Sunday, November 20, 2016

Grey Heron


Juvenile Grey Heron
Pastel Pencils on Mi Teinte Pastel Paper
8"x12"

I love Herons, they remind me sometimes of sentries outside Buckingham Palace, they can stay so still, both when perching and fishing, when they can stab like lightning and bring out a fish which they swallow whole.

Friday, October 7, 2016


Magpie Morning
Soft pastel and pastel pencils on pastel paper.


I thought I would go back to the bird paintings for a while, so tried this one with pastels. Not a superstitious person but the old chant "one for sorrow , two for joy" came to me, so put the other one in on the ground.

Friday, September 2, 2016

Peek a Boo


Oil on Canvas Board
7"x5"

Using up oil paint left over from classes , it made a nice change from the ink pigment I have been using lately. I had a small painting on a canvas board that I had discarded, unfinished, so decided to use the board.
I have painted so many derelict cottages lately I thought a derelict car would be a nice change, still the same theme though.


Thursday, August 18, 2016

Derelict farmyard

Ink pigment and acrylic paint on acrylic paper.
11.5" x 8"

Really on a roll with these ink pigments although I have used small amounts of acrylic paint on this one. Another derelict farmyard that I would love to own, but wouldn't have the energy to renovate. Looking for a name for the painting....any suggestions?

Tuesday, August 9, 2016



Ink pigment on watercolour paper.
Image size 12"x 8"
Framed size 16"x 12"
I found this beautiful old wooden house in the middle of the forest on a birdwatching trip to Poland a few years ago. It seemed abandoned but had a satellite dish, so maybe it was lived in.Would have loved to own it , in such an idyllic spot.


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Wednesday, July 13, 2016



Derelict Cottage 2. Ink pigment on watercolour paper. Image size 295 x 210 mm.

Another in the series, "Derelict Cottages", 

Wednesday, June 8, 2016


DERELICT COTTAGE WITH CAT. INK PIGMENT on PAPER
FRAMED SIZE 18"X 14"
FOR SALE






Another in the "Derelict Cottage" series, although this one looks as though it could be lived in, didn't make it derelict enough

Monday, May 30, 2016



Derelict Cottage.
Ink Pigment on watercolour paper.
Framed size 18"x 14"
For Sale €200







Another derelict cottage believe it or not. Would buy it tomorrow if I had the money for the restoration. Oh well, have to be satisfied with painting it.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Derelict Cottages, Gap of Dunloe.
Ink pigment on watercolour paper. Framed size 18”x14”
For Sale €200.00





Couldn’t resist trying this one. These derelict cottages must have been photographed by just about everyone who visited the Gap, including me. Not sure what it is about dereliction that attracts me, maybe it’s the history of the place, who lived there, how many generations started their life there? Must have been a tough life.

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Another ink pigment

   
Ink pigment on paper. 210x295mm
Framed image 13"x17"
For Sale €195





Reference for this painting was a photo I took a few years ago in Ardmore, Co Waterford of the Protestant Church. It was the light that attracted me and I hope I have achieved this in the picture.                      

Thursday, March 31, 2016

First effort with ink pigment

Ink on acrylic paper. 210x295mm.

Recently found an ad  online for ink pigments , I have been looking for something new to try so ordered a selection of colours. Evidently these have been around for years, but I had never heard of them. To use, they are very similar to watercolour except you can shake pigment onto the paper and then spray with water. There seems to be many ways to paint with them and the colours are very intense.
Above is my first effort, still have a lot to learn but fairly pleased with the outcome!

Thursday, January 28, 2016

First work of 2016


“Coloured pencil on cartridge paper”


For this painting I used a reference photo from the site “Paint my photo” http://pmp-art.com/christine-c/gallery/4785/mother-and-child  .Many thanks to Christine for her fabulous picture.

I was reminded so much of my own trip to India, many years ago, where some people lived on the street and passed their everyday lives on the pavement , eating , sleeping, and washing their kids. while I would not like to live on the streets but, with the weather we are having ,I wouldn’t mind being in India at the moment!

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Mixed media

Image (67)-002

 

Still messing with mixed media, this time just watercolour and acrylic. I was very taken with the reflections in the photo I had and hopefully I have achieved them.I wanted a very hazy, distant look for the background, so I used watercolour with a lot of water, the foreground is acrylic as I wanted stronger colours and I never seem to attain this with watercolour.

Friday, November 6, 2015

More mixed media

Image (48)-001

“Kenmare” Mixed media”

One of many pictures I took a couple of years ago while staying in Kenmare. I used watercolour for the first wash, then outlined with a black pen. I added pastel on top of the watercolour in places to add more texture, finally I had to use acrylic for the couple crossing the road as these were an afterthought.

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Mixed Media

Image (49)-001

“Urban Cowboys”

I started this picture months ago with acrylic,and for a long time it was going nowhere, then I decided to use ink to outline the cowboys and  pastel to fill in the foreground, which made it easier to get the effect of rough ground.

I used as reference pictures I found on the internet, the idea being that with so many unfinished housing estates in the country they would become playgrounds for young people and inevitably become more desolate as time went by.

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Who needs brushes

Image (40)-001

Ballycotton Island .Finger Painted.

I was demonstrating in the Kilkenny Shop in Shanagarry Design Centre. When I looked for my brushes I realised I had left my them in my studio. Not inclined to go get them I decided to try my hand at finger painting, above is the result. I used Winsor and Newton water soluble oil paint which I found very easy to use and spread easily . I enjoyed the experience so much that I intend to do more.

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Swallows

                                "Swallows" Coloured pencil on paper. 30cmx21cm(A4)

The next in the series "Irish Birds"

Very soon now the young swallows born in Ireland will begin to flock together before they make their way to Africa, an amazing feat of navigation considering they have never been there before. A month or so later after feeding up after the hectic breeding season, the adults will follow.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Yassy

Island tours642

Ballycotton Island Tours boat “Yassy”.

Acrylic on paper.

If you are ever in Ballycotton this is a must do. Take a trip out to Ballycotton Lighthouse ,in company with a local guide. Climb the 50 odd steps up to the lighthouse and if you still have the energy take the stairs to the top and enjoy stunning views of the area.

Monday, June 15, 2015

Cock of the walk.

chucks599

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.

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Another coloured pencil

starlings592

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.