again with intermittent cloud and sunshine, but I'm reasonably happy with the painting.

Dappled Sunlight, Ardnagoshel Wood

(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

Here are a few photos of the scenes:-

Some Paintings from Enniscorthy and Bunclody

2010-07-05T07:02:00.000-07:00

I painted the first of these a couple of weeks back with a few friends in Enniscorthy. The reflections in the water were my main focus, but I added historic Vinegar Hill in the background to make it unmistakeably Enniscorthy.

Summer Reflections, Enniscorthy
(12" x 16" Oil on Canvas)

The remaining paintings were painted at a group paint-out in Newtownbarry House a couple of days later. It was a perfect day for plein air painting with uninterrupted sunshine all day.

I couldn't resist the early morning light on the lake to the front of the house for my first painting:-

Morning Reflections, Newtownbarry House

(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

I was drawn to the contrast between the direct sunlight and reflected light in this little area behind the old kitchen for my second effort:-

Red Doors, Newtownbarry House

(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

Finally, I like the sunlight and shadow patterns on the open gate leading to the walled garden, but there also some interesting dappled light on the pathway and grass in the foreground:-

Towards the Garden, Newtownbarry House

(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

Here are some photos of the scenes:-

More Paintings from Brittany

2010-07-03T03:55:00.000-07:00

These are some more of my paintings from my recent trip to Brittany with the Wapping Group.

This one was painted on the first morning on the beach at Dinard:-

Morning Glow, Dinard
(12" x 16" Oil on Canvas)

The next two were done on the banks of the River Rance in Dinan on the same day. It was overcast in the morning so the red boat really helped add life to the painting. When the sun came out in the afternoon, the warm/cool contrast and the value counter-change between the dark blue hull of the boat and the sunlit water caught my eye immediately. It was very windy all day too which made for interesting water and reflections:-

Red Reflections, Dinan
(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

Blue Reflections, Dinan

(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

I did the next one on a surprisingly cold, windy and overcast day. Strangely enough I found a scene downstream which looked peculiarly Irish! My main priority was to find a spot where I had some shelter from the cold Northerly wind.

Cloudy Morning, Near Dinan

(12" x 16" Oil on Canvas)

My UK colleagues left on Thursday morning, so after saying my goodbyes, I made my way East with the intention of painting Mont St Michel. However, I quickly realised that the best views can be had looking South from the Cherbourg penninsula, so I made my way North to an almost deserted beach near the small village of St Jean-Le-Thomas and painted this view looking South. I found it rather interesting that the small island of Tombelaine about half-way across the bay lined up perfectly, so that the monastery appeared perched on it. It was a pleasantly warm morning but with a fresh sea breeze and as a result I managed to drop the painting twice while packing up! Fortunately, it landed right side up on both occasions!

South Towards Mont St Michel

(14" x 18" Oil on Canvas)

Here a few photos of the scenes. I appear to have forgotten to take one of the overcast river scene - must have been too pre-occupied trying to stay warm!

Brittany Trip

2010-06-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for a while, mainly because, for various reasons, I hadn't painted for a few weeks, but also on the plus side I've just returned from a week painting in Brittany (North West France). And what a week that proved to be. I went there to meet up with the prestigious Wapping Group on one of their annual painting trips to France and had the pleasure to paint with some very renowned painters, including none other than Trevor Chamberlain! Anyway here are some of my efforts:-

Summer Afternoon, The Promenade, Dinard

(12" x 16" Oil on Canvas)

Showery Morning, Cancale

(12" x 16" Oil on Canvas)

Low Tide, Cancale

(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

Here are some photos of the scenes:-

A Day in the Country

2010-05-22T07:40:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to get out to paint with two friends yesterday (thanks Margaret for the local knowledge and bringing us I to places I'd never have found!). Very humid and cloudy in the morning, cleared to hazy sunshine by afternoon. These were my two efforts:-

Down Towards The Barrow, Dunganstown
(14" x 18" oil on Canvas)

Low Tide, Dunganstown

(12" x 16" Oil on Canvas)

Here are a couple of photos of both scenes:-

Two Small Ones

2010-05-17T05:15:00.000-07:00

I painted with a friend on Saturday and got these two done in about three hours. It was mostly cloudy for the first one, but the sun came out in the afternoon. Trust me to get the opportunity to paint in a beautiful arboretum (John F Kennedy Park) and just paint bluebells and a puddle!

