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SketchBlog
Starstruck sketches at the Ulster Museum
19th July 2011
Areas: sketches
At the weekend I managed to get down to the Ulster Museum to see & sketch their latest exhibition STARSTRUCK.
STARSTRUCK features 50 of the world’s most filmed and photographed costumes from BAFTA and Oscar award-winning films and television dramas such as The King's Speech, Downton Abbey, Shakespeare in Love, The Duchess, Evita and Dangerous Liaisons.
The costumes were amazingly detailed with the fabrics’ folds creating sculptures. On a side note it was interesting to see the costumes of Tom Cruise and Sienna Miller and how small they actually are.
I’ve included some of my favourite sketches below.
Clonalis art retreat paintings 2
18th July 2011
Areas: paintings
Following my last 2 post of my art retreat sketches and art retreat paintings 1 on the grounds of Clonalis House these are the final paintings made over the 6 days.
Clonalis art retreat paintings 1
15th July 2011
Following my last post of my art retreat sketches on the grounds of Clonalis House I’ve included some of the watercolor sketches I did in preparation for the paintings.
Paintings to follow soon.
Clonalis art retreat sketchbook
13th July 2011
Areas: sketches
I’m just back from my yearly Irish art retreat.
This year we spent a week in self-catering cottages on the grounds of Clonalis House (the Ancestral Home of the O'Conors, Kings of Connacht and at various times, High Kings of Ireland) located just one mile from the town of Castlerea, County Roscommon, Ireland.
Whilst the weather wasn’t perfect it didn’t take away from the natural beauty of the woodlands, roaming fields of waist high grass and the sounds of crickets and swallows. So much so a few of the paintings where done holding an umbrella in one hand and a paintbrush in the other.
Below I’ve included some of the sketches I did whist I was there. I’ve found from previous art retreats that it is best to sketch an intended scene first to see if it will work as a painting, if it doesn’t it has only been 40 minutes of your time rather than 6 hours if I had gone straight into a painting.
I’ll put up a few more sketches and their painting counterparts later in the week.
New street art gilcee prints for sale
18th June 2011
Areas: paintings prints street art
I’ve been working away making some new limited edition gilcée prints of my paintings. My most recent two evolved out of my sketches for the street art festival Winter Base 11 in the Ulster Hall earlier this year.
For me it is the beginnings of my illustration, fine art and storytelling finally meeting and getting along.
If you would like one of the limited prints please click on the buy links below the paintings and I’ll post one straight out to you.
Poetry Slam sketches at the Crescent Arts Centre
18th June 2011
Areas: sketches
Last night, I had the pleasure to see and sketch people at the Belfast Book Festival's Poetry Slam in the refurbished Crescent Arts Centre. Hosted by Seamus Fox the night was a treasure chest of 3-minute poems that was a refreshing demonstration of art through the spoken word.
Unfortunately tonight is the last night of the festival but fingers crossed it will return next year.
Society for News Design Awards
9th June 2011
The 32nd edition society for news design awards were announced earlier this week and I won an ‘Award of Excellence’ for my 9-page comic and cover for The Times Election 2010 supplement!!
Mini Comic – Le Géant issue 1
3rd June 2011
Areas: character design comics
I’ve had this character for a few years but didn’t progress the story until I was teaching the comic book workshop for kids a few weeks ago.
A bit of background to the inspiration, I simply saw a really tall Goth at a crossing and noticed how his piers ignored him due to his height – making him invisible. This then led to the idea what if a giant lived in a city helping the smaller inhabitants but due to his height he never gets the recognition.
The Crucible sketches at the Lyric Theatre
30th May 2011
Areas: sketches
On Sunday afternoon, I finally managed to get along to see Arthur Miller’s The Crucible in the recently opened Lyric Theatre. As always I brought my sketchbook to capture a memory of the day.
HOSTEL sketches at the Crescent Arts Centre
27th May 2011
Areas: sketches
Yesterday afternoon, I had the pleasure to see and sketch Fionnuala Kennedy’s HOSTEL in the refurbished Crescent Arts Centre. HOSTEL is based on the Finn’s own experience of living in a hostel for young families.
Produced by KABOSH an independent, multiaward-winning, Belfast-based theatre company.
