Cock of the walk.

I seem to be obsessed with coloured pencil at the moment. Here is yet another one that I finished today. I’m reasonably pleased with it, but now I see it on screen I can see places where I need to increase the contrast.

Just heard on the radio that several places in Ireland are enjoying 22 degrees , not where I am in the south unfortunately, it’s a nice day but with a stiff breeze from the sea keeping the temperature down.

LiveJournal Tags: Cock,walk,coloured pencil,contrast,art,Phil,Davis

Another coloured pencil

An adult Starling feeding it’s young. This time of the year is great , all around there is new life, birds feeding young,flowers blooming, trees all the shades of green you can imagine. Very soon we will have the longest day after which the evenings will get shorter, at first imperceptibly , ushering in another season, but hopefully we will have several weeks of sunshine to keep us going through the autumn and winter.

LiveJournal Tags: starling,art,coloured pencil,winter,autumn,trees,flowers,theartofphildavis

Coloured Pencil

Found these two, unfinished, when I was clearing up my studio, so decided it was time to finish them. I used a mixture of Prismacolor and Polychromos coloured pencil,

Falcon in coloured pencil.

Another coloured pencil painting, this time a Peregrine Falcon, prismacolour and polychromos pencils on Bristol board.

Coloured Pencil

Found these two, unfinished, coloured pencil paintings, when I was doing my annual studio clear up. Decided to finish them and think they didn't turn out too bad. I love working with coloured pencil, but have to be in the right frame of mind as they can take so long building up the colour. Anyway , decided to do some more so watch this space.  

Ardoginna Castle

“ Pen & Ink on acrylic paper.”
Had a week-end away recently in Ardmore, Co Waterford. Next to the house we stayed in was this amazing ruin of a castle. This is only a small part of it as there are numerous outbuildings and extensions, all unfortunately in a ruined state, …must have been an amazing place when it was complete.
Decided to try out the pen and inks again for this and I think it worked out alright.

Acrylics for beginners

 

A new class for beginners is starting on Monday, April 27th , 3.00pm until 5.00pm, running for six weeks. Places are limited to 6 and everything is supplied, so all you have to bring is yourself.

Price: €120.00

The first of many (I hope)

The first 4 of the series “Irish Birds” prints. Overall size with the frame is 12x10 inches and they will be available for sale online soon, on this blog and my website The Art of Phil Davis , until then they can be purchased from my studio, Studio 2, Downstairs in Shanagarry Design Centre , Shanagarry, Co Cork.
Price: €49.95.
I would be grateful, if you like this post, that you would share it with your friends, Thank you.

More Birds

 




Another 3 cards in the “Irish Birds” series, only 300 0dd to go. Watch this space!
Great to see the sun shining in Ireland although it’s still chilly. All of a sudden the buds are sprouting and the birds are looking for nesting material and as I look out my studio window the Sycamores have a tinge of green… roll on summer.

LiveJournal Tags: cards,birds,Ireland,Spring,sycamore,buds,Great Tit,Lapwing,House Sparrow

New Cards- The Birds of Ireland

Kingfisher.

Stonechat.

Yellowhammer.
The first 3 in a series of “Birds of Ireland” cards that I am producing at the moment from photos and sketches I have made over the years of birding. I have been intending to do this for several years but for some reason never got started. Given that the list of Irish birds is probably between 250 and 300 I have a ways to go.
Now comes the commercial: Anybody who would like to purchase cards can get them online, soon, at theartofphildavis.blogspot.ie/p/cards, or call in to my studio Downstairs in Shanagarry Design Centre.
€2.00 each .

Open Gallery

  

 

Finally my studio has been sorted out so that I now have a gallery area and a studio area.Now you don’t have to fight your way round unfinished works, easels and everything that goes with a working studio. Why not call in if you are in the area,. Open all day everyday.

Ballycotton Lighthouse from the Cow

Oil on canvas: 24”x18”
I painted this scene several years ago on a smaller scale and with acrylics. Always wanted to try with oils and palette knife, and this is the result.

This is the original version, about half the size, which do you prefer?

