RDH: FEBRUARY 2024

01/02/24

Beginnings…

02/02/24

…officially taken a back seat. That’s OK though. Needs - Must. Doesn’t mean the grey matter stops!

I mind a ‘Thunderball’ poster with a table in it - or was it N.S.N.A.?

Knots - Riddled.

03/02/24

20:11 - Malcolm John Kielt born - 7lbs 10oz.

Jan was amazing.

09/02/24

I have been thinking about what was put to [redacted] for the [redacted]. Advice could (and should) be taken on board closer to home.

Certain circumstances, mean that practice has taken a back seat - as it should - but this shouldn’t be an excuse to down tools completely and end any creative activity that could be happening. I don’t know if I could fully switch off anyway.

Just because the practical studio and office / sketchbook time is lowered doesn't mean all artistic outlets dry up! There is room in other spaces. Even now, trying to carve out some creative time will be important. Use any spare time wisely - but also enjoy the early days of baby number 2!

10/02/24

Studio cleaning and some posthumous signing this morning.

Had time cleared for the studio for a few hours - just to get some paint down when no sooner had I started, the skirting man arrived.

The best laid plans etc etc.

15/02/24

16/02/24

BEEP BEEP!

17/02/24

A Brush with…. Wilhelm Sasnel”.

“I do not control painting; I follow it.”

Wilhelm Sasnel

Some studio work - bit of a no-go. Need to re-energise the on-the-go paintings somehow OR start from scratch OR (3rd option):

Finding - or trying to find a new rhythm. Tough going but we’ll get there. What have I done in the past when I’ve come to a cul-de-sac?

DRAWING BOARD! Practical Next Steps.

18/02/24

Plan set out to be productive this evening - … had other ideas.

Submitted!


X

IX

XIII


20/02/24

THRESHOLD Gallery, Belfast showcasing work as part of the Golden Thread Gallery Collection.

Pond(er) at Catalyst Arts.

23/02/24

Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do.

Voltaire

25/02/24

A Brush with… Stanley Witney

(…a painting has to get ugly before it can be beautiful. If you go straight to the beautiful, you’re aiming at the pretty.)

Two canvases started. Badgers’ is quite interesting already.

Fingers crossed.

28/02/24

“A.J.#240” - well I fell asleep during that podcast. Riveting.

29/02/24

Sketchbook studies.

RDH: JANUARY 2024

02/01/24

Uncertainty is where the magic happens.

Organising ‘used’ imagery.

03/01/24

…back to the drawing board.

04/01/24

… strengthened my resolve. Sometimes you are too close to the work to see the threads / connections running through it - so another eye is always greatly valued.

…stagger (they talk).

06/01/24

For now, less writing for the sake, less procrastination and more doing please.

Late night sketchbook work - three cadets on the one page.

07/01/24

Second night in a row where the dreams were really messed up.

14/04/24

First day back in the studio for the year. ‘séance’ darkened down by layer of charcoal.

Restraint Study’ finished, and palette is clean as a whistle!

18/01/24

Snow Day.

more drawing = more ideas = more work

Andro Wekua: Louisiana Channel (Hand on the shoulder).

Words to Action.

21/01/24

Saltburn - good but gross.

Sick all weekend, missed Watty’s All-Ireland glory. A real dud of a weekend.

22/01/24

Storm damage.

23/01/24

25/01/24

…peaks and troughs. 2020 was unique in that time seemed to last so much longer. Suck it up.

Late night drawing.

28/01/24

A weekend of nesting.

29/01/24

Lost… looked up and down the road, in and out of fields. Came back.

31/01/24

Using vagueness, opens more possibilities for the viewer.

RDH: DECEMBER 2023

03/12/23

Very cold in the studio. Can’t be a put off though.

Séance piece:

Wall and floor = re-adjust

Blue Figure = push back / get rid of

The woman in blue - basically taking away from the overall composition.


… Getting there. Simplified the back wall. Colours are all wrong but at least it’s going in the right direction structurally.

07/12/23

Warhol at the Hugh Lane, Dublin - Excellent

09/12/23

A round of image gathering is in order. Juices.

