Perry Party

Happy Easter by the way!

If I see anymore chocolate between now and next year I swear I will turn a walk away. No really!

Anyway, I have hit a hitch on the website. (of course you have, I hear you say wearily) The final proofing changes wont' upload and I can't talk to the server people till tomorrow so hold on, don't unpack your bags. We'll be back on track tomorrow.

By the way if there's anything you'd like to purchase I can still officially charge the lower prices for another week or so. So grab'm while they're a steal!



perry party
16x16 inch oil on canvas €450

Stacked

It’s easter break here and the kids are off. The weather is good – for ducks and cold to boot. So it’s a day for pj’s till noon, clearing out cubboards and putting on plays (the kids, not me!)

I am slacking off a little on the painting too as I’ve set myself a deadline of the end of the month to launch the new website (it’s the 29th!). It’s coming on, but one needs the patience of job and a proof reader from the Irish times wouldn’t go a miss either.

This is a little study I did this morning almost in black and white

Stacked 7×7 inch oil on gesso bord €195

Sleepover

It's been a very busy week. One commission, two submissions and possibly a second gallery to represent my work.

The two submissions are for a small gallery here in bray. The first for a solo exhibition entitled "diary of a daily painter" and the second called "generation" to feature 

• published short stories from my nana,
• watercolours from my mum and
• my oil paintings.

They still have to go through a selection process so fingers crossed.

Sleepover
16x16inch oil on streched canvas €450

Sunshine in a jar

How can painting sunflowers fail to lift your mood? I don't know, but I do know that loosing the website you've been working on since moses was a baby might do it!

Sunshine in a jar
6x6 inch on gesso bord €195

Picnic

Thanks be to God the sun is shining.

It's amazing the effect it has on us. I suddenly feel energized and ready to get stuff done! I'm still having to scrape the frost of the windscreen in the mornings with a credit card - must get one of those scraper things - but by 11am it's gorgeous.

Only problem with all this sun is getting directional light on my still life subjects. I paint in a very bright kitchen. The light comes from all around and from big skylights so it's difficult. I do use a box and a lamp. Do you have any suggestions?


Picnic
16x16 inch on canvas. €450 framed

Green Apple Punctuation

Is your brain lazy?

Well I hate to be rude but it seems so folks. I was at a seminar on blogging at the weekend by Mary Rose Lyons. She is one of those punctuation police types who should be incredibly boring but is in fact fascinating. She dropped one nerdy little fact in particular about our brains and how we read text. It turns out that when we get to the end of a line of text on a screen, our lazy brains need something to hang onto, as it were. Otherwise they can’t find their way back across again. If the text has been justified the lines all end at the same point and our brains start to melt. So, when writing on screen i.e. on a blog, one should never use the justify button. You probably all knew that but I will dine out on that little gem for months, not that I “dine out” much. You can get a full explanation on Mary Rose’s Blog.

Green Apple Punctuation
16"x16" Oil on Canvas Framed €450

Ménage à trois

This weekend I've decided to attend the wordpress ireland camp. Basically a two conference in wordpress and in blogging generally.

I have an idea for a two day workshop of my own. Designed for artists, hobbyists and others who would like a basic website or blog but have neither the skills nor the cash to set it up. The idea is that at the end of the two days they would have a basic but working website and/or blog that they know how to use themselves.

So although I'm pretty comfortable around the whole blogging/website thing I thought a little up skilling might be a good idea, so off to Killkenny.

12x12inch on canvas
Not for sale

Rosey Pose

An experiment in painting flowers. My teacher and friend Kevin, was it seems determined for me to paint that carnation today! I took it out of the compostion a couple of times but it ended up right back in there.
10x8 inch on gesso bord

Also...

I forgot yesterday to show you some of the splendor of the kingdom of Kerry. This photo was taken at Ross Castle but really doesn't do the scene much justice I'm afraid. It felt a bit like where my sister lives in the okanagan valley in BC Canada.

Three pink ladies

Hi there, I'm back from Killarney and back at the easel. Gráinne and I had a blast, and we found Killarney waiting in the sunshine for us despite Odette's best efforts. Odette is our sat nav, she is at the remedial end of the spectrum and disgraced herself by sending us down the N8 towards Cork instead of the N7 towards Limerick. The fact that we didn't notice until Abbyleix will tell you how much craic there was in the car. (For my American friends that's Irish for fun and not an illegal substance). We did make it in just over 3.5hrs so no harm done.

We stayed with a good friend and native Killarney woman Martina who out did herself in the hospitality stakes at every turn.
The purpose of our trip was to visit a gallery in Killarney called the Killarney Art Gallery, do check it out, but more about that later. In the meantime today’s offering is larger than usual at 12x12inches.

Lemonisnicket

You may or may not be glad to hear I'm coming to the end of the lemons. One can only paint lemons for so long before you start to see yellow spots on the back of your retinas.

So, I'm off to Killarney for the craic. Thank you all those kind friends who have warned me away from the blarney stone. Yes, I am aware that I need no extra help in that department and will take your concern as a compliment. I think!

Lemons in love

So it’s all Thelma and Louise! I’m off on a road trip to Killarney tomorrow morning, with my good friend Gráinne as wingman. Do you remember when a weekend away with the girls involved a week of prep beforehand; choosing your weekend wardrobe, a bit of shopping, some serious grooming, maybe even a hair appointment. Now a weekend away involves organizing work and family up to the nano second before you go and then it’s a mad rush to pack etc. before you fly out the door in a whirlwind having left your toothbrush on the counter and your hair sticking up at the back.