Pen & Ink

“Acrylic ink on watercolour paper”
I’m on a roll at the moment, but that seems to happen every new year. Three posts in 3 days is it ?
I love using ink although I’m still relatively new to the medium, I just like playing with it , trying it on different surfaces although so far I think watercolour paper is the favourite. I would be interested in what others use.
My art classes have restarted since yesterday, so I will have less time to paint, I must say I have enjoyed the last two weeks, having the time to paint all day if I wanted to, also was able to clear up the studio a bit and catch up with cleaning brushes. Having said that , I really love running the classes and wouldn’t change things for the world.

First Painting of 2015(Kind of)

I started this at the tail end of 2014 and finished it on New Years Day. One of my students allowed me to use a photo she had taken in the woods in Glengarrif, in Co Cork, and I immediately thought it would be great to try as a tryptich with a palette knife. I rearranged the picture a bit as you can see as the large tree was blocking the view of the waterfall.

Another New Year

Well its that time again, when we make all those resolutions that we have no intention of keeping, even though at the time we really believe we do.

I’m not making any resolutions unless you count trying to be a better painter, which I do every year and hope that I am succeeding.

One of the paintings I finished before Christmas was a commission of three beautiful young girls which was a present for their daddies 40th birthday.

I decided to use acrylic as there was a bit of a time constraint and I wanted quick drying. I had to work from several different photographs, none of which, bar one, were of the 3 girls together, but altogether I think it worked out alright.

Lapwings

“Lapwings” Acrylic on pastelpad. 30x24cm

Ages since I have posted on here, I can’t even use the excuse that I have been busy painting, however I have been busy teaching and putting together my students yearly exhibition. Some of the paintings in the exhibition can be seen on https://www.facebook.com/ourpiecesofwork

Newly Framed

  “West End Ballycotton” Acrylic on paper.


“New York New York”


“Chain Gang”
I have just framed these three paintings, I have posted them on the blog before, but not framed, so I thought I would show them again.
Of course they are for sale if you are interested and can be bought online at www.theartofphildavis.com or http://theartofphildavis.blogspot.ie or you can call into my studio , Downstairs in Shanagarry Design Centre.


It’s that time of year again and the fourth exhibition by the artist’s of “A Real Piece of Work “ is taking place from the opening night on the 12th Sept to the 28th Sept. Everybody welcome.

Don’t Forget

SUPPORT LIVE ARTISTS

The dead ones don’t need it!

Shanagarry Design Centre

Acrylic on acrylic paper. 11.5”x 8”.
I’m going to use this image for postcards and greeting cards which will be on sale in my studio “Downstairs in Shanagarry Design”. Some people are finding it hard to find the studios, so here’s how you find us; Go right through the shop and head for the conservatory, right opposite the coffee machine there is a flight of stairs going down, take these stairs and below you will find a world of art and design, with the beautiful fragrances of Angels Touch body lotions etc, the amazing ceramic artwork of Stable Door Pottery, the delighted laughing of small children in art and craft classes with Ann O’ Riordan of Eco Paisti and the incredible painting and prints of artists Belinda Northcote and Phil Davis.
Having wandered round the studios, all of which are open to visitors you can head back upstairs to enjoy a sumptuous lunch or maybe just a coffee and cake, and maybe purchase a little something from the huge stock in the Kilkenny shop.
There is probably nowhere, in Ireland, quite like the Shanagarry Design Centre, you can shop,lunch, take a class in painting or ceramics, bring the little ones for a class with Ann, or simply chill out with a coffee in the conservatory, taking in the magnificent views of Ballycotton Bay. A must visit!

Sketch

Acrylic on cartridge paper. Trying to figure out a new painting, think this would have worked better in portrait rather than landscape and probably should have more space something at bottom so that gulls have somewhere to go, like a rock or boat , any opinions?

Bullfinches reworked

Bullfinches. Coloured Pencil. Reworked.

Bullfinches. Coloured Pencil. Original version.

I painted this originally in 2007 and posted it on here in Jan 2011, (bottom image) but I was never really happy with it , my patience ran out building up the colour and I had an exhibition coming up so I framed it and exhibited . It didn’t sell and I wasn’t really surprised and it’s been hanging in my studio ever since. Every time I looked at it I thought “must take that down and rework it”, so finally I have. What do you think, old or new? I know what I think!