Monday 20 April 2015

A Glimpse of the Process

It's been quite a while since my last blog, so I thought you all might like to know how it is going and show the production of my new work.

Below shows the progress for work over a period of about 6 weeks.

First the clay is laid out in large slabs, these are left for a couple of day until they are leather hard.  I then cut out pieces almost at random, pairing them up and then putting them together with slip (watered down clay).


When they have reach the stage below then are left to dry slowly before firing.  Unfortunately the piece in the middle did not survive the firing, this was down to me rushing and not allowing it to dry out completely before putting in the kiln.

The piece at the front just fitted into my kiln, it was interesting to see how much it shrank in firing, about 10%.
      

The picture below shows how I decided how I has going to paint the piece and the balance of colour.  I wanted the green below to almost shine out.

          
I usually work on several pieces at the same time. This gives me time to think out the final finishes and to change my mind.

Arc (2)  H48W85D12 cms
  
    



Crux H72W54D8 cms wall piece
               Arc (4) H50W40D20 cms


The third firing was very successful, everything came out as I hoped. Some of the pieces are fired separately and then glued into place.


Arc(1)  H49W69D11 cms
I had no idea how I was going to make the pieces below, but when I put the components together, I wanted them to appear light & bright.

    
Arc (3)  H66W40D20 cms
Fall D54W26D11 cms
Wall piece
I do hope you have found this interesting and if you you would like any information, please do not hesitate to get in touch.


Tuesday 6 January 2015

London Irish Art 2015



I am pleased to announce that my work has been selected for inclusion in 

LONDON IRISH ART 2015

The exhibition will run 14 – 17 January



Official Launch | Thursday, 15 January 6 - 8pm | Central Hall, Westminster, SW1

We are pleased to announce that London Irish Art 2015 will be officially 
launched by the Minister for Diaspora, Jimmy Deenihan T.D, and the 
Ambassador of Ireland, Dan Mulhall at 6pm on the evening of Thursday, 15 January 2015


“I look forward to launching the exhibition. The promotion of Irish culture through the 
work of Irish visual artists will form a very important part of my Diaspora Strategy which 
is due to be launched early in the New Year” – Minister Jimmy Deenihan T.D.

London Irish Art 2015 endeavours to explore the personal understanding and 
the experience of the Irish diaspora living in the U.K., specifically in relation to 
culture, identity and creativity. A dynamic programme of art, poetry and 
music, will inform this exciting investigation. A vast array of media will be 
explored, ranging from the more traditional forms of painting, photography, 
mixed media and sculpture to the more contemporary means of expression 
such as video work, installation and stop-motion animation.


The exhibition will proudly present works by the celebrated Irish artists Louis Le 
Brocquy, Robert Ballagh, the recent winner of the RHA Sean Keating Award 
for Outstanding Painting Francis O’Toole, as well as renowned painters James 
Brohan and Liam O’Neill and Irish sculptors John Behan and Aidan Harte.
There will also be two works featured by Irish dancer Michael Flatley painted 
with foot taps in acrylic on marley.
 
U.K. based Irish artists will be represented through the contemporary cutting 
edge work of artists such as David Blackmore, Alison Lowry, Kyle Barnes, Donol 
Moloney, Patricia Volk and Aisling Drennan.
 
As London holds the largest Irish diaspora in the world, this exhibition 
endeavours to represent an on-going dialogue between these two countries. 
Striving to build ties and cultural relations with the Irish art scene in the U.K., this 
event is organised to provide artists with cross border exposure.
 
The objective of London Irish Art 2015 is to strengthen cultural relations 
between Ireland and Great Britain by promoting and encouraging creativity 
within the ever-growing Irish artistic diaspora in London. By representing and 
showcasing some of Ireland’s most established and emerging artists in Ireland 
and the U.K., London Irish Art aspires to appear as a significant annual event 
on the London arts calendar.

For more info please contact info@londonirishart.com