In The Studio Towards The End Of March, Cosmic Systems Oil on Wood Panel

March is the month of my birthday! After finishing my last piece early March my 30th birthday had arrived and I got whisked away from my studio for about a week. I had started working the circular support I made 2 blogs ago, but the birthday interruption presented itself as a healthy break and helped me to return to the work more focus and refreshed.
Here is a photo of my most recently finished painting, I have been working on this for about 3 weeks excluding the time it took to make and prime the painting support. It is oil on circular wood panel about 130cm in diameter:

Here are the progress photos this finished painting:

I began with a couple of rough sketches the first sketch is just a scrappy thumbnail with a small notion of the pieces composition with small notes expanding ideas of some elements of this sketch.

I then did second sketch to refine the figure of the girl puppet from the first sketch.

This second sketch is still quite rough, I use this sketch to trace up the enlarged composition using an 'artograph' a projection tool that uses a mirror, light bulb and a big lenses to project and focus the image. The photos below show the trace up, at this stage I am quite messy with the image as I am still working out it's composition. I rub parts out with a large sponge and redraw bits until am happy with how the figure and shapes feel to me.

The next stage is to refine the drawing. The painting support had been painted with a base of powder blue, as the drawing developed the charcoal seemed to have a warm brownish glow against the calm blue, I really liked this aspect in the piece this inspired me to start pondering a colour scheme for the painting.

Part of the drawings composition was a little more technical as the cog motif had to be symmetrical to make them convincing.

I like the motif of cogs I use them here as a depiction of energy in the universe moving, where mind and spirit meet. The characters with the spotted tentacles represent new energies of ideas and reflections. They come in and cling making adjustments to the universal systems at play. I like using dense patterns with lots of circle shapes also depicting this psychedelic motion.

I made a simple card stencil with cog notches on it in two sizes. I used this to aid my drawing, using a drawing pin and string much like a compass to draw the circular form of these larger shapes.

 

Once the drawing was complete I fixed it with clear matt Acrylic based spray varnish. This locks the charcoal in so I can begin to paint the image with oils.

The next stage is the painting stage. I started this time with the face of the puppet girl then slowly working my way out to the edges until the painting was done, building up transparent washes of colour and gradually added sharp edges, flat colour and details with a fine brush.

Here are some close-up photos of the finished painting:

End 💗 !

In The Studio Late Febuary - March 2013

Heart Strings

I wanted to start painting again, I have really enjoyed the charcoal work recently but I felt I needed to add some colour here are the process photos of my most recent piece, still without a title but for now I'll call it Heart Strings.

With my new wooden heart shaped support in pastel pink, I started to sketch out an under drawing for the painting with charcoal:

I got this far with my first idea and decided that I didn't like the composition, I felt it needed something simpler and a bigger character. So I washed off the charcoal with a wet sponge and repainted the pink. Although it was only drawn with charcoal and I had washed off all the pigment, the charcoal had left behind a brown stain that took 3 coats of pastel pink to eventually cover...

New sketch!
I started again once the pink paint was completely dry.

When I was happy with the drawing, I fixed it with a thick coat of Acrylic based matt spray varnish, this has to be done with the drawing flat down on a surface or floor otherwise the varnish will run and the drawing will run with it!

The charcoal pigment bonds with the varnish and blurs it slightly giving it the look of a wet medium. Once dry the charcoal is completely sealed under the varnish and ready to be painted onto.

I used oil to paint the piece, building up transparent washes of colour and gradually added sharp edges, flat colour and details with a fine brush. I love the way the oil paint lushes up the surface of the piece.

Finished!

In The Studio Late Febuary 2013

New Painting Supports:

Here are some process photos...

I Started these pieces knowing I wanted to work on various shapes, I like the notion of the image being framed in a new way.

I'm using half inch ply-board, its easy to cut with a electric jigsaw.

I drew the large circle by making a make-shift compass with a drawing pin and string, for the heart shape below I made a half heart stencil from cardboard this helped me keep heart shape symmetrical.

The wooden board had some imperfect texture to it, some of which was quite deep, this is normal with board like this.

After lots of sanding with an electric sander. I first used a 3D acrylic paste to prime and fill the surface imperfections of the new shape. I used a plastic card to apply this, when this was fully dry I sanded the surface again and began to prime the supports with an acrylic based primer.

I used a small sponge roller to apply the primer this gave the surface a soft grainy tactile texture much like an interior wall that has been painted this way.

The priming usually takes about a day to complete as the layers of primer have to be dry before the next coat can be applied.

Three coats of primer later... I then painted the new supports in pastel pink and blue acrylic paint. <3 div="" end...="">

In The Studio Febuary 2013

Drawing Progression Photos

In the studio drawing still, these are the beginning of my new body of work 'Who Pulls The Strings' for exhibition this July at 'White Lady art' gallery in Dublin.

The show is a dreamscape of images featuring puppet-like characters. Here are some progress photos of my latest charcoal drawing for the show.

Starting of the drawing, notice the roughness of the sketch the whole piece is started like this, it happens very quickly the rest of the time will be spent polishing and refining the drawing...

I wanted her to be siting in a feasible space and her upper half exiting into the dreamscape like two worlds meeting.

Half way there...

Close up detail, spoons in her hair.

Close up detail.

Close up detail.

Here on the studio wall to get a indication of the drawings size. The sheepskin is nice to sit on while drawing and yes now it is so dusty covered in charcoal dust! must shake it outside soon :)

Finished

New Work January 2013

Charcoal

I'm currently making a new body of work for my next solo exhibition in Dublin this July at ‘White Lady Art’ . The Show will run from July 4th – 27th 2013.

This new body of work will be paintings, drawings and sculpture with a Jungian theme.

