In a Sea of Green

Red Boat in a Sea of Green - oil/panel - 7"x5" - sold

The Holy Well

The Holy Well - oil/panel - 7"x5" - sold

Out along the winding coast road towards Fanore and down a small path close to the shore I stumbled across this beautiful white washed holy well sitting snug in the landscape.

This painting is dedicated to Tim Dolan, Arch Bishop of New York - who came to visit me here in Ballyvaughan the day before yesterday.

The Abbey

The Abbey (Cascading Light at Corcomroe Abbey) - oil/panel - 7"x5" - sold

Created this interior architectural study about a week ago inside a magnificent 10th century Abbey. The morning light was cascading through the celling less roof illuminating the beautiful arches and details. I picked this spot to study because of the atmosphere I felt by the way the light was becoming diffused as it faded into the interior space and then burst into full light again through the narrow window above the distant Burren landscape.

Some Swallows were nesting inside the vaulted room and came out swooping passed my head over and over contrasting with the vast stillness of the Abbey space. They were so playful and kept me company while I painted.

The Cooking Pot

The Cooking Pot - oil/panel - 7"x5"

The Cottage Window

The Cottage Window - oil/panel - 7"x5" - sold

A left turn off the road towards New Quay and Kinvara and down through three fields and remembering to close the gates after you brings you to my cousins Stella and Dymphna Walsh's beautiful old traditional Irish cottage. The first thing you see on approach through the fields is the chimney rising up from where the cottage is nestled in close to the shoreline.

The cottage has no electricity with just one small window in the front.

I quickly found my subject - The morning light was beaming through the old window lighting the thick plastered ledge and surrounding walls while back lighting an old pot and dropping the interior walls into shadow.

The Artist's Sandals

The Artist's Sandals - oil/panel - 7"x5" - nfs

And so another journey begins.

This little study marks the first piece created when I arrived in Ballyvaughan two weeks ago.

I headed out close to my cottage with the idea to find something in the landscape.

I suppose its quiet significant that I ended up after all my looking about to stop and gaze down at my Sandals.

This type of finding has happened to me to date on several occasions during my life time. There are a number of pieces that were made in the past during my time spent journeying in Thailand of a similar scene - the worn shoes I walked in perhaps marking the end of a journey and the beginning of a new one. And more recently a painting of my shoes on the grass beside me during a stay at Cill Rialaig and a larger painting of my boots.

For me these paintings are special in that they mark departures - perhaps a shift in my own mental state and form a more inward prospective.

Really looking forward to showing you all some of the larger finished works I have been completing here in preparation for my next solo show but first I will wait a while and continue to post images of some of my daily studies for you to see.

Hope you will enjoy them.

- Richard

The Italian Coffee Pot

The Italian Coffee Pot - oil/panel - 12"x9"
Private Collection, New York

Tuscan Rose on Hand Turned Bowl

Tuscan Rose on Hand Turned Bowl - 5"x5" - sold

This piece above is one of the last little studies created during the recent trip to Tuscany.

It contains nice variations of texture and subtle shifts in tone which I feel conveys an overall delicate atmosphere.

The Rose Pot

The Rose Pot - oil/panel - 5"x5" - sold

Summer Greens

Summer Greens - oil/panel - 7"x5" - sold

A playful little study created upon returning to Ireland.

Borgo Bottaia

Shadow and Light at the Borgo Bottaia - oil/panel -12"x9" - sold

Was so drawn to the shapes of shadow and light cast in and around the Borgo each day. The arches, roofs and high terrace walls made such interesting shapes.
But my main centre of interest here was the way I would lead the eye up through the lane towards the Urn and small flower pots out towards the not to distant Tuscan hill and blue sky overhead.

This morning I leave for the west of Ireland to paint for two months in preparation for my next solo exhibition which will take place around the end of August in the beautiful town of Westport, Co. Mayo. I will be working from the same cottage in the village of Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare where I spent some time last year. I am so excited to get back to the Burren.

Looking forward to posting images of works created there over the coming months.

Wish me luck.

Best wishes,
Richard

The Tuscan Urn

The Tuscan Urn - oil/panel - 7"x5" - sold

This beautiful coiled red clay ceramic Urn with a cactus like plant greeted me at the top of a long path on the way to my apartment at the Borgo in Grassina.