10/12/23

14/12/23

Isn’t it funny how a conversation can be the spark that begins to slot pieces into place…

Winter months are slow in the studio - always have been - there’s nothing new there.
What is different is the less time being allocated to focus on drawing [rephrase] not making enough time to focus on drawing elements. TIME CAN BE MADE!


”Artists reflect on what is happening”

Rachel Whiteread

SKETCHING

17/12/23

Studio.

Background work on ‘soldier’ piece and a new portrait started over an abandoned canvas.

Drew the charcoal into a fresh layer of white. Will see what comes of it.

18/12/23

Applied.

23/12/23

I do enjoy looking back over the year that’s about to pass. One eye on the past yada yada.

There has been no strict recordkeeping so an idea flashes in and then fades out only to pop in later in a diluted and obscure way where I struggle to recollect the initial instance. Should be rectified. Plenty of ways to keep quick notes.

Joints are aching from the impending dose.

25/12/23

Merry Christmas. Very mindful… so counting blessings and appreciating the little joys.

26/12/23

It’s been a strange one. Anything but restful.

Crow - Chimera - spark/spark/spark.

28/12/23

In the studio and had intended to clean palette ahead of some painting time tomorrow but there’s just too much good paint out to waste. Some looking and notes to aid tomorrow:

Séance in London - notes:

  • It’s a bloody séance - it shouldn’t make sense.

  • Remove shadows

  • Push fireplace back (cooler / lighter)

  • Chairs - are they needed?

  • Omit / darken bottom section.

Again, it doesn’t have to make sense. It’s a nonsensical act. Defying logic so the picture shouldn’t live by those rules.

Soldier Piece - notes:

(layer of white on right figure’s clothes done)

  • Alter skin tones - middle too cold, left too warm. Find a balance. Soldier has seen / committed horrors - bare this in mind.

29/12/23

A good solid day in the studio - and the last one of the year. Loads of coffee.

‘Séance’ - fireplace removed, chairs gone and front three figures blocked in again. Compositionally, it’s definitely a step in the right direction. How does one make an image ominous?

[insert researched answer here] e.g.: 'Fuseli’s ‘The Nightmare’

The little portrait study came about very quickly. A much looser approach so far and some nice elements in the painting. It does run the risk, however, of muddiness so must be mindful.

Last Studio shot of the year.

30/12/23

Asleep after lunch … never thought I would see the day.

…outline of concrete that covers crack in the wall outside. Repurposing shapes you see every day into works.

Five Uneven Steps.

2023 in Pictures

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

RDH: NOVEMBER 2023

01/11/23

Beautiful print by Chloe Austin arrives in the post!

02/11/23

Late Night Art Belfast - another cracker!

Cameron Clarke’s exhibition in DAS, probably one of the best installations I’ve seen in a long time. The perfect week for it - ending the spooky season with a bang.

05/11/23

Studio - setting aside the two large works for now and going to focus on the two portraits in progress.

It was all going so well until… working on ‘Indifferent Study’ and thought I would be productive in between waiting on a thin layer of paint to set. Began chopping some firelighters for later and…... BAD IDEA! Took a decent chunk out of side of a finger. Just when I was getting into a rhythm! It will heal but my favourite pen won’t. It died this evening too. Doesn’t bad things come in threes?

11/11/23

Short Studio Session. ‘Indifferent Study’ = Hair OK, surprisingly. Eyes / mouth needs tweaked. Skin Tone: slight contrast needed between light and shade.

FINISHED!

See, little checklists of what to focus on before lifting a brush work!

14/11/23

Morning Traffic

16/11/23

BVAF: re-energised and eager to take pro-active steps in art community in city.

19/11/23

S.S.S.

Amy Study’: Background - dimmed / dulled - green gold + payne’s grey? Need to get a grip - FOCUS / PRIORITISE / WORK!

…was not expecting to finish this portrait today. Creating little checklists in between layers really does help to critically evaluate the work as it goes - pushes for focus.