Jung believed that, to be psychologically healthy, one must strike a balance between the demands of society and what we really are.To be oblivious to one’s persona is to underestimate the importance of society, but to be unaware of one’s deep individuality is to become society’s puppet.

‘Who Pulls The Strings?’ is an exhibition based on this Jungian notion, an exploration of narratives set in a psychedelic dreamscape of puppet characters. The characters are contemplative of the artists own individuality and the dark forces that filter in from a vast collective unconsciousness that sways them from discovering who they really are.

Here are some photos from my studio in Leitrim a sneaky peek at the development of 2 new works.

1st work:

In the studio, the rough sketchy stage

Finished 1st work :)

2nd work:

 

Studio wall the image is roughly sketched out

Drawing developments

Tools of the trade ;)

Detail

Finished 2nd work :D

BOOK LAUNCH & EXHIBITION

Goblin Market: Irish New Contemporary Art

Launch party 6pm Saturday 1st December!!

Exhibition of artwork from the book's artists for two weeks: 1.12.12 - 15.12.12.

Launch party 6pm Saturday 1st December 

BYOB - drinks for early birds
Dress: fabulous!

Goblin Market is the first publication from White Lady Art Books, featuring work from 35 of Ireland's finest New Contemporary artists. These artists are working and exhibiting in Ireland, and their artwork will be displayed in the White Lady Art gallery for two weeks.

The 35 artists who are showcased in the book work in a variety of styles that can be placed under the banner of New Contemporary art: there are urban artists, pop surrealists, outsider, folk surrealists, body horror artists, and lowbrow artists. New Contemporary art has a major following in America, Europe and the U.K., and Ireland has much to offer as well. It is high time that these unusual, unique and technically excellent artists are given recognition and appreciation in a broader context, and it is with great pleasure that White Lady Art can offer you the chance to see their work in an exhibition to accompany the launch of the book.

Goblin Market is a hardback coffee table book, that can stand up proudly beside others of its kind, and would make an ideal gift for any art lover or aficionado of the underground art scene in Ireland.

The launch party will be a great occasion, marking the year spent developing and honing the book into something we can all be proud of. We would like to invite you to come and celebrate the artwork and artists at this very special event.

fb page:
www.facebook.com/goblinmarketirishnewcontemporaryart

Random Cuddly Creepy Carrot Friend

Little bit random, I spent yesterday evening with a friend sewing cuddly carrot's, I love chilling out with a bit of hand sewing. Here is a new carrot friend I made for my husband Iliocht.

A Seussian Ripple Theory

Green Eggs and ham: Dr Seuss Exhibition,Group Show at White Lady Art.

I am taking part in a group exhibition called 'Green Eggs & Ham' this Friday. A show of artwork inspired by the work of the iconic Theodor S. Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss. At the New 'White Lady Art Gallery' at 14 Wellington Quay, Dublin 2.
Here is my new piece I made to be included, its in acrylic on canvas entitled 'A Seussian Ripple Theory' 80 x 60 cm.
If anyone happens to be in Dublin this Friday, this show is well worth seeing with some really fantastic artists taking part!

A Seussian Ripple Theory 2012

The Title ‘A Seussian Ripple Theory’ refers to the good Doctor Seuss. When I was younger I often wondered if he was a real doctor, now I have a child of my own and I do see him as somehow of a Doctor, his surreal system of storytelling encourages me to think of his as a quirky Dr. of psychology with his own system of therapy.

In the tradition of story telling his work has become that of a contemporary mother goose and with this not only sewing seed of new relevant morals, also creating his own brand of mythology. In the tradition of surrealism, bizarre imagery fused together with a clear intent to encourage imagination and further expansiveness and evolution of our individual and indeed collective psyche.

My painting is juxtaposition of my own mythology and with that of Dr. Seuss, his artistic creations have caused a ripple across our cultural consciousness that has become a part of many people’s psyches. His mythology stays with us living in our hearts and memories, mine included!  And I think it is a righteous ripple!  One that will keep resurfacing as long and long after his stories and artworks are shared.

Here is the 'White Lady Art' video from the opening day

DCTV at the Fairy Frack Clash

The Dublin City Community Channel came and filmed Harriet's opening this October. Here is the TV Clip of the interview, with special thanks to the DCTV:

 

CityWide - Fairy Frack Clash from DCTV on Vimeo.

Fairies and fracking are a combination you don't often see together and maybe that's why a clash has ensued! CityWide reporter Susan Jackson talks to Harriet Myfanwy Nia Tahany about her artistic take on the destruction of the mystical landscape of Leitrim, the place she calls home.

Presenter - Susan Jackson, Camera (Interview) Darren Fitzpatrick,
Cutaways & establishing shots - Stravan Laddu, Darren Fitzpatrick, Alan Doran, Susan Jackson,
Editors - Shannon Smith, Killian Vigna, Producer - Susan Jackson, Director - Susan Jackson.

Sign for 'White Lady Art'

A different kind of creativity, I recently made a wooden sign for the street front of Dublin's new 'White Lady Art' Gallery.
I used the 'street tag' style of font from the 'White Lady Art's' website. I used a projector to trace the letters to the exact size onto a sheet of marine plywood, this is the same board used in boat building, so its super weatherproof. I cut the letters out with a handheld electric Jigsaw, then the letters were painted white with exterior gloss paint.
It was an oddness for me nailing it up it a crouded city street during the day. After I had positioned the letters tacking them up with a couple of nails, Iliocht my husband helped me put all the final nails in. I was going to paint the nail heads white but you can hardly notice them, they make the sign that bit different and real looking.
I'm feeling quite proud of it and think it looks as good as any of the signs on the street, so yay!
Here is a photo of the finished sign taken at the grand opening on November 2nd: