White in White on Blue

White in White on Blue - oil/panel -5"x5" - sold

Peeled Satsuma

Peeled Satsuma -oil/panel - 6"x6"

Composition with Chillies and Garlic

Composition with Chillies and Garlic - oil on canvas - 12"x9" - sold

My initial concept with this piece was to convey a feeling of space and depth.
Using to my advantage the strong vertical line in the table top and an angled light that shots across and upwards I worked to point the eye into the middle and background centers of interest.

Hope to get a better photo of this piece soon and re - post it.

Traveling into the RHA life painting session today - can't wait as it has been a few weeks since I had a chance to painting there due to working in residency in Cill Rialaig. Should have a new figurative piece to post on my RHA Blog soon.

- Richard

Two Pears and a Jug

Two Pears and a Jug - oil on canvas - 12"x9" - sold

Green Chillies with Hand Turned Bowls

Green Chillies with Hand Turned Bowls - oil on canvas - 12"x9" - sold

Red Apple for a Tinker

Red Apple for a Tinker - oil on canvas - 12"x9" - sold
(Composition with wrapped red apple and tin cup)

The Black Kettle

The Black Kettle - oil on canvas - 16"x16" - sold

Arrived home yesterday after completing my first artist residency of 2010.
The days were mostly bright and crisp over the new year with clear views of the snow covered Kerry mountains.
During my time spent there I worked mostly on large still life paintings and on some very large landscapes towards the end.

RTE television came to visit me and document my work a few days ago.
It was a brilliant experience for me and the crew made the days shooting very comfortable and enjoyable. The documentary will feature on 'RTE Nationwide' in March or April.
Will let you all know when it is due to be aired.

The stone built and thatched meeting house near my studio in the small pre-famine village of Cill Rialaig is full of nostalgic items of old. Found this beautiful traditional farm house kettle down by the large open fire place.

Hope you like this piece.
-Richard

Cottage Reflection

Cottage Reflection - oil on canvas - 14"x10" - sold

After long walks I find myself more 'tuned in' and looser in my approach and application when it comes to my handling of paint - just saying enough in describing with the quickest and simplest of strokes. The images I create in this fashion I feel are evocative and resonate more energy as though they are painting themselves.

Tomorrow morning I leave to take up residency back at the cottage studio in Cill Rialaig. This will be my third residency in Cill Rialaig this year and I am so delighted to be asked back and afforded this opportunity to work in such a special place.

On January 6th an RTE nationwide tv crew are coming to meet me in studio to document my art and work practice. Will let you know when the documentary is being aired.

I should be returning to Dublin on the 12th of January and will update you on the work I have made. Until then I wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year.

- Richard

Winter Stacks

Winter Stacks, Cill Rialaig, Ballinskelligs, Co. Kerry - 10"x5" - sold

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have been following my work and for all the beautiful, kind and encouraging emails I have received. It is an incredible feeling to be able to work at what I feel so passionately about.

Arriving back in Cill Rialaig a couple of weeks ago gave me a chance to experience the landscape in the middle of winter.

I was so delighted to find the haystacks still standing across the path from my cottage that I decided to create this small diptych in which I attempted to convey the bright, low winter sun at its crispest and most intense.

Wishing you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas and New Year.

-Richard

Candle and Jug

Candle and Jug -oil/panel - 5"x5" - sold

My main concepts in approaching this quick study was to simplify shapes and create it using three tones and as little colour as possible.

Hope you like it.

Satsumas

Satsumas - oil/panel - 7"x5"- sold

During my time in Cill Rialaig I concentrated mostly on larger still life pieces and landscape painting but in the evenings if I had the energy after a full days work in the studio I would create a quick study like this. It was nice to get something else made at the last minute before hitting the bed!

Today marks the last day of my show exhibition at the Grange Gallery which has run now for over a month. The response to the show has been really great. Thanks to all for your kind comments and support during the exhibition.

Anyone who has purchased work(s) from the show and has yet to pick the piece(s) up can contact me directly at info@richardhearns.com or can call into the gallery today between now and 6.30pm.

