In Process, Composition in Green, Pink and Orange

Green Pink and Orange - oil on linen panel - 7"x5" - sold

I had been meaning to show you just how abstractly the initial laying in of the compositional elements of my paintings can be. The main or 'local colour' of each object is described by just placing it in its 'correct position'. Working this way gives me an overall feel for the way the painting will read in a matter of seconds.
Just some fluid gestures with the brush initially supersedes this - this gesture might indicate to me the concept of how the light might flow over the various objects or where they might begin and end on the canvas.

Here is an image of the piece in it's final stages. All the marks I make from start to finish are relative to the other, so at this stage I am just pushing or subduing  the colours until I have what I want. 

I'll post an image of the finished piece in the next few days.

- Richard

Blue & White with Orange

Blue & White with Orange - oil/panel - 5"x5"

Worked a really loose and direct application with this piece, laying down single strokes of
colour in their correct place. It's simple as that!

This painting is reserved for a coming exhibit in 2013.
If you are interested in pricing for this piece, or any work marked reserved please email,
info@richardhearns.com

Table of Ceremony

Table of Ceremony - oil/panel -7"x5" - sold

Just spent the day cleaning a dust covered alter of Buddha statues and amulets at my wifes family home in Bangkok. So thought this an appropriate sketch in oils to post today.

The painting is made with a very direct and definite, but loose and gestural application.

Detail below from 'Table of Ceremony'

This painting is reserved for a coming exhibit in 2013.
If you are interested in pricing for this piece, or any work marked reserved please email,
info@richardhearns.com

The Asian Cup, and staying Creative

 

Asian Cup - oil on linen, mounted on panel - 12"x9"

For the past number of years I have been working consistently on my paintings. Many good friends, including artists, have said to me during conversations, that I should take a break! I rarely do, feeling that it is more important to be continually holding a brush and making paintings. After all, it does not feel like work to me - more a need fulfilled. I am sure that 99.9% of the time inspiration comes through work, being in that creative space of silent doing. More often, it comes from the amazing dialogue you form as an artist between yourself and the painting in process.

Over this past week or so I have been using collected references and various found objects to make paintings. Most of the time I use these paintings of still life objects just to keep my hand in it, so to speak. I have learnt a great deal from making fluid studies after painters like Gregg Kruetz , with whom I painted with in New York, and his teacher David Leffel. But I have had this nagging feeling for the past while to get my notebook out again, and to begin experimenting more. I have also felt the need to get back to some sound and video work too. I think as an artist, and after a recent meaningful,and welcome conversation with a friend, (over a drink or two), that we should, as artists, continue exploring all our creative avenues, as they inform and help the development of the other.

Working towards deadlines for shows has been great, and really important for me, as it holds a focus. But there needs to be some more 'play' too! The gift of not having to do many commission related works has freed me to just take on the paintings I want to make. I believe this helps me develop faster. And I need to use this freedom to better advantage. Allowing my daily inspiration to be listened to, and acted upon! Thats what I must keep my focus on - that concept, that moment of inspiration. I feel so lucky to have the time and means to be able to do this, to be able to listen to, act upon and develop these daily inspirations.

Thanks to all of you, who continue to support, and point the way for me.

- Richard

Below a detail from 'The Asian Cup'.

This painting is reserved for a coming exhibit in 2013.
If you are interested in pricing for this piece, or any work marked reserved please email,
info@richardhearns.com

Pear with Grapes and Bowl

Pear with Grapes and Bowl, (composition in Green and Red) -oil/ gesso panel
Tribute to Leffel, Kreutz and Rembrandt.

Below is a detail to give you an idea of the texture, application of paint and variation of brush work in these pieces.

This painting is reserved for a coming exhibit in 2013.
If you are interested in pricing for this piece, or any work marked reserved please email,
info@richardhearns.com

Weighing Scales

Weighing Scales -oil/panel - 12"x9"
This painting is reserved for a coming exhibit.
 For pricing and more information on paintings like this please email, info@richardhearns.com

My evenings here in the mountains, close to the Burmese/Chinese Thai boarder, are spent painting out on the balcony of my room. To be honest, the landscape here has just felt so overwhelmingly beautiful I just don't know where to start with painting, and have felt content to take photos as I left my plein air easel in Bangkok.

So, in the evenings, after my travels and explorations of the surrounding areas, I have been enjoying working with still life objects, and from collected reference.
It is so relaxing here! The villages are so charming, and as the sun sets the sweet smells from the various local restaurants and food stalls situated outside of peoples homes, remind me to put my brushes down and begin on a culinary trek!


When creating a piece like this I am thinking a lot about my time spent at the Art League in New York City.
The studio I worked in there was lite by natural light, which streamed in slowly and diffused through the skylight windows over head. This atmosphere of light was magnified by the cold winter mornings. It was a magical experience to see the set up and stage come alive, as the light fell over the various assembled objects. It's an experience that has never left me, and I can summon that atmosphere and flowing movement of light to help orchestrate a painting like this, even if the lighting is not exactly as I may want.

- Richard

The Tomato Basket

The Tomato Basket - oil/panel - 12"x9"
This painting is reserved for a future exhibit, for pricing on works like this please email, info@richardhearns.com

Over the past few years I have been influenced and inspired by many 19th century paintings.
During my time earlier this year, at the Art Students League of New York, I really got to explore some of the ideas around creating paintings of this genera in advance of my exhibit there.

Over the last couple of weeks, and since arriving in Thailand, I have been revisiting some of the ideas developed in the League studio.

The afternoons in these rural agricultural villages such as Maesarong, which is situated in the far north reaches of Thailand, on the Chinese/Burmese boarder have been spent setting up and painting Still Life from life and collected reference. Looking forward to share these pieces with you over the coming weeks.

- Richard

Meeting Thomas Ryan and documentary at the RHA

A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to visit the artist Thomas Ryan at his family home in north county Dublin. Thomas is a past president of the Royal Hibernian Academy PPRHA, and just last week a short video documentary which features Thomas and his studios at home was aired at a gallery in the RHA on Ely Place.

His home and studios are full of paintings which range from Still Life to Interior, Landscape and Portraiture.
One of the large rooms was literally packed with works from ceiling to floor with an adjacent store room packed to the rafters! I could have spent days working my way through all the work, but Boo was with me and Tom probably would have kicked me out at that stage anyway!

I particularly like Tom's moody interior paintings, which are little known by the general public and collectors. He would be most recognized, in a commercial sense, for his small intimate paintings of single roses, with a soft and scumbled application.

I look forward to catching up with myself here in Thailand as regards posting on my blog, and getting to show you some of my recent paintings which have been revisiting my interest in 19th century painting, and what I learnt during my time at the Art League of New York.

If you would like to follow my journey here in Thailand via my photos you can visit my facebook page.