Bah! Humbug Exhibition

It was a very wintery day this, driving over the hilly Cavan countryside to get to the Museum, and having to be home before dark as my mum came with me (first exhibition of mine she's been at this year)  and she is blind as a bat driving at night! 

The exhibition was Dickens themed. I really enjoyed seeing the other artist's new works, really it is always my favourite part of the group shows, to see others interpretation of a theme. 

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museum link

Beyond the catalogue, more images are available to view at http://riantaimages.blogspot.ie/

And some more news;

I have begun utilising my theatrical make up training, started a course three months ago. It is very like painting, you stand with brushes in hand building up colour gradually, contouring and adding lights for highlight and shadows.

There is as much stepping back with a face as a canvas as there is with an easel and oil paints!

Here are the reference shots for an upcoming portrait, I have been researching portraiture. Changing my style a little soon, hopefully If I can master the technical aspects of it;

50s themed reference shots

Of course there are bunnies involved.

And dot was helping.

Art group has been a party of 2 lately, myself and Stuart. It's good though as I am getting to focus more on the technicalities of  painting than if I had a lot over although I do want to organise a night in soon with the girls.

New Work at Cavan County Museum

Miss Havisham by Kim Annabella

Acrylic on Canvas

20" x 16"

Bah!Humbug

24th November – 20th December | Opening: 24th November at 3pm.

Cavan Co. Museum, Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan.

Group exhibition with 19 artists from the Rianta Group will open at 3pm on Saturday 24th November at the Eden Gallery of Cavan County Museum, Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan. This body of new work will celebrate Christmas through diverse themes and will also take a look at the work of Charles Dickens for this the bicentennial year of his birth. Kim Doherty will host a Christmas workshop at 3pm for children of all ages. Music and refreshments also. Exhibition will end on the 20th December 2012. Supported by Cavan Arts Office. | www.cavanarts.ie | www.cavanmuseum.ie.

Click to view Listing; http://visualartists.ie/listings/exhib-ulster/group-exhibition-at-cavan-county-museum/

Culture Night 2012

Exhibited a triptych of paintings for Culture Night 2012

more information on Cavan Arts
Culture Night 2012
Gallery of the Exhibition itself  at  The Backyard, Moyenhall

It was a lovely night. Myself and Stuart enjoyed it. Stopped by the Moth quickly with Freda on the way home, was a little shy of inflicting a five minute portrait created by moi on anyone though, so waited until I got home then drew the life parter. 

‘The Moth Draws a Crowd’

The Moth Studio artists will be drawing a crowd, producing 5-minute portraits of the townsfolk of Cavan on the evening of 21st September. There will also be an exhibition of the Moth Studio artists’ work.

Time: 8pm – late

Venue: Moth Studios, Church St, Cavan

www.themothstudios.com

www.themothmagazine.com

Ladybird Series

 "Bedtime Story"

Painting is 20”H x16”W

Materials; Oil, Charcoal and Graphite on Canvas

Ladybird series 561

A mixed media series on canvas

Horror stories can be as scrupulous as fairytales, & I hope to stir up poignant, dark, compelling emotions to the viewer through this series of over 20 mixed media canvases which encompass a variety of images which are delicate, sentimental & uneasy to view, they could be dark fairytales for adults-fables that illustrates our more blocked out or closed off impulses and deeds.

The theme of this series pertains to that which is beautiful in a horrific way or horrific in a beautiful way. The title “Ladybird series 561- Adventures from throughout history” is borrowed from popular children stories. Whether its seventeenth century fairytales or atrocities committed in the early half of the twentieth century, people have been fascinated by horror & the macabre.

In this series I intend to disquiet the viewer, allowing for deep insights into one's own moral code & impart a fresh awareness of the level of comfort with one’s own mortality. I have chosen my work wisely to leave the viewer with a lasting impression of the fleeting, beautiful fragility of existence.

A little about the title;

This is the largest Ladybird series produced between 1940 and 1980 and was one of the more popular.

This series examined many of the great men and women from history. It covers great rulers such as Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar; great explorers like Scott and Cook; it also explored some of the great civilisations of the world including the Aztecs, the Incas and the Vikings.

I chose the title to convey that often the versions of history that we first learn as children through storybooks, then later again in textbooks & we see rehashed through the media are are fairytales for grownups, to make death,war, disease, injustice & misfortune more palatable. I intend my series to show the disparity been the documented accounts of History and the actualitities of life and death within that timeframe. I wish to demonstrate how time passed & rose tinted glasses white wash over horrors & dark fairytales.

War, biological and chemical warfare,related medical trauma & the cyclical nature of existence are all explored.

Art Group

This is a recent endeavour, nothing fancy-just some friends around at mine who I painted with, er painting together some more.

Dot's contribution to the party was minimal.

We also have a writer, Natasha-fresh from her writers group at the Moth Studio's.

Planning another for next week.

I tried to get a photo of everyone, but it being midweek and no one being glamorous there was a mass

exodus from the table as soon as I had my camera out.

 I am working on this at the mo, it's a part of a series.

charcoal/graphite/fixative on canvas is the only layer on it so far, but it will be mixed media.

unfinished

Invigilating & some commissions

Drew my 2 Rabbits, Brer & Magic whilst Invigilating at Rianta

It was nice to come home to a cuppa, some bear lollies & our pets.

Loosh

Dot & Claudia

Gorgeous Sky on our walk home from my friends, We were watching her pets while she was on holiday

[and getting engaged : 0 ]

The next day I invigilated a trans-art cavan installation;

ever looking out for bunnies

myself and stuarts contribution to Sally O Dowd's tea house, i invigilated at this for a couple of days too- it is opening up again for culture night on 21st of September @ 61 College Street Cavan so get your bum down there for a chat and a cuppa x

I started on midnightbunny's commission of her 2 rabbits at my booth during the fleadh cheoil 2012.

[Btw -Her site is totally amazing and you should follow her if indeed you are a bunny person. ]

had to take a break here to visit the family farm

Petted my pug Lolita who my mum is minding.

While I was sitting with her, I worked on midnightbunny's & SmishyDot's commissions.

SmishyDot's 2 subject person & pet portrait of herself & her Rabbit Thane

midnightbunny's 2 subject pet portrait of her rabbits-Moon Pie and Mardi Gras

The finished results.

[I used Derwent Sketching Pencils (the one's with the 4mm core) on Ivory 8"x12" archival grade heavyweight paper for those who are interested]