We leave early in the morning, coming back Sunday, but if we meet Brad Pitt along the way…… all I can say is don’t wait up!

Cold Shouldered

Have you heard about the wordpress camp? A two day conference in Killkenny for people who are interested in blogging or are already doing it. It's in Killkenny on March 5th and 6th and costs €50, for the two days. 

If you're interested in stuff like how to blog, how to market and develop your blog, how to write a better blog etc. then this looks like it might be good.

Lemon Jar and sticky H's

Busy day, running about as usual. Thankfully it's still light enough to photograph (and it's 5.40pm!)

Pancakes are calling so I've hurried into the computer to post this painting to discover my desk has been once again commandeered by 10 year olds. Bits of paper everywhere, (but of course none in the printer) my diary coloured in and stardoll bookmarks put all over my desktop! And the H button on my keyboard is sticky with what looks suspiciously like jam. Does anyone else have to suffer this kind of thing!
Painting is 10 x 8 inch on gesso bord

Loose lemons

Feelin’ all loose and jiggedy jig today and this is the result! I wouldn't be surprised if you see more lemons featuring in the next week or so as Pancake Tuesday is coming up and that is as close to a national holiday as it gets in my house.

When I was little my dad, who my sister and I lived with, was fanatical about Pancake Tuesday. We usually went to my Nana's house that day but one year for some reason we couldn't go. So after work he put us in the car and took us to a nearby hotel, marched us into the fancy restaurant and asked to speak to the Maitre D . "Ok he said we'll have pancakes all round with plenty of lemon and golden syrup" The Maitre D explained that this was a gourmet type of place and they didn’t have golden syrup etc. My Dad shifted himself a little and slowly explained that here were two little girls who otherwise would not get pancakes on Pancake Tuesday and, in the circumstances, could they not send the commis chef down to Dalkey village on his bike to get some golden syrup. We’d wait! And they did!

The kiwi hustle

It's all about connectivity - so they say! Well today I'm a little bit more connected to the community than I was yesterday. I've been a member of Signal Arts Community for some time now but now they have created a page on their website highlighting my work. Check it out here. Thanks Signal.

Apple jam

So the thing is, I thought I knew something about websites. Enough to know not to build it from scratch and to have managed a few before - all be it with the help of 12 year old techies. But hey, how hard could it be? I am now about as confused as it is possible to be without legally being committed. And.... and facebook is trying to tip me over the edge! (it knows) I’ve been getting friend requests from people but when I accept, they disappear. Is that a kind of horrible joke? “I want to be your friend – ha ha only joking!” Off to class then possibly a long walk of a short cliff….

Framed Painting €140 Shipping €15 Worldwide
This painting is also available unframed
€90 shipping worldwide €10
Email me for more info

Standing on the shoulders of giants

I did this one last night before tea, but this morning's offering was a definite wiper. I need some good music, so I'm blogging and creating a new playlist at the same time. Creative multitasker me!

Framed Painting €140 Shipping €15 Worldwide
This painting is also available unframed
€90 shipping worldwide €10
Email for more info or to pay by paypal

Three's a magic number

When is a pear not a pair?
Oh come on... it's not that bad. Ok it is, but frankly what do you say about a still life of three pears? 
Anyway, I'm head, tooth and claws into searching for a website theme or template that fits with my ideas for the website. I'm going with the "shoot for the stars - hit the trees" theory of web design. I want something that looks fantastic, great clean design and clear intuitive navigation. I am happy to pay (with a small p) for the right theme but of course that's like the Holy Grail. I know I will have to make major compromises by the end but right now I'm still in the shoot for the stars end of thinking and hoping I will stumble onto the perfect design. I feel another two hours in front of the computer screen coming on. What joy!

Framed Painting €140 Shipping €15 Worldwide

This painting is also available unframed
€90 shipping worldwide €10
Email for more info or to pay by paypal

Orange Jar

I started work on an artitst's website today. When I say started, of course I mean this in the widest possible sense. I know once I get into it, it will be fine but already knowing how long it takes and having decided to use wordpress, which is new to me, I think I'd rather go back to bed.

I have used dreamweaver before but wordpress seems a lot easier and it's also free. I am looking into free themes at the moment for artists sites but I think I may have to go with something more general and then customise it. (more fear)

So, the thing is to start right? and I did that today!



Framed Painting €140 Shipping €15 Worldwide

This painting is also available unframed
€90 shipping worldwide €10
Email for more info or to pay by paypal

Three Sisters

Something about this compostition reminds me of the Three Sister star constellation. Maybe too much time alone?

You heard it here first!

Here's the word on two blogs worthy on some lurv..

So, the thing is..
written by Barb Cooper, a self confessed writer, mum and reborn knitter blessed with a witty and sometimes dark sense of humour. " Struggling to learn to live in my head, in my body and in this world, all at the same time. It's not as easy as you'd think." Well worth checking out if you are a thinking woman dealing with family life. The other is

Totalfeckineejit
In his own words " Hypocrite,Langer, Louser.Pizza manafacturer/delivery boy and part-time astronaut also a poet/photographer extraordinaire.A self-made Billionaire. I live in a large medieval castle set in 200 acres of woodland. we raise herds of wild Haggis for our exclusive EEjit pizza range.I founded and run Ireland's only eco and alien -friendly space exploration centre. I have been variously described as 'Irelands greatest poet' and 'a total tosser who couldn't write a decent poem if his life depended on it' or 'as a poet he makes a great photographer' and 'as a photographer he makes me sick' Not too hot on poetry, potograffee, grammar,punctuation, or Sunday afternoons.Me spelin is perfik dough."

So there, check them out and spread the lurv.