Bluebells
(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

Pond Reflections

(12" x 10" Oil on Canvas)

Here are a couple of photos of the scenes:-

St Mullins Paint-Out

2010-05-10T07:22:00.000-07:00

We had a very enjoyable group paint-out at the beautiful village of St Mullins, Co Carlow yesterday. Lovely bright sunshine in the morning, but clouded over after lunch. We were lucky to be out of the unseasonably cold Northerly wind at our sheltered spot down by the River Barrow. With some 23 artists and as many if not more fishermen, the place had a real festival air for the day. I did this painting in the morning, one of those scenes that demanded to be painted, but I had to work fast to catch the light on the distant rapids before the tide came in (the river is tidal here and everything can change very quickly).

Morning Glow, St Mullins
(14" x 18" Oil on Canvas)

I took this photo of the scene before I started - I'm always amazed at just how little colour the camera captures:-

May Sunshine, Near Blainroe

2010-05-04T02:14:00.000-07:00

I painted this one yesterday just behind Blainroe Golf Course, while my wife played in a four-ball. It was a beautiful sunny day, but with a cold Northerly wind. I was going to do another, but a combination of hunger and fear of being struck by an errant golf ball conspired against me! Smaller than usual for me lately, just 10" x 12".

This is a photo of the scene, taken before I started:-

Inistioge Paint-Out

2010-04-19T04:53:00.000-07:00

We had a group paint-out in the beautiful riverside village of Inistioge, Co Kilkenny, yesterday. Probably the largest turn-out we've had with an esttimated 23 artists, but we may have missed one or two! A very enjoyable day indeed with lunch and good company in the sparkling spring sunshine and the day rounded off with a plein air pint in O' Keeffes on the square. Plein air painting doesn't get better than that!

I didn't push myself, just did two, probably spent as much time chatting as painting, but that's all part of the fun. Here's my first, a fairly typical scene for me:-

Spring Sunlight, Inistioge
(14" x 18" Oil on Canvas)

After lunch, I decided to push myself, and try a street scene with cars and people. This would be a familar scene to anyone driving through Inistioge heading towards New Ross:-

A Shady Spot, Inistioge

(14" x 18" Oil on Canvas)

Here are photos of both scenes:-

Sunlit Rocks

2010-04-17T04:51:00.000-07:00

I went painting with a friend to a beautiful, but decidedly chilly, Hook Head yesterday. Once the cloud cleared around noon it turned into a lovely afternoon with clear blues skies and consistent light. I decided to try a larger format using a Beauport easel, so I attempted a 16" x 22" canvas. It took me about two hours on location and about another half hour in the studio this morning. My second effort was less successful, so it became a wipe-down this morning!

Here is a reference photo taken before I started:-

Dunmore East Paint-Out

2010-03-22T06:54:00.000-07:00

Our plein air group had a paint-out yesterday to the little fishing village of Dunmore East. It was one of those days which could easily have been a wash-out, but things worked out great thankfully. It was raining in the morning, but had stopped by the time I got there. It was still overcast though and remained so long enough for me to finish my first painting. The sun came out in the afternoon and it looked like a summer day for about two hours (time to complete a second painting) before a cold damp sea fog enveloped everything. So it was really great, with consistent light for about an hour and a half for each painting. Both paintings are 14" x 18" oil on canvas.

This is the first one. I liked the inter-weaving shapes of the distant headland and the foreground rocks ( I compressed everything horizontally to enhance the effect). I also liked the solidity of the nearest cliff-face against the relatively lighter values of the sky and sea.

This is a photo of the scene:-

I painted this afternoon one from pretty much the same spot, but just facing in a different direction. I love painting "contre jour" and this view proved irrestible:-

This is a photo of the scene:-

Some Signs of Spring

2010-03-12T02:32:00.000-08:00

There are indeed some signs of spring at last after a very severe and long winter. I just headed up to the woods near my home yesterday morning and painted this one in beautiful sunshine. It was cold though - just a little above freezing.

Spring Sunlight, Forth Mountain
(14" x 18" Oil on Canvas)

This was my initial block-in:-

And after about another twenty minutes or so:-

And here is a photo of the scene taken before I started:-

Bright Spring Day at Baginbun Head

2010-03-10T04:00:00.000-08:00

We have some lovely spring weather at the moment and when the overnight frost clears the days are quite sunny and pleasant. The humidity is also extremely low, which makes for some great light. I decided to try painting at the seaside, expecting to see some vivid colour, and I wasn't disappointed.

I started painting at 11-00 am, but within a few minutes, it clouded over. Frustratingly, the patch of cloud took almost an hour to clear, but I waited and finished the painting when the sun came out again. Here is the block-in, the finished painting and a photo of the scene:-

I did another one in the afternoon, by which time the sea had this extraordinary turquoise colour. Here is the finished painting and a photo of the scene (I forgot to take a photo of the block-in):-

Both paintings are 14" x 18" oil on canvas, a little larger than my usual plein airs. Strangely, it didn't take any longer than usual. Expect larger to come!

