Category Archives: biography

faves of ’17

Here are some of my favourite moments and paintings from the last 12 months

And here’s to a peaceful, healthy and creative year ahead for us all. Namaste!

4 panels, untitled, each 70 x 50cm, in my studio, made in November


‘Yesterday was red’ aka ‘Pink’

55cm sq on canvas, made in November


‘Vessels’, made in October/November

Shipped rolled up in a tube to a customer in Pennsylvania just in time for Christmas


‘Split’ a diptych, each piece around 90×70-80cm. Currently being stretched and framed by the wonderful Seamus Quinn, at Artworks in Letterkenny, County Donegal


One of a group of paintings, displayed at the Show House, designed by Collette Ward Interiors, at the Ideal Home Show in Dublin this Autumn. This one was subsequently placed with a private collector


Celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary in August this year, though actually this photo was taken out our gorgeous niece Nancy’s wedding!


So thrilled with my fantastic solo show at GreenFuse Gallery, in Westport, County Mayo in May. Photo shows me and the gallerist Vincent O’Donoghue. The paintings behind us are ‘Blood and Concrete 1&2’ which were later also shown at The Model in Sligo, and one of them (the one behind Vincent) was selected by a private collector


‘Due West’, the signature piece of my solo show, of the same name, at Green Fuse Gallery. Its huge, about 150 x250cm

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The making of ‘Ruined gables, night painting’ was a first for me! Painted in the middle of the night with very poor light in the studio, but I love it!


A view of the ruined ‘clachan’ (group of cottages close together) on Cruit which inspired the ‘Ruined gables, night painting’ above


My largest painting to date, ‘Tower’, about 1m x 3m, painted at the end of 2015 and sold to a private collector who lives on another, even tinier island off the North West coast of Donegal. Getting it delivered was quite a feat in itself

Looking forward to loads more adventures in creativity in 2018. Maybe bigger and bolder works! Looking forward to keeping in touch with you all and hearing your news and comments

Oh! And I had a new grandson in May too! Welcome to littleBryn Malachy Doyle!

2016 retrospective

Painted end of 2015

Sold early 2016 and paid for my trip to San Francisco and New York! 


Working on my ‘Rock in the sea’ paintings in February


Some huge pieces on unstretched jute in March



‘Tis calm indeed’ and ‘Moon rising’ from my Spring residency at Stiwdio Maelor in Corris, Wales 


The huge, rather surreal piece on unstretched jute ‘Clouds’ from May




The 5 piece orange and blue and black canvases – can’t remember their titles! June




The two big (120cm sq) pieces, ‘Stateside’ made in anticipation of my  big US trip in June



Small works on paper (these 2 are ‘Berkeley’ & ‘5th Avenue’) made on the go during my fantastic, life changing USA adventure in June and July



Some of the big bold pieces I made in July as soon as I got back from New York 




‘The path’ & ‘Convergence’

August works in the back kitchen in Wales




‘The dance’ & ‘Columba’ also from August in Wales



Works from my second residency in Stiwdio Maelor in Corris, Wales in September 




November




December!

Looking forward to 2017

Landmarks series

I have just finished these 3

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On the ‘drying wall’ in my studio
The stark light patches are both disrupting and essential ingredients in my studio life! I have an ambiguous love affair with skylights

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Landmark 1 / the path
120 x 80cm

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Details from Landmark 1/ the path

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Landmark 2 / shadows
60cm sq

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Details from Landmark 2/ shadows

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Landmark 3 / lightshaft
80cm sq

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Details from Landmark 3 / lightshaft

Notes:
1.In November 2014 I visited Ceide Fields – a neolithic site in North Mayo where they have discovered 52 miles of stone boundary walls from a farming settlement over 5000 years old. 
2. This year I am lucky enough to be heading to San Francisco and New York to visit some major art galleries exibiting the works of the American Abstract Expressionists and I am particularly looking forward to seeing some of Richard Diebenkorn’s paintings in ‘the flesh’

I have come to realise  recently how much it helps me to know something about the history or interests of an artist in order to more fully appreciate their work. That’s not to undermine in any way the importance of the solely visual impact. And I definitely don’t like the verbiage and arts peak that goes into many ‘artists statements’. I’m searching for a middle ground and would welcome comments