the paintings are packed!

Today was the last chance coffee morning preview and another gang of folks arrived to see the paintings before they head off to Kerry. A really great morning, thanks to Gráinne and Claire for your help and homemade goodies. Thanks to all who came and donated almost €150 to across in Ireland. And thanks to those who bought paintings and ordered commissions.

Here’s some photos for you

The paintings have said tearful goodbyes and are packed and ready go! Hip hip! It’s off down to Kerry first thing in the morning and back tomorrow afternoon - about a 7 hour round trip! then bed for a week!

Table for one

You may have seen this one in some of the photos. it’s 20x20inch or 50x50com in new money ( 75x75cm framed)

Oil on canvas

a house full of art

So, the rest of the framed paintings have arrived. 32 in all. Can you imagine? They are hung, lent, perched or sat where ever we can find a spot, but the’re all over the house. This is just the kitchen counter where the most of the smaller ones are perched for now.

I can’t show you any more because frankly, I’d have to kill you then. If you’re in the area, pop up on Saturday at 8pm for a “sneak-peak” and if you can’t make it on Saturday (bank holiday etc.) you could drop by on Wednesday next at 10.30am when we’ll be having a coffee morning in aid of Across Ireland. They go to Kerry Thursday morning. More about that next week.

And thanks to Collette from Toronto who featured some of my paintings in her blog “a bird in the hand“. Check it out here.

bull rush

The third in a series of landscape abstracts that I’ve been working on. Once again, the inspiration was an image of a wolf standing over a fresh kill. I saw the image somewhere so I’m not so much using it for reference (because I can’t actually see it) but more the imprint the image left on me. The browns, greys and whites of the wolf’s arctic coat and the dark browns and red of the torn flesh.

Maggie’s secret revealed

The last bit of filming Maggie’s story was finished yesterday. The results show! The girls and me (that’s Aoife, Bethan and Maggie) were filmed receiving the results of a genetic test to determine what breeds Maggie had in her make up. They asked us to guess – we offered Greyhound (of course! No comments please!) and yes there is greyhound but surprisingly only 25% of the total genetic make up.

The tension was high and after the customary long paws (!!) he revealed the test result.  50% Saluki.

Well you could have knocked us down with a feather, no really! It was nothing we could have guessed. Saluki are quite the exotic creature from the middle east. They were the dogs of the Aristocracy (are you listening Dave and Sam I said aristocracy!!!)  How one of those creatures ending up sluming it with a half breed greyhound… well that’s anyone’s guess. Anyway the whole thing has been great craic. They don’t know when the show will air. Possibly Wednesday the 9th of June but maybe not till next series. I’ll give you the heads up if they let us know.

Wolverine Landscape

Back to the art eh! This is the second in this series of abstacts that have developed into lanscapes but who’s inspiration came from a wolf’s kill. Pleasant eh. I like this one.

Wolverine Landscape 7×7 oil on gesso bord

Iain is an old friend and highly respected singer song writer. He won an Ivor Novello award for co writing Snow Patrol’s final straw album and his music has featured on shows like greys anatomy etc.  Anyway, he’s also a pet and he’s in town tonight so we’re high-tailing it into the city to see him play live and catch up. If you’re in the Dublin area it’s 8.30pm at Odessa – tickets at the door. You will not be disappointed!

eyjafjallajokul

This abstract has emerged into a landscape something reminiscent of that troublesome volcano that can not be pronounced. However, it’s genesis was in fact very far from the landscape it became. I saw a image recently of a wolf feeding on a fresh kill somewhere cold and arctic. The darkness of the meat and the softness of the fur stayed with me and this is how it came out in paint!

eyjafjallajokul 7x7inch oil on gesso bord