February 3, 2015

subliminal influence

Over the last couple of days I have been pondering the words of Henri Matisse
from a long hidden, recently discovered interview with him

http://designobserver.com/feature/henri-matisse-the-lost-interview/38738?fb_action_ids=1541907199394598&fb_action_types=og.likes

The quote that struck me most was ‘ The subject is myself and what I see. ‘

Unusually for me, when I was painting, I was thinking of this idea and I had just taken these photos of our alder trees that we planted 5 years ago in a wet area among the reeds

So what was I painting and how did the thought and image of tbe trees impact the work?

Here are some images of the canvases at different stages over the last couple of days, as well as some closeup details

Posted in cold wax, colour, meditation, methods, multiples / panoramas, nature, painting
Tagged abstract, influence, Liz Doyle, Matisse, painting, post impressionists, subjects, trees
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January 31, 2015

abstraction

Why on earth would I attempt to paint landscapes when you can get photos like these?
Admittedly the saturation is high and the pixels are visible
This sort of thing is a rich source for abstraction, combined with the sharp hail on my nose and my wet feet from the incoming tide

And Junos disappointment at the orange fishing float not being a ball (too hard too heavy) is just icing on the cake
Its February tomorrow, Spring will soon be here
Keep warm, be safe 🙂

Posted in biography, colour, Donegal, meditation, methods, nature, painting
Tagged Abstract art, abstraction, art, donegal, landscape, Liz Doyle, photography, winter
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January 27, 2015

start again

this was the repeat refrain on a 10 day meditation retreat I did a couple of years ago in Nepal
applies in all walks of life!

3 paintings in my studio this morning, stuck, frustrated, unresolved

so ‘start again’!

2 new canvases, 80cm square
3 layers, wet on wet, of contrasting colours, oil and cold wax medium
then some different powder pigments
I’ll go back to them later today or tomorrow, when they are drier but still tacky, and work ovee with a roller
and then start again

Posted in cold wax, colour, meditation, methods, multiples / panoramas, painting, wanderings abroad, wooden panels
Tagged cold wax medium, Liz Doyle, meditation, painting, persistence, process
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January 21, 2015

retrospective

coming accross a facebook profile pic taken about 12 years ago gave me the idea to do a bit of a nostalgic trawl
here is that pic:

and here are some paintings from a few years ago ( not 12 years ago as I havent got photos of most of them, but starting from about 7 yrs back)

And me again in spray painting mood!

And last summer, the wrinkles are setting in, but who cares, life is good

And now a granny in my corner!

And when it started

Thanks everyone for following my journey

Posted in biography, colour, meditation, painting
Tagged abstract, art, Liz Doyle, painting, retrospective, selfie
6 Comments

January 1, 2015

second session light fading

Couldn’t resist going back into the studio for a bit more tinkering with the 2 stones panels
But the light wasn’t really good enough
Having a battle between realising the clear shapes or having the shapes suggest themselves as they loom out of the murk
So they keep coming and going away again

details :

and the small panels for Portugal are yellow now

Posted in cold wax, colour, Donegal, doodles, Ireland, meditation, methods, painting, wooden panels
Tagged abstract, art, cold wax medium, Liz Doyle, painting
9 Comments

January 1, 2015

first session 2015

Happy New Year everyone
More work on the two panels 110 x 80
Another layer on a huge canvas 150 x 100
Primed 2 new little panels ready to take to Portugal with me on Monday

Posted in cold wax, colour, Donegal, Ireland, meditation, methods, painting, wooden panels
Tagged abstract, Ceide Fields, cold wax medium, Liz Doyle, painting
7 Comments

December 29, 2014

mid winter pause for painting

29th of December and another batch of family visitors head homewards. Husband and 2nd daughter, 2nd daughters puppy, Holly collie, and our 2 dogs head off to walk to the top of snowy Errigal, leaving me to grasp the moment in my studio

a detail of texture

and my shoes!

Posted in cold wax, colour, Donegal, Ireland, meditation, methods, multiples / panoramas, painting, wooden panels
Tagged Christmas, cold wax medium, donegal, Errigal, Liz Doyle, painting, process, winter
2 Comments

December 20, 2014

progress with paint and asking the obvious questions

Monolithic, powerful, virile?
How were the standing stones viewed 5k years ago?
What was their symbolism?

I am intrigued by how the walls were built and if and how the stones were cut
I am fascinated by the field patterns of miles of parrallel walls still repeated today
Fanning out inwards from the coastal cliffs of Mayo

I am bowled over by the intricate plans and scale drawings, in red, made by the archeologists of Ceide Fields
More questions than answers, my personal response has to be with paint