Getting to the point where I feel an outlet is needed. What’s holding me back…

Cogs are a turning…

Keening

I have a secret - I listen to Radio 3 to drift off.

21/11/23

An impressive build

23/11/23

The streets are arteries.

Pope L. - advice to the young…

Stuck on a canvas for months. Tutor at the time saw him struggling and said:

“WRITE ON IT!”

Exorcise your thoughts and things will stem from it.

26/11/23

29/11/23

Come rain, hail or shine (but more than likely frost) … solid brainstorming session.

The hmming and writing is all well and good but if you’re actively not doing anything - then it’s just noise.

30/11/23

Weird lights in the sky over Glenshane. Six evenly spaced lights in a diagonal - no sound.

DEBUNKED! Mystery solved, Musk’s star link.

RDH: OCTOBER 2023

01/10/23

Three white rabbits.

Studio: ‘Passive Study’ going well - bouncing between the brush and the drawing mark. It’s always interesting to see which of the two (if any at all) comes to the fore.

A Brush With… Sarah Lucas

A Séance in London’ - slowly building layers but, more importantly, working through structure and composition. Very early days.

03/10/23

Anxiety overload!

05/10/23

WOW! Can’t remember a late night art quite like this one in a very long time. Belfast was buzzing!

09/10/23

Put the bloody phone DOWN!

11/10/23

Quick sketch of artist Amy Higgins. Ideas brewing.


12/10/23

Easy to say, but difficult to implement.

In transit

15/10/23

Studio - A.H. portrait study: A good start. There was one point where the charcoal became a little too much but thankfully it wasn’t difficult to rectify. Just before adding the last layer of charcoal, all the previous drawing marks were pushed back with just the paint taking the stage. Some nice areas of tonal quality but overall the image was flat. You would think that adding a charcoal line would make it even more flat in appearance but the opposite is the case! The crux of it - that interplay between the drawing line and the painting mark.

17/10/23

Second straight day of jury service but on the flip side, a good chance to see Kwok Tsui’s new exhibition in the CCA.

18/10/23

QSS - ‘Messy Business. Great group painting show.

21/10/23

…worth sticking foot in the door.

22/10/23

Studio time. A long session but very little to show for it. Slow progress on all fronts. Perhaps working on multiple pieces (four canvases) is biting a little more off than I can chew?

Setting a couple of pieces off to the side for a while should make it more manageable. It probably hasn’t helped that the palette is in a poor state and needs cleaned badly. Not a complete loss of a day but it could’ve been a lot more fruitful. Several factors at play but, lesson learned.

Palette given a good scrub before finishing up.

25/10/23

Dublin - too dark to write on the bus down - too dark to write on the bus home. The Autumn evenings are here.

Atoosa Pour Hosseini’s ‘The Magic Circle’ in Temple Bar Gallery + Studios is excellent. Remnants of vintage horror films in the video piece.

RDH: SEPTEMBER 2023

05/09/23

06/09/23

Crow in flight. Morrigán. Could see the stabbed brush marks of the wings when watching it in flight. Weird. Aren’t we all?

Time needs to be set aside for practice. Shia LaBeouf.

Sounds like an excuse but a certain letter has thrown a real spanner in the works.

NB: Forgot to jot down that ‘Red Lines’ has been accepted into this years’ Royale Arcade Academy show at Arcade Studios.

07/09/23

LATE NIGHT ART - Belfast

Some very late-night sketching.

09/09/23

Setting your stall.

10/09/23

Art Wank Podcast with Array - listening during studio time.

“Painting is a place to hide thoughts, hide feelings, hide emotions.”

- Stephen Millar

The Arts are not singular. Arts as a united force for good. Collaboration.

You can’t eat prestige (or a flag).

Ready to Go’ blocked out. Not sure if it’s a damp squib but I think it’s worth another shot.

Marina’ - content with background. Loose is good. So bloody close.

13/09/23

H.B.S.

After a bit of mulling - the ‘Ready to Go’ canvas is anything but. I have forgotten the first rule:

IF IT DOESN’T EXCITE YOU THEN THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG

It is not and it is also an image that, if it’s going to work, will need another image merged to elevate it.

