Opening Night - COAST - April 13th

I'm afraid this is it.

After all the preparations and hard work this is the only picture I have of the opening night of the COAST exhibition (Dalkey Heritage Centre, Apr 13th). Taken by my friend Deirdre about an hour before the opening on my mobile phone. Me, looking sad and lost.

Luckily the opening night itself was much more exciting and a huge success. The pieces and images in the Irish Times and the Sunday Business Post at the weekend really stirred up a lot of interest. The Minister for Culture, Mary Hanafin, gave a great speech and added a real sense of occasion to the evening. And sales have been very strong with 15 pieces sold to date.

So overall a great start to the exhibition and a really encouraging sign that people are still willing to enjoy and invest in art, despite the rough economic times we're in at the moment.

Exhibition Opening Night Plans

Preparations for the exhibition continue....

I'm delighted to say that our new Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Mary Hanafin, will be special guest on our opening night on April 13th. It's an honour to have the Minister for the Arts open the show.

Invitations have been collected from the printers and will be posted out tomorrow and emailed at the weekend. Posters and flyers go up in Dalkey from next week.

And the wine has been chosen! A nice Italian Pinot Grigio and a very tasty Spanish Tempranillo.

Keep an eye on the main Irish newspapers next weekend where a number of articles about the show are planned.

Pre-Exhibition Studio Visit

Less than 4 weeks to go to opening night for the exhibition in Dalkey and work is progressing nicely. I am aiming to have about 25 new pieces for the show, as well as a number of limited edition prints.

Frames are ordered, press release is being worked on and invitations designed. So it's starting to come together. I just need to finish the 25 or so paintings and then I'll be happy!

The studio is a bit of a mess at the moment, unfinished paintings strewn around the place, empty paint tubes pushed to one side, rubbish all over the floor - it probably reflects the state of my head the nearer we come closer to the deadline!

Only 3 "painting weeks" left before I have to stop to allow the paint to dry. I won't tell you how many paintings I have completed so far, it may cause you to question whether the exhibition will actually be going ahead! (..don't worry I always get there in the end). This painting is shaping up to be my leading piece. It features the Minaun Cliffs, Achill in the background and plays on one of the themes I have running through the show, that of simple stone houses looking out to sea, "guarding" their coastline.

April Exhibition - Work in Progress #2

Here is another of the pieces I'm working on for the Dalkey exhibition which opens on April 13th. I'm starting to get a really nice feeling from this painting, so I need to be careful not to lose it as I bring it to completion!

The theme of the exhibition centers on that place where the shore and the coast meet.

My paintings deal with the landscapes that run to the coast's edge and the buildings that have become part of those landscapes. Grainne's ceramic work (above) takes it's inspiration directly from the sea and the shorelines that meet the coast. The meeting of the shore and coast is the point where our work overlaps, where the colours and textures of Grainne's beautiful ceramic fish and fired vessels blend into the rich oils and primary colours of my paintings.

April Exhibition - Work in Progress #1

It's pretty hard to hold a painting knife when your hands are freezing! I've been struggling to keep work moving along for the exhibition in April. It's just been so cold in the studio!

But moving along it is and I'm starting to really like some of the pieces that are taking shape. I will be posting some images of works in progress over the coming weeks as I get closer to the opening night. Here is one of my personal favourites, which is setting the tone for a lot of the others. A little more muted than normal, I really the atmosphere it evokes.

2010 Solo Exhibition - Dalkey Heritage Centre

Happy New Year!

My first exhibition of 2010 will be held in The Gallery at the Dalkey Heritage Centre where I will be exhibiting with ceramic artist Grainne Watts.

The exhibition opens on April 13th and runs until april 18th. Further details and images will be posted on my website closer to the opening date.