as quiet as a mouse

from hunter’s hotel in wicklow

80cm sq oil on canvas

New prices

Those of you who know me, know this year has been a whirlwind of hard work and opportunity, of which I’ve been extremely grateful for both. But I can’t sustain the amount of work that I produced in the last 12 months. My pace has now settled to a more measured level and the hope is that my work will be the better for it. I guess I’m still pretty prolific but the bottom line is, there will be less paintings the next 12 months.

Having talked with my galleries and other advisors it’s also been decided that my work will increase in price this year. Thank you so much if you were one of the lovely people who bought one of my paintings.

We’ve agreed to keep the price increase to a moderate level and I have also pushed it out to Feb 1st to give customers time to purchase at the existing prices should they wish to do so.

New Prices

80x80cm framed €1950

60x60cm framed €1450

50x50cm framed €1195

20x20cm framed € 495

Oriental Elegance

80x80cm oil on canvas

Counting sheep and clearing the decks

Trying to clear my head and get into a routine again. My sleep patterns are up the creek without a paddle at the moment and last night I was on t’internet and FB at 3am (again). I know bringing the Ipad to bed is not necessarily conducive to encouraging good sleep paterns but it’s something to do when the minutes and hours tick by right?

One of my friends sent me this at about 3.30am

or here

But after awhile I really just wanted to hit that guy. So finally, I took another friend’s advice to get up and do something.

So here we are…

Before

After

At least I’ve a clear desk now! If only It were as easy to do the same job on my head.

All the pretty little things

Another from the trip to Hunters hotel this one is 80×80 cms sq oil on canvas.

Slow paint movement

I’m a fan of the slow food movement, actually I’m a fan of food generally. Slow Food is an idea, a way of living and a way of eating. The Slow Movement grew out of the slow food idea and it advocates a cultural shift toward slowing down life’s pace. I’ve been working on it for a while now and I’m slowly (sorry) starting to get it.

Although 2012 will be as busy as ever with shows and events, the first being in the Spring at London’s Affordable Art Fair, I will be painting to a somewhat slower schedule this year. The plan is to allow time to focus more, improve and be present to what I’m doing. And it started today with the first new painting of the new year.

I’m hoping 2012 with be happier and healthier for all of us.

In the meantime, I can’t think of a better more hopeful way to start the new year than with Jorge and Alexa Narvaez signing Adele’s Rolling in the deep.

or watch it here

The write time

The write time 80×80 cms oil on canvas

This is like the kind of room I imagine a writer to might write poetry. I’ve begun writing a few lines of poetry on the back of some of my finished paintings. It’s something I hope to do through 2012 but only when it works with the piece so not every painting will have poetry on it. The first painting that I used this idea on left for it’s new home today. It was a scene that included a  large window and I used a few lines from Brendan Kenneely’s poem “Begin again”.

Begin again to the summoning birds
to the sight of light at the window,

My youngest is deeply disappointed that there is no snow this Christmas! So this snowy picture is for her. Personally I’m praying for snow as a little robyn whispered in my ear that Santa might be bringing her a toboggan!

Peace and good will to all (well the pets anyway)

I can’t promise peace and good will to all men but if the cats and dogs can do it maybe there’s hope for us yet.

In the meantime may I wish you and yours a very merry Christmas. Ró