It is a solid image, and it has a resonance with me personally but it’s just not doing it for me, for the want of a better phrase.

Handed in ‘Red Lines’ to Arcade. Stopped by the MAC to see ‘No History in a Room filled with People wih Funny Names 5’ by Korakrit Arunanondchai and Alex Gvojic with Tosh Basco. An extremely immersive experience.

Abhartach - the Irish Vampire.

Black / Peaty Soil. Roots become negative space. Possible triptych?

14/09/23

Abhartach - source material…

This will be for down the line. Even the little portrait alongside ‘Ready to Go’ on acetate has more promise and, more importantly, has my head spinning!

Back of the bus, it’s been a long time.

Can see where… might have an advantage. More time. Been reading The World New Made - Figurative Painting in the 20th Century by Timothy Hyman.

“I was alone in my studio in front of my oil lamp. Two or three in the morning… Dawn is breaking… I used to sit up like that all night long. My lamp burned, and I with it.”

- Marc Chagall c.1920

Henri Rousseau = recovered a primal truth in painting.

17/09/23

Short Sunday Sessions.

Marina” finished! But only just. A little over indulgent with the fixative meant some emergency fixing (irony) was needed.

If I had my wits about me I should’ve drawn up a new canvas in the 45 minutes spare. Hindsight.

“Look to Henri Rousseau as examplar for a renewal of figural language reborn in the image of childhood.”

- Timothy Hyman

18/09/23

20 week scan. All well! Surreal.

Also, on the way to Causeway - a lovely note, Warm, fuzzy feeling.

21/09/23

Chloe Austin’s “Living But A Day” in PS2

22/09/23

Breaking the Cultural Code - Tenth Anniversary of Derry’s UK City of Culture.


“Culture is everyday lived experience.”

- Sir Phil Redmond

Culture Night Derry

Banu Cennetoğlu at VOID Gallery, Derry

24/09/23

Studio time. There was a temptation to rework ‘Ready to Go’ for a minute. Had to remind myself that structurally it’s interesting but it doesn’t excite me to see where it can go.

“A Brush with… Claudette Johnson”

A really promising start to three canvases today.

25/09/23 & 26/09/23

BP high. Ordered to Antrim A&E. Arrived at 7pm - didn’t get seen until 10am on Tuesday. Tests to be done and rest needed. Poor timing.

28/09/23

…day in court.

29/09/23

VAI Get Together 2023 - Online day.

Imogen Stidworthy - How We Work.

Lindsey Mendick talk was great!

30/09/23

Be better at channeling time and effort into productive means.

We’re all a work in progress.

RDH: AUGUST 2023

02/08/23

Securing loose ends this week. Collecting and dropping off work.

Still from “THE NEW DAWN FADES” by Clare Langan at the Golden Thread Gallery.

09/08/23

Fell through. In any case it was still an honour to have been asked alongside the other artists!

11/08/23

14/08/23

Wonderful time over in London. Tried to paint today. Stared at the work for ages but nothing leaped out. Sometimes just looking can be productive. Time to re-energise and heal.

15/08/23

Now may be a suitable time to take own advice and reach out…. can’t just fire a blanket. Have enough work.

17/08/23

Reset desperately needed. Very distracted creatively at the minute. Whatever time can be set aside MUST be used for artistic purposes. Hopefully will get on the right track. Am I too harsh on myself?

Pleased to be a part of Catalyst Arts Member’s Show.

20/08/23

Some progress but not much. Don’t want to dwell on this too much but, as an honest self-assessment in a diary context, WTF. The will to paint is there at times, at others it’s the furthest thing from mind. Perhaps if there were one or two short - medium term targets. Something to aim for may light the fire again.

21/08/23

23/08/23

Yesterday… will remain nameless but they reminded me of the passion and push to create. Jan had noticed when I haven’t made work in a while my mood goes down, procrastination increases and there’s a that wee spiral downwards.

