Category Archives: canvas

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

donegal clouds

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Last piece of coarse jute off the roll
120cm x 190cm

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May sky

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Using a brush to block in the shapes

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Maybe done

Footnote: I was given a fabulous book on #RichardDiebenkorn for my 60th birthday. I am enthralled by his famous shifts from abstraction to figuration and back again, and am particularly drawn to his paintings with human and animal forms ambiguously appearing within his landscapes.
The curvaceous shapes in these clouds seemed to appear initially by their own volition, but of course I then exaggerated them. Maybe also with Matisse in mind. And someone said maybe a nod to Magritte too! Haha! Good company 🙂

Ready to go

Hoping to get these 4 framed locally here in Wales. My fingers are firmly crossed that some or all of them will then be sent to Terre Verte gallery in Cornwall for  ‘ Into the West’, the summer group show I have been invited to participate in there

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‘Musing’ – 80cm sq

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‘Spirited’ 100cm x 80cm

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Skylight 1 – 50cm sq

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Skylight 2 – 50cm sq

journey inward

These are the 4 stages of my most recent largish canvas
It is on coarse unstretched (and creased badly from being in my suitcase) jute canvas about 4′ x 3′

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This was actually the second session, I forgot to take a photo of when it was all red and yellow, with a bit of turquoise,  stapled to the floor on Saturday morning

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Sunday, more sombre with shapes consolidating

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Early Monday morning – loads of alizarin crimson overlaid on the lower half and a mess in the middle and a scatty unresolved indecisive upper third

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Maybe we’re getting somewhere

2 weeks to go

I will need the whole of the last week for the works to dry, wrap and arrange couriers or post
So starting my last few pieces now. The attic studio is looking very blue!

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Filling up!

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2 new 50cm panels started with first layers of paint and some contrasting powder pigment

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Dawn this morning

Corris – slate and chapels

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Derelict chapel (& daughter Hannah who came for lunch today)

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Path

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Cemetery fence (slate)

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One end of studio today with 3 50cm panels in progress on the table in the foreground

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One nearly done (left) and a new darker one just started 100 x 80cm on canvas

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‘Corris 2’
Finished
50cm on panel

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Corris 3
Finished
50cm on panel

Still just in first week – Maelor 1&2

The 2 canvases coming along now
Began to get a feel for where I’m going with these about 6 o’clock this morning. Painted furiously for a couple of hours still in my pyjamas!
Worked mostly on these 2 and put the first 2 layers on 3 x 50cm panels
Also working on a rough piece of unstretched canvas taped to a table

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80cm sq (working title ‘Maelor 2’)

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100 x 80cm
(Working title ‘Maelor 1’)

Residency end of first week

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80 cm on canvas

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2 on Arches paper (wip )

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80cm sq on canvas

2 lovely days in Abergavenny in South Wales with my daughter and 2 grandkids
Back in the studio now
Just loving it!
Wifi next door at the wonderful Andy and Adams Cafe

http://www.andyandadam.co.uk