Category Archives: Ireland
laying down the colour
4.30 saturday evening
frustrated by confusing results with 2 square stones paintings, so decided to lay the foundations for 2 new big ones
red on one, orange on the other first
then blue on both
then dark green on orange one, light green on red one
getting to dark to see the colours properly
call it a day
day 5 last post big stones
This is the final post on these 2 big stones paintings. I changed the shape of one of the stones because it was too symmetrical.
The two square 80cm canvases are moving along now with shapes revealing hesitantly
I sat for a bit in the clear upstairs space contemplating next moves accompanied by lovely shadows on the wall when the sun came out briefly
big stones day 4
a bit more of the same but slightly different
the 2 big stones paintings (100cm x 80cm) are nearly done I think
and 2 more 80cm square ones started
this purple one has the beginnings of a wall in dawn or dusk colours
I wonder what a neolithic community woyld have made of a flame filled sky?
stones (2 canvases 100 x 80 ) stage 3
the stones are slowly revealing themselves through the mists of time and layers wax
today I have first made some transfers of field patterns onto the touch dry surface from last nights painting. The transfer prep is like alchemy to me, mix a paste of powder pigment and nail varnish remover (!) paint the mixture onto a sheet of tracing paper ( I dont have any, so used a thin transparent shiny paper) it dries really quickly. draw through from the back so that the marks made transfer onto the canvas.
I then rolled, transferred and squeegeed 3 or 4 different areas with 2 different greyish colours of paint and wax, then rolled and squeegeed smooth. Incidentally covering over much of the field pattern drawing in the process
With solvent revealed some more of the stone shapes that wanted to appear, blotted off with tissue. Roughly scraped and scored around and about the shapes at different angles and depths
Thinking about the community that lived in the Ceide Fields. How did they work the stones with no metal tools? They had fire to roast their cattle, what was their relationship with fire, with their animals? With the stones?
2 x 100cm x 80cm stage 2
so here they are back in my much reorganised and spacious feeling studio
applied a few more layers using baking paper to transfer the paint with a roller
then ‘ revealed’ the beginning of a couple of forms wirh solvent, blotted with tissue
scratched a bit, smoothed a bit with a squeegee
photos are rather gloomy because its dark outside and studio lights are dim
mounting the stones
between clearing my studio rubbish ( well actually Malachy is doing that, thank you ♥) and actually painting, I have been thinking about how I am going to display all this new work. Many of the new Ceide Fields Stones series paintings are very textured and would benefit from NOT being distanced behind glass. So I think I am goung to mount them on panels. There are 15 that Ibwant to do this way, so I might need a mortgage!
The small 6 x 8″ maplike pieces are on paper and have rather irregular edges,mm so I think they will have to be behind glass, but I am hoping to work out a simple design that doesnt overwhelm them
Here are 4 of the ones that I definitely think should be on panels
a peek in my journal from Ballinglen
saturday 15th November
layering – 3 layers completely covering on top of one another
watching Rebecca rescue and excavate
a piece of tissue with a transfer print made with the imprint of a plastic tree stencil
another tissue paper transfer print
Monday 17th
thinking about light and dark, white on black, lichen on rock
mushrooms before dawn
transfer techniques
blue powder pigment
a charcoal sketch and another tissue paper transfer
old lichen rubbings
ceide fields small textured works on paper
small, textured works on paper or multi media board in oil and wax
sizes between 16 x 12cm and 25 x 16cm
all made in November at Ballinglen Arts Foundation, County Mayo
inspired by a trip to the neolithic field walls at Ceide Fields on the North Mayo Coast
I would love to mount these together and show in a small museum, library or somewhere interested in these 5 thousand year old artifacts from a community who lived and farmed in a time before the wheel and before the metal plough
If anyone is interested, from anywhere in the world, please contact me liz-doyle@live.com
strings and rings and shapes and shadows
memories of Mayo
so much material to work from
must get rid of this cold and get back into the studio!
donegallizdoyle 