  1. Accepting you’re in a rut.

  2. Take a Break - self care.

  3. Collaborate with others.

  4. Change it Up.

  5. Search for Inspiration

  6. Keep Going

Morning pages - keep moving the pen. Don’t stop writing.

Pages 1 -3: Uncontrolled free writing

Page 4: Reflection on the day.

Advice from subconscious. Not showing my best self. Live by example. To be able to hold your head high. Shake it off and move on.

  • Clean, workable space

  • Back to the drawing board (there is a reason this is a saying)

  • 30 minutes of drawing / research is better than 30 minutes of trash TV. Use time wisely!

24/08/23

I wonder if the morning papers would work for sketchbook work. Probably not unlike what Maggie Hambling does as part of her morning routine.

It’s a beautiful morning. The sun is blinding in the brilliant flashes as the bus winds and turns heading across the river Bann. Wall to wall blue. …solo heart to heart, I did my best to be less distracted last night. It’s about being conscious about the negative habits and aiming to nip them in the bud as quick as possible that should really make pay dividends.

Sore neck = Poor Posture.

…give myself permission…

You’d think that well over a decade I should know the answer.

IDEAS / DRAWING / REFLECTIONS / LISTS

Anything goes. The only rule is to put pen to paper every day as much as possible.

Life has a way of happening around you so if shit happens and venting is needed. That’s OK. A.i.L. - L.i.A.

Observing more can only be a good thing - possible leads into other areas of practice. Maybe best to not get too carried away.

Called into Anne Butler’s show “Objects in Time” at the GT on lunch. Such beautiful detail and intricacy in something so delicate and heavy. Love it when materials aim to confuse - mimic characteristics of another.

27/08/23

Ready to Go” - does it need scaled up? Looking at the “Rooftop / Marina” piece, there are elements in the city scape that are working. Nice, loose and gestural marks but it still needs a lot of work. For the roof in the foreground, less charcoal marks perhaps? Just get something down.

RtG” charcoaled up, witg the figure more prominent, its already looks like a far more intertersting composition. Solid progres on “Marina” today, especially the cityscape. SSS' aren’t to be taken lightly.

NB: SSS stands for Short Sunday Sessions.

28/08/23

APPLY

30/08/23

Dublin - Curved street is great!

31/08/23

Looking forward to ARRAY event tonight.

Fifteen years. Fifteen years since my outlook was altered forever. Still raw, even after all this time. Anniversaries reel back the pain like a fishing line. You cast it off eventually, but it will always come back. Wrote that like Senior.

The Night Draws Near” by Array at the Ulster Museum. Wonderful experience.

BE PRESENT!

I will remember the chorus; singing as we were led up to the Síbín for a long time.

RDH: JULY 2023

02/07/23

TALK ART: TIM STONER

“When you are a mature artist, you’re not a mature painter”

Edward Hopper

“Process of Catharsis”.

“The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is more important than the eye… The hand is the cutting edge of the mind.”

from ‘The Ascent of Man’ by Jacob Bronowski

Really good going with “In a Huff” today. Yellow a little acidic maybe and the t-shirt needs refining - but not to the point of going too tight with it.

06/07/23

09/07/23

‘A Brush with… Jeremy Deller’

In a Huff” - muted the floor; slightly less acidic and lightened the background / walls. T-Shirt texture is troublesome so pared it back to jostle with it another day.

Put it Away” - background darkened and textured up. Happy little accidents like the dripping on the skin and around the mouth. Have kept them there for now. Perhaps veil them at a later layering stage.

The lighter hair is going to be a challenge and at this point it’s rough as hell

but

I’m looking forward to tackling it again. I feel this may be a case of slowly working in between a few days of drying time. The open hand is a headache because the source image is so bleached out with light that it looks flat. COUNTER THIS.

11/07/23

A few days off.

LATE NIGHT SKETCHING!

13/07/23

Palette cleaned and two new canvases drawn up. Essentially getting ready for Sunday/Monday painting session.

Noticed something when looking through acetate sources. Initials. Lots and lots of initials. Subconsciously adding? Especially ‘A’. If you look at the drawings (and by proxy the paintings too as I try to keep elements of the drawing mark there too) they are there from the get go. Food for thought.