The colours, shape and worn texture of the Urn grabbed my attention from the outset, so one morning I sat out bathed in light with the walls and lanes cast into long and luminous shadow.

Luigi's Car

Luigi's Car - oil/panel - 7"x5" - sold

Chianti

Chianti, Tuscany - oil/panel - 5"x5"

Loose descriptive brush strokes and scumbled marks on my panel best described the balmy Tuscan landscape that stretched out in front of me from Grassina over the idyll of vineyards, hills and ancient villages of the Chianti region towards the distant mountains and Siena.

L' Arco

L' Arco (The Arch) - oil/panel - 5"x5" - sold

The quality of light in Tuscany is truly amazing and from my time spent there I can clearly see why so many artists would be attracted to work in such an environment.

Warm light cascading over walls gave cool highlights, and strong contrasting shapes of light and dark appeared everywhere in the early morning hours, while in the late evenings a cooler light created warmer and even more luminous soft long stretching shadows that reached out everywhere.

Walking under this beautiful Arch each day towards the gardens in the background was so inviting. The scene just had to be captured.

Towards Grassina, Tuscany

Towards Grassina, Tuscany - oil/panel - 7"x5" - sold

Just arrived home on Saturday after a two week stay in Tuscany, Italy.

Firstly I would like to take the opportunity to thank Jack and Karrie for inviting me to the most wonderful and magical wedding. I am so honoured to have been able to share that with you both and will remember our time spent there with immense happiness and fondness.

I found the light, landscape and the people there to be a constant source of inspiration and managed to create 11 pieces during my stay close to the little village of Grassina located on the northern tip of the Chianti region.

Experimenting throughout the holiday, I used a limited palette of 4 colours of which I combined a rose red, cool yellow and french ultramarine blue.

The piece above is the first painting I made from just outside the villa where we stayed.

The vista was magnificent - with vineyards, soft rolling hills and cypress trees leading out towards the distant mountains.

Hope you Like it.

- Richard

Arabic Pitcher

Arabic Pitcher - oil/panel - 7"x5" - sold

For the last two weeks or so I have been busy concentrating on posting images of mixed media landscapes pieces created during my last trip to Thailand on my facebook page. These works are the last available pieces from a body of work made there in 2009 and have never been shown outside of my studio/home setting.

If you have a facebook account look me up to see these available works and pricing.

I have also been busy trying to find a new suitable studio space for me to work in the north county Dublin area. Its a work in process!

More recently I have been working on a large scale and am finding my 'box room studio space' to cramped. I need more space!

Heading off this Saturday morning to Florence, Italy for a two week holiday and to attend my friends wedding there in the Tuscan region. Cant wait and hope to get a good bit of work made during my time spent there and of course to visit the fabulous museums.

Don't know if you guys noticed but I have changed the 'title name' of my blog recently from 'Painting Projects' to 'Objects of Desire'.

This title goes all the way back to a cultural studies essay completed during my second year in college. I had been mulling over several new titles for the blog over the past few months and it just so happened that a 'label' I had been attaching to pieces since the projects inception was the perfect one. Hope you like it.

- Richard

On the Sill

(Image not available)

On the Sill - oil/panel - 12"x9"

This delineated, almost graphic depiction of a cherry blossom branch was created a few days ago.
I was interested in exploring line and shape and not being overly descriptive but just laying in colour and form in a general playful sequence.

This piece marks the 301st painting to be posted this blog to date. Looking forward to the next 301!

- Richard

Among these Stones

Among these Stones - oil/panel - 7"x5" - sold

The Garden Chair

The Garden Chair - oil/panel - 7"x5" - sold

Since arriving home from Barcelona a few days ago I have been getting out into the morning light on the days that permit. It can be a great way to start your days painting by identifying something that captures you and then translating that image and concept in a quick immediate study.

The light can be so fleeting that you have to work to find your subject, concept and orchestrate within a very short period of time.

I had the experience of working in this fashion a lot when I was younger and on my travels filling endless notebooks with these fleeting transcendent moments - captured forever.