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

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

Red in Blue on Red

Red in Blue on Red (still life with Thai red chillies and blue ceramic) -oil/panel- 7"x5" - sold

Red Pepper

sold

Red Pepper - oil/panel - 7"x5"

Spring Onions with Rubber Band

Spring Onions with Rubber Band - oil on panel - 12"x9" - sold

Bought these gorgeous enormous spring onions at the local farmers market here in the village of Ballyvaughan. The variety of textures and the deep reds and green colours made for a great subject to paint.

Went for a couple of pints last night in the local pub and met Steven Spielberg! It was a bizarre and great experience.
He is here in Ballyvaughan on a creative writing course ran by the poet and philosopher David Whyte who is running lectures in the College.

Tonight Declan O' Rourke is playing an intimate concert in the college exhibition space.
Hope Steven has got his ticket already! Can't wait for the gig. - Richard

Red Onions

sold

Using the same technique or process to create a piece just doesn't work for me. Each painting I create is approached differently. Sometimes during painting I'll think to myself - 'Oh this is how to do it' - 'this is how to build up the image', 'this is the process I should employ', 'this is working for me', - but within a day or two I have totally changed my approach in my picture making process.

For me its always the subject or object of reference and my mood that dictates how the piece is to be painted. Working this way is very freeing for me because it means I don't become rigidly attached to a particular method and get to experiment and invent new methods over and over again.

Hope you like this piece above.

Aubergine 5x7in

sold

Courgette 5x7in

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

Courgette or Zucchini - composition in green and red.

VineTomatoes 5x7in

Creating this painting of these Vine Tomatoes was so enjoyable that I just can't put it into words.

Think that the painting 'oozes' the energy of the subject - the plump deliciousness of it!

Am very happy with this piece. Hope you like it too.

The Lions Club group exhibition which finished up yesterday was a brilliant success, and I am delighted that my work has gone in some way to help the charity and the worthy organisations that it supports.

Thanks to the people who purchased my work and supported such a worthy cause. Hope you and your families will enjoy my paintings for generations to come.

- Richard

Red Pepper in Light and Shadow

sold

Red Pepper - Oil/Panel - 5"x5"

This piece was created five months ago back in May of this year.
It's very interesting the way peppers reflect light off there smooth shiny surface and with this piece I decided to create a nice diagonal shadow that fell across the picture plane.

I hadn't photoed the piece by the time I brought it into a gallery with other works for there perusal, and only just recently got an image back off the gallery who bought it! Lesson learned! Do your own archival work.

Jalapeño and Chillies 5x7in

'Jalapeño and Chillies' - composition in green and red. - sold

Cherry Tomatoes 5x7in

Cherry Tomatoes - oil/panel - 5"x7" - sold

Garlic 5x7in

sold

Composition with Garlic -Really enjoyed the painterly approach I took with this still life. The painting contains a huge variety as regards application of paint and brush strokes.

Hope you like it. - Richard

Spring Onion and Pepper 7x5in

These last few pieces have been really rewarding to create. My application of paint is more fluid and am really concentrating on establishing a strong tonal range and composition.

Still have a number of miniture pieces created on my recent travels aboard that I am just putting the final touches to. Hope to get them posted within the next week.

Purple Onions 5x5in

sold

Chillies 5x5in

sold

Vine Tomatoes 5x5in

sold

Peppers 5x5in

sold

Since the end of last week I have been back working directly with the subjects that started this project off - namely fruit and vegetables in a still life setting. There is really nothing that compares to working this way. I really enjoy the challange of finding a strong interesting composition to elevate the subject.

Official opening of '1for1' an exhibition of works from my 'Daily Painting Project' opens this Thursday at 6pm in Malahide Library, Co. Dublin. Hope you can come along.

Elephant Garlic 5x7in

sold

Enjoyed making this piece. I used warm earthy colours for the foreground and shadow areas, contrasted by cool highlights.
Official opening of my exhibition 'Near the Coast' opens tonight at 6pm in Baldoyle Library.
Better get the wine and snacks ready! Hope you can come along.

Yellow Onion 5x5in

sold
This piece took me quiet a while to complete.I layered the paint so I could paint this large onion 'from the inside out'. The result is a very textured playful surface. I couldn't help thinking about a Lucian Freud exhibition I went to last year. He painted his nude subjects using a thick impasto approach with similar muted colours.