15/07/23

… submitted …

16/07/23

Thought better of putting paint out for a morning studio session. Decided to focus on pushing the drawing and tonal elements of the two new canvas works instead. Full day in the studio tomorrow. Best not throwing that away!

17/07/23

The bones of Orestes.

A really good day in the studio. “In a Huff” finished and more progress on “Put it Away”. Also some layering and groundwork done on the two new pieces. More of this please!

19/07/23

Take own advice.

22/07/23

Oppenheimer = outstanding.

23/07/23

A solid six hours in the studio. Good momentum on large piece - still no title (but worked from an image of Marina Ginestà). An enjoyable birthday weekend.

27/07/23

… preselection…

30/07/23

Not feeling it today. That does not mean that you simply walk away from studio. Grind it out. Do something! Will set ‘Marina’ aside and work on “Put it Away” instead.

See what happens if you stick it out!? Finished this painting even though head was not in it today at all. Yes, the guts of it was done and it just needed refined in certain areas. There’s a level of satisfaction to be had when you accomplish something that is usually the bread and butter stuff when you’re not in the zone. Makes it sweeter somehow.

RDH: MAY 2023

02/05/23

First day…

Make time for practice.

03/05/23

04/05/23

…the drive to help.

Late Night Art Belfast. The first in a long time.

07/05/23

Boy Soldier” - finished.

Two new little pieces started this afternoon too!

09/05/23

New EMIC piece in Belfast City Centre

13/05/23

Sent feelers out…

14/05/23

Need to tread carefully with this one.

19/05/23

Supplies!

20/05/23

A good tidy up of the studio.

21/05/23

Studio time.

Going somewhere and then damn near destroyed ‘Mugshot’ piece. Taking some time and stepping back helped save the day.

Looking is still working.

Brought it back. Relying too heavily on the charcoal mark can sometimes lead to images turning into a caricature of itself. Pared back the drawing line - focussed on the tones and limited palette that don’t stray too far from each other. Much more successful as a whole now. Bit more to go but good otherwise.

25/05/23

Luc Tuymans - surgical precision. All working out is done beforehand - composition, colours, size, materials all planned in advance so that intelligence goes from the brain (in the preparation stages) to the hand (in the making). I don’t know if that would work for me. That split second spontaneity - yes it can go wrong and often does - is needed for play with materials. Having a regimented script when painting would not work for me.

Need to catch a grip. Too easily distracted by shiny things.

27/05/23

Egon Schiele: Dangerous Desires on Iplayer.

28/05/23

Studio.

“What fascinates you about that bastard?”

Definitely evokes a response. Is it worth it to get response based on the sources for the work rather than the work itself? A pickle. It’s not a glorification of a person’s actions. It is a study, an investigation of a portrait of evil. Aesthetic response to traumatic event.

Ethics vs Aesthetics.

In the end, I’m never speaking or working for anyone but myself.

Wee bit of progress on little prayer canvas. Could the two be companion pieces?

31/05/23

Dublin bound.

RHA show - an art overload but in the best way!

Quick stop in Temple Bar and glad I saw performance for Fanny Gicquel’s show “breathing with heels, walking with eyes”. Also popped into Project Art Centre to catch “Got Damp / Púscadh Anuas” by Avril Corroon.

RDH: APRIL 2023

02/04/23

“…entry point into an emotional landscape.”

“…photograph is just a vehicle to then deal with those subjects that I want…”

Matthew Krishanu on “A Brush with…”

Having a crack at “Check Your Pockets” again. Going to try attacking it from a different angle.

09/04/23

Easter Sunday.

“A Brush with… Mike Nelson”.

C.Y.P.” - let’s just get something down.

Good progress on figure today. Looks solid but… it’s not sitting right though and when I looked again after cleaning brushes, only then did i realise… the issue is the background. Compositionally it’s fine but the colour choices and tonal values are all out of whack.

11/04/23

Over the Moon!

12/04/23

14/04/23

Still pinching myself. Best foot forward!

