





Oil and cold wax medium on canvas
4 of them are 80 x 100cm, the other 2, 80cm sq
The possible title for the series is “Oceans – a tipping point?”






Oil and cold wax medium on canvas
4 of them are 80 x 100cm, the other 2, 80cm sq
The possible title for the series is “Oceans – a tipping point?”

These were my last 2 canvases from November. One 89 x 100cm and the other 80cm sq


The piece is called ‘Late November, Donegal ‘

This large painting on unstretched canvas, stapled directly to the painting wall, is unusual for me. I’m not using cold wax medium, but instead oil with a liquid siccative added. This is a much wetter medium, so I am using brushes for a change instead of my usual squeegees, scrapers and rollers.

The painting was to a certain extent inspired by views like this, of Mount Errigal and the Aghlas, across the small strip of sea that separates Cruit Island from the mainland.
This painting is to me a natural step onwards from these three, on pre-stretched box canvas, made over the last few days



I’m having some fun with process, using old unsuccessful painted canvasses to re-work, amend or completely paint over
These 2 canvases, each 80cm sq, were initially very different abstract paintings, but both had quite a lot of structure and quite large areas with earth and ochre colours. I have kept some of the initial areas but built up additional structures and much more detail
Here are the two separately:


And here is another, larger canvas. This one is 80 x 120cm and has much more tentative amendments – might not be quite finished yet

And I just mean in my studio!
I have been reworking some old canvases and completely repainting some too
These 2 above are each 80cm sq

Here they are with another one the same size and a 65cm one on the end

Here’s a bigger reworked piece
120cm plus it’s frame also painted over


Here’s a fuller view of my favourites (today anyway) – with a sort of invasion of pink

This one and the last one below are a bit odd, and maybe not totally successful. But they were an important challenge for me in terms of structure, form and process. Each 80 cm plus frame






Thinking about Picasso’s pigeons roosting around windows and the illuminations of the hermit saints.

‘Columba’ 50 x 40″ on canvas

detail from Columba

‘Columba’ and ‘Dance’ in the doorway of my temporary Back kitchen studio in Wales
Each new challenge brings a fresh approach to the work
I am painting in an old ‘back kitchen’ with poor light and much less manoeuvrability than I’m used to. I started by working on paper on the table. Progressed to 2 A1 (c. 60 x 80cm) canvases propped up in the doorway. And a few days ago bought 2 big canvases c. 100 x 130cm (40 x 50inches) These I started off leaning against the wall on top of the radiator. Then some layers applied with my right hand while I held and rotated the canvas with my left.
I had to carry the painting out into the lean-to conservatory (trying not to get paint on the tomato plants/ chair /bike) and out through a second door into the yard to see it in the light
Here are some progress shots and the finished piece in the garden
Dance





Convergence 59 x 84cm

The path 59 x 84cm




This last one still in progress – working title ‘I might be lost’! – A1 canvas, other 2 finished (red one is 10 x 28″ on 2 pieces of paper, 2nd one called Crosscurrents is on A1 canvas)