Many thanks.

-Richard

Alla Prima

The majority of my paintings, especially the pieces that feature here on my blog are painted 'Alla Prima'.

'Alla Prima' refers to a painting finished in one session that captures the appearance on an object(s) or scene in one unglazed, painted layer.

Most of my works including very large pieces created over the past few years have been made in this fashion.
So if I was to attempt to categorize the way in which I work or the way in which my pieces come about in relation to painting techniques - this would be it - a kind of 'non technique', done in a direct, expressive style, with minimal preparation.

Working this way I feel keeps the paint and painting alive - the brush strokes retain a resonance and energy, and it leaves me feeling.. refreshed!

-Richard

The Red Fruit Plate

The Red Fruit Plate - oil/panel - 7"x5" - sold

Bagged Chillies

Bagged Chillies with thumb tack - oil/panel - 7"x5" - sold

Just arrived back to Dublin after my second two week residency in studio at the Cill Rialaig Art Foundation in Co. Kerry.
I have to say its all a bit of a shock arriving back to Dublin traffic and bright lights, not to mention a telly and a computer!

Having kept myself occupied for two weeks in studio on a cliffs edge with some paint and brushes, Lyric fm and a turf fire to keep stacked this is all a bit to much to cope with!
Anyway I'll manage, and will admit missing sending out my finished works for you all to see.

So here we are - what I intend to do is to post all the observational still life paintings made over the last weeks. Then concentrate on sending out a body of work dealing with the landscape which I made in my studio in Cill Rialaig from memory and some 'plein air' pieces created in and around the magnificent Ballinskeilligs and cliffs at Bolus head.

The piece above was the first completed piece made on the night of arrival at my studio.
I was attracted to the idea of describing these beautiful colourful chillies. They were sitting side by side in this dark triangular package and decided to thumb tack the package to the wall and make a study from there.

Hope you like it.
- Richard

Pre - Dawn

Pre - Dawn, Cill Rialaig, Co .Kerry - oil/panel - 7"x5" - sold

Collection of The Cill Rialaig Arts Project.

New Sunrise

New Sunrise -oil/panel - 7"x5" - sold

Within a Lover's Reach

sold

Within a Lover's Reach -oil/panel - 7"x5"

The observational analytic pieces I create are a real means to an end. I have found the disciplined process of working this way for the last year and a half to be extremely beneficial to me as regards 'seeing' and my application of paint in descriptive passages.
Capturing the essence of things for example - a recent painting of various wild flowers and roses is imbued with the sense of 'each individual flower'. There 'essence' is captured.

My vision was formed over the years largely by working alone, living on small islands off the coast of Cambodia. From the age of nineteen I have continued to work relentlessly on my motif.
As a child I drew hooded figures - when I travelled to Asia the hoods came down and a more transcendent figure emerged.
Even in my quite’ island paintings’ I feel the figure present - perhaps we are seeing through his eyes. Often there are sticks or stakes which break the linear horizontal plane and shoot upward vertically.To me these represent humanity, spirit and human endeavour.

As the days brightened up during my stay in residency at Cill Rialaig I began seeing the motifs closest to my heart emerging - an island just like the islands I had gazed upon day after day in south east Asia.
I couldn't believe I had found islands in Ireland that made me yearn in the same way.

- Richard

Shoes and Socks

Shoes and Socks - oil/panel - 5"x5" - nfs

Near the haystacks I sat down on a rug and basked in the warmth of the sun. When I re-opened my eyes the subject for my next painting was right there in front of me - My shoes and socks as I'd left them, in glorious light and shade.

Haystacks at Sunrise, Cill Rialaig

Haystacks at Sunrise, Cill Rialaig, Co Kerry - oil/panel - 5"x5" - sold

Old Shed, Cill Rialaig

Old Shed, Cill Rialaig - oil/panel - 5"x 5"

Luminous falling shadows crept all around the old famine village of Cill Rialaig.
The days were bright and warm - I walked from place to place - a lu'minarist - with my palette in hand - creating studies - 'in the open air'.