16/04/23

Seem to have went and gone the long and awkward way about it but “Check your Pockets” is finished.

Some sketchbook work to finish the day off.

20/04/23

Special letter in the post.

23/04/23

Great to hear the Ulster Museum being interviewed in The Art Newspaper’s “Week in Art” podcast.

“A shared history, not a shared memory.”

Studio time - clothing an background work on “Boy Soldier

RDH: MARCH 2023

01/03/23

Hunter / Gatherer Mode: Night Two

05/03/23

Studio - a long needed clean-up and great to get going with paints again.

Working on larger-than-life hands - a teacher once told us that if you can draw hands, you can draw anything. This is whirling around in my head today as I tackle these.

08/03/23

…not selected. A little disheartening but onwards and upwards.

12/03/23

Back has hindered any studio time this weekend.

…well Sunday night took a turn for the weird. Trip in ambulance to hospital. Struggled to breathe. Long story short: X-Ray clear, CT Scan clear but blood tests abnormal.

A few days rest needed.

15/03/23

Sketchbook work.

Want to utilise time better.

18/03/23

GRAND SLAM!

19/03/23

Some really substantial progress today on “Boy Soldier”. A balancing act as always.

27/03/23

What a year it’s been! Happy Birthday to our little girl, Imogen.

29/03/23

List of drawings that have ‘slipped’ through the net…

20+ images that have popped out this time around. There’s potential for further progress here. Strange how on another day of sifting through past work a separate set of images could jump out.

The brain is an odd critter.

RDH: FEBRUARY 2023

04/02/23

Yay. J***

Notice.

Studio tomorrow, come hell or high water!

05/02/23

Focus on another little piece and hangover from last year.

A Matter of Fiction’ complete. Creepy smile.

12/02/23

Applied…

Check Your Pockets’ development today. Back and forth.

19/02/23

Sketchbook work.

26/02/23

Two weeks since being in the studio and the change in mood/demeanour is palpable.

‘…between disaster and epiphany.’ - Amy Sillman on “A Brush With” podcast.

…little lost at the minute. There’s a fucked-up duality that’s a little mind bending to get to grips with. Certain aspects have been out of my control (studio space being commandeered for one).

What can I do to get out of this rut?

  • Write more - get thoughts / ideas down with a greater frequency.

  • Image gather and sketchbook work.

  • Prep studio for sessions.

  • Read more - set phone down and look.

Essentially, utilise time better. The irony.

27/02/23

Eleven months. Scarily fast.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” - Albert Einstein

“Tell your own story and you will be interesting.” - Louise Bourgeois

ABSORB

28/02/23

Sifting through old photos.

…well rigidity is valid in some cases. Rigidity in the means of a working routine but avoiding it when exploring methods of work.

You always fill a cup the same way, it’s just the contents that changes. Possibly not the best analogy.

Hunter / Gatherer Mode.

RDH: JANUARY 2023

04/01/23

… a turbulent start to the new year. A lot of adjusting and readjusting needed now and in the coming weeks…

07/01/23

Studio time.

If I focus on just the background of ‘Donegall Street Walker’ piece, then I’d be doing OK…

Solid few hours in the studio today. Solved a few problems and finding new ones. I guess that’s what makes painting so exciting to me. It’s an ever-shifting target and the constant challenge.

08/01/23

Francis Bacon: Outsider on RTÉ player.

15/01/23

Crazy week… couldn’t write it.

Studio time: Thought it would be prudent to focus on just one of the small pieces on the go at present. ‘Jaws’ piece (working title).

The earlier iteration had a wider composition with a lot going on - too busy. Hopefully, the tighter focus on the portrait will help to clean up the overall aesthetic.

Once again, back and forth but mostly in the right direction.

19/01/23

Visual Artists Café: Show and Tell.

Patricia Kelly, Jonathan Brennan, James Hughes, Esther O’Kelly, Clinton Kirkpatrick and Ciaran Ó Dochartaigh.

Incredibly good line-up.

20/01/23

Sketchbook work. It’s a strange feeling - albeit an exciