Plein Air and "Plein Stable"!

I've been neglecting my blog a bit recently, so hopefully, my little band of followers have not lost interest in me! Got out to paint on Saturday morning which was bright and sunny and then again yesterday in the pouring rain! I got down to my favourite seaside spot on Saturday to paint this view of the cliffs at Baginbun Head:-

Sunlit Cliffs, Baginbun Head
(12" x 10" Oil on MDF Board)

 

 

 

I got some shelter just inside the stable door at Ballycross Apple Farm yesterday, and painted these two little guys - just a fun sketch really:-

 

Stable Mates

(12" x 10" Oil on MDF Board)

 

 

 

Solo Exhibition, Cedars Hotel, Rosslare

I decided to generate some interest in this exhibition by painting in the lobby of the hotel occasionally. I've been working on a fairly large (20" x 24") painting, based on a small plein air study I did in West Kerry last summer (that was the last week of April - the monsoon season set in after that!).

This is where I got to after my first session (approx 3 hours):-

 

 

 

And (after spending most of the afternoon talking!), this is where I got last week (about another hour or so working on the background):-

 

 

 

And this is where I got to this afternoon, after about another two hours or so. Thanks to everyone who cam along to watch. Painting, especially studio work can be a very solitary experience, so it was nice to have company for a change. The colour has come a little too warm in this photo - the true colour is somewhere between this and last week's image.

 

 

 



 

I'll either finish this next time, or start something else - won't be able to make it next Wednesday, so probably Wednesday 19th September then.

 



The Last of the Straw Bales

It was a beautiful morning here yesterday, so I got out there quickly, hoping to catch the last of the straw bales. I got very lucky, spotting these in a field near the little village of Screen and getting about 45 minutes before it completely clouded over! I managed to finish it on location, painting mostly from memory. Got chatting to the farmer too - it's always great to meet local people who invariably have a real sense of place and love of the land.

I had to shift things around a bit to make a more interesting composition.

Straw Bales, Near Screen
(10" x 12" Oil on Board)

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Morning in Ballyhack

I went painting yesterday (Sunday 19 August) with a few friends to the little village of Ballyhack. It was a misty, overcast day, which turned into persistent rain by afternoon. Thankfully, I got one done before it turned wet. I had to work really hard to find some colour and even then had to enhance things a little, but I'm fairly pleased with the result.

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

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

New Solo Show, Rosslare

I've got a new solo show opening this evening at 8-00 pm in The Cedars Hotel, Rosslare Strand. If you're in the area, please come along and enjoy a complimentary glass of wine, while viewing the paintings. The show continues until the 29th September.

Newtownbarry House Paint-Out

We had a group paint-out at beautiful Newtownbarry House, Bunclody, yesterday. After a beautiful, sunny day on Saturday, yesterday was disappointingly overcast and damp. However, the gardens at Newtownbarry House are stunning, regardless of the weather, so I made the best of the conditions and really enjoyed the day. I decided to concentrate on painting foliage with expressive brushwork.

For my first one, I was really drawn to the lovely mixture of reds and greens in the shrub on the left. I decided later to add the distant figures, both to echo these colours and give a sense of scale to the painting.

Towards the Sunken Garden, Newtownbarry House
(14" x 11" Oil on MDF Board)

For my second one, I decided to concentrate again on foliage:-

Above the Sunken Garden, Newtownbarry House
(14" x 11" Oil on MDF Board)

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

Open Air Concert

A very enjoyable day yesterday, when some of our plein air group were invited to paint at an open air concert featuring some of Ireland's leading singer/songwriters. The weather was a bit mixed, mostly overcast with a few showers, but the crowd were in a good mood and the performers seemed to enjoy the fact that one of our number painted them while they were on stage. Yours truly focused on the crowd enjoying themselves.

For my first one, I was drawn to the brightly coloured refreshements tents and the reflections in the adjoining lake.

"Enjoying the Barbecue", National Heritage Park, Wexford
(14" x 11" Oil on Board)

For my second one, I made my way up towards the main stage. The crowd seemed to be enjoying themselves, so I decided to paint them. It helped that the sun cam out for about a half hour or so. Got to chat to to some of the performers afterwards too which was fun. I think they were intrigued to see painters instead of photographers at their gig!

Enjoying the Concert, National Heritage Park, Wexford

(12" x 10" Oil on Board)

Forgot to bring the camera, so unfortunately no photos this time.