Winter Sunlight, Enniscorthy

2010-02-22T02:30:00.000-08:00

We had our second paint-out of 2010 in the nearby town of Enniscorthy yesterday. It was a beautiful sunny winter day, if a little on the chilly side. The light was very consistent once the morning cloud and mist cleared. I liked how this view of the old bridge made it appear more stately and the sunlight hitting the moss covered top was an added bonus. There were only three of us left by lunchtime and once we retired to the comfort and warmth of a nearby hotel, that was the end of the painting for the day. So only the one! The painting is 14" x 11" oil on gessoed hardboard.

Here is a photo of the scene taken before I started:-

A Cold Day at Johnstown Castle

2010-02-01T04:21:00.000-08:00

Our local plein air group had its first paint out of 2010 yesterday. Despite very cold temperatures and a substantial wind chill, we had a very good turnout with ten of us making it to the ornamental gardens of nearby Johnstown Castle. I don't usually like this as a painting venue (I prefer wilder, more natural places), but I managed to find a way through to the "lower lake" which is outside the boundary of the gardens and has a more natural look to it. It was cloudy and very cold and I had to paint very quickly because I could see that the sun was going to come out in about an hour or less. In the event it took me only about 45 minutes, and just as well, because the sun came out just as I was finishing.

Winter Morning, Johnstown Castle
(14" x 11" Oil on Board)

This was my block-in after about 15 minutes painting:-

And a photo of the scene:-

In the afternoon, I painted one of several "follies" erected around the grounds. Despite the cold, there were quite alot of Sunday strollers at this stage. I decided to suggest some of these in the painting.

January Sunshine, Johnstown Castle

(14" x 11" Oil on Board)

The painting at block-in stage:-

And a photo of the scene:-

Snow and sun at last!

2010-01-03T04:34:00.000-08:00

Firstly, a very Happy New Year to my followers on this blog.

I hadn't done any plein air work for a few weeks and was determined to get out some time over the holiday season. However, I finally struck gold yesterday with a combination of snow and bright sunshine - I've been waiting for these conditions for a number of years. I didn't have to go any further than the fence at the back of my garden, since everything looks great in the snow. So here is my first ever plein air snow painting.

Kevin's Field
(11" x 14" Oil on Board)

Here is a photo of the scene taken before I started:-

December Morning, Enniscorthy

2009-12-14T03:54:00.000-08:00

A few brave souls, including me, braved the elements to go painting plein air yesterday. I was immediately drawn to this backlit scene and only walked about 100 yards from my car. The striking building in silhouette is St Senan's Hospital. I figured I could paint this one quickly, despite having a larger canvas than I normally use for plein air work. It was close to freezing when I started so I hadn't planned on standing there for too long. I was actually already fairly pleased with the painting at block-in stage below:-

After about another hour or so (approx and hour and twenty minutes in total), I decided the painting was finished:-

Walking the Dog - Finished

2009-12-06T06:14:00.000-08:00

I just finished the painting a couple of minutes ago having spent another hour or two on the foreground and the water, and making some final adjustments. Here's the final version:-

Walking the Dog, Carnivan Beach
(22" x 16" Oil on Canvas)

Walking the Dog - Update 2

2009-12-06T06:11:00.000-08:00

I worked some more on the background this morning. In particular, I felt that the rising mist from the ocean should be warmer (less blue) especially on the right-hand side closest to the sun. I spent quite a while (an hour or so) trying to get this right. Here's the painting after the adjustments:-

Walking the Dog - Update 1

2009-12-05T07:23:00.000-08:00

I worked a little on the background this morning just to define the cliffs a little more and to portray the illusion of rising mist from the breaking waves. This is where I got to after about an half hour:-

Then I started to work on the middleground rocks and realised that the nearest one was blocking the walker and viewer from going much further so I decided to push the tide out a little. This is the painting after about another hour or so. I may leave it for another day or so now to dry a little - should finish it next time.

Walking the Dog, Carnivan Beach

2009-12-04T06:15:00.000-08:00

I took loads of photos in the Hook Head area on a stormy, but sunny day a couple of weeks back. I noticed this guy walking his dog on Carnivan Beach and figured it mught have potential for a painting. Having considered the photo for a while I figured a long format would work best (22" x 16").

Here is the photo:-

And here is my initial block-in:-

Then I added the barest suggestion of cliffs in the background and repositioned the dog slightly. I like the simplicity of the composition as it is and will not add an awful lot more to it other than refinement:-

Storm Breaker - Finished

2009-12-01T06:56:00.000-08:00

I finished the painting yesterday. Just added a little more warm and cool pinks to the foam burst area in the right front quadrant and then worked on the left foreground, taking care to avoid any hard edges in this area. I also did a few other touch-ups on the main breaking wave.

I'm pleased with the fact that it looks like a North Atlantic storm wave, mainly because of the muted blue-green colours in the background.

Storm Breaker, Hook Head
(16" x 20" Oil on Canvas)

Storm Breaker - Update No 2

2009-11-27T07:15:00.000-08:00

I worked mainly on the right foreground this morning. I had hoped to finish it, but had too many distractions, which included a power cut at one stage - it's a bright day today but I still need light in the studio! The painting is getting fairly advanced now and I will probably finish it in the next session.

Storm Breaker - Update No 1

2009-11-24T06:51:00.000-08:00

I worked on the background a little more this morning. I'll leave it another day or so before working on the foreground.

Storm Breaker (WIP)

2009-11-23T04:16:00.000-08:00

I planned to paint plein air last Friday, which was a beautiful sunny day after two days of gales and heavy rain. I had a hunch that there would still be some spectacular action int he ocean, so I drove to Hook Head. The ocean didn't disappoint, but I chickened out because of the wind - my excuse was that I would have needed a smaller panel and heavier easel. But at least I got some great photos and made some on-site colour notes.

Today, I just got the urge to do a wave painting from my numerous photos, so I started a studio piece (16" x 20") based on this photo:-

This was my initial block-in, about 10 minutes work. I'm always amazed at just how quickly believable light and shadow patterns emerge, with just a little care regarding relative values and pushing warm/cool differences a little (a lot relative to the photo but not compared to my colour notes):-

And after about another half hour or so:-

I think I may let it dry a little for a day or so now and poerhaps start another one in the meantime.

The Way Down, Skellig Michael - Finished

2009-11-16T06:24:00.000-08:00

I finished this painting this morning. I made the figure a little more prominent by pushing colour and value contrast a little more and then worked mainly on the foreground.

The Way Down, Skellig Michael
(16" x 20" Oil on Canvas)

The Way Down, Skellig Michael

2009-11-14T06:07:00.000-08:00

I did a little more work on this one this morning, mostly worked on the sea to get more definition and a clear suggestion of the direction of the incoming waves. I then added the figures and did a little work on the rocks. Hopefully, I will finish it next time.

November Floodwater - Revised

2009-11-11T02:55:00.000-08:00

Following some feedback from a Wetcanvas colleague, I tweaked the painting a little in the sunlit area. Better for it I think.

November Floodwater, Edenvale

2009-11-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful day today, if a little chilly, so I headed back to Edenvale to see if I could catch the last of the autumn colour. I also tested myself by trying a larger canvas (14" x 18"). Surprisingly, it only took me about 2 hours, with another 15 minutes touch-ups in the studio when I got back. This is only marginally longer than I usually spend on smaller panels.

This time I remembered to take progress shots, which someone on Wetcanvas (http://www.wetcanvas.com/) had requested.

Firstly, here is the finished painting:-

November Floods, Edenvale
(14" x 18" Oil on Canvas)

Here are the progress shots:-

The only difference between the above image and the finished painting at the top of this thread is some minor adjustment to the foreground left bank and a few hints of grass in the right foreground. Other than that, I just filled in a few bare patches here and there.

Finally, here is a photo of the scene I took before starting:-

A New Approach

2009-11-09T05:25:00.000-08:00

It appears to me that pretty much all artist's blogs consist of finished paintings, and then only those that are successful in the eyes of the artist. Even the most successful artists rarely exhibit more than 50% of the work. That's not to say that the other 50% is poor, but it is not deemed to be as good as the rest. Of course what happens, as all artists develop, is that the standard by which they measure their work gets higher, so the rejected 50% is probably much better than their best efforts some years previously. What doesn't change, however, is the variability, i.e. there will always be significant variance between an artist's best and worst work at any stage in their career, because a large element of painting is "black art" (please pardon the pun) and that is ultimately what makes it so intriguing.

Thinking about the above has led me to the conclusion that a more "honest" approach might make an artist's blog more interesting for followers. So from today, I will start blogging work-in-progress for all my studio work. Please forgive the fact that the entries will be non-linear, i.e. I usually start a studio painting and then move onto something else, before returning to the painting some days later and then moving on again. This is not down to moods or temperament (well perhaps partly!), but rather because some techniques work better when the underpainting has dried a little. But if a painting isn't working out I will say so and try to explain why, before moving on to something else.

So here goes then. I've been playing around with some photos taken while visiting Skellig Michael in September. As usual the photos completely fail to capture the steepness and sheer beauty of the place, but this one, especially with the figures in the distance, has I feel some potential as a basis for a painting.

Nature usually provides both value and complimentary colour contrast, but the camera usually fails to capture the latter, while the human eye enhances it. So I felt the scene here could be helped by playing up the complimentary contrast between the land and sea, i.e. making the land more orange and the sea bluer.

Having decided on a closer crop, I blocked in the colour of the main masses very quickly (canvas is 16" x 20").

I then did some work on the sea, just to establish the overall colours more accurately and just some hint of the direction of the waves. I also did a little work on the middleground and foreground. I'm happy enough at this stage that the painting is heading in the direction I had envisaged at the outset.

There are already some issues emerging. I plan to paint the figures pretty much where they are in the photo. To make them stand out I may change the colour of their clothing and will blur the wave action in that area. But I also want to capture the "silvery" look of the sunlit sea in the right hand side nearest to the sun. If I overdo this it will draw the eye there more than I want, but if I blur it I will fail to capture that blinding silvery look (value contrast and sharp edges are the key to achieving that effect). I suspect a little trial and error may be required in that area - we shall see. I'm also unsure whether or not to include the boat in the top left. The advantage is that it will give a strong clue as to distance and scale, but it is introducing a third area of interest - perhaps too much.

Tomorrow promises to be pretty good weatherwise, so I may do some plein air work instead. If not I'll start another studio work, because I need this to dry a little before doing further work. Sometimes the initial issues resolves themselves immediately when returning to a painting, so that's another reason for taking a break.

Skellig Glow

2009-11-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

I've been working on this studio painting for a couple of weeks. It is based on some photos I took of the Skellig Islands while on vacation in Valentia (South West Ireland) in September. I was really taken by the rugged beauty and almost mystical quality of the place and had this idea of using the cloud formations and wake of the boat to "frame" the smaller of the two islands. Part of my thinking was that it must have been a view the monks had as they made their way past the Small Skellig on their way to Skellig Michael, and it must have inspired them to live in such a remote and treacherous place (Skellig Michael was a monastic settlement between approx 600 and 1300 AD).

Skellig Glow
(24" x 24" Oil on Canvas)

Since this a large painting, I've posted a few close-up images below to give some idea of texture and brushwork:-

I also took a lot of progress shots while painting this one. Here are some of them:-

Finally, here is one of my reference photos:-

Misty Day at Edenvale

2009-10-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

A few of us got together to paint in Edenvale last Monday. The weather forecast had promised sunny weather, but instead we got overcast and misty conditions. However, the light was very consistent until it eventually started to get too wet to paint. I did two paintings of the little river that runs through the forest. There was some spectacular colour in the autumn foliage even in the dull conditions and I did my best to capture that.

A Quiet Spot, Edenvale
(14" x 11" Oil on Board)

Autumn Gold, Edenvale

(14" x 11" Oil on Board)

Here are my initial block-ins for both paintings:-

And a couple of photos of both scenes:-

St Mullins Paint-Out

2009-10-19T07:40:00.000-07:00

We had a paint-out yesterday in the beautiful little Co Carlow village of St Mullins. The weather was disappointingly dull and drizzly, but still OK for oil painting. I resisted painting the obvious (boats along the banks of the River Barrow), opting instead for this little stream.

Overcast Morning, St Mullins, Co Carlow
(12" x 16" Oil on Panel)

This is a photo of the scene, which looks much brighter than it was IRL:-

Oldcourt Paint-Out

2009-10-12T05:22:00.000-07:00

We had a very enjoyable paint-out yesterday to the home of one of our painting colleagues. The house, farm and stables made an ideal location and our host was also good enough to prepare lunch for us. It started off cloudy with drizzle but that cleared quickly and we had a lovely sunny afternoon.

For my first painting, I walked about a half mile to a little stream which bounds the farm. I set up on the track beside the stream and apart from the occasional horses and dogs, I had the place to myself. I love backlit scenes, especially this time of year when the lower sun makes them even more dramatic. The stream provided added interest here.

The Stream, Oldcourt, Wexford
(11" x 14" Oil on Board)

I didn't feel like walking too far after a hearty lunch, so I set up near the stables for my second painting. The late afternoon sun shining through the trees made some interesting light and shadow patterns on the wall and roof.

Towards the Stables, Oldcourt
(11" x 14" Oil on Board)

This was my initial block-in for the first painting. I was under time pressure for the second and forgot.

And here are a couple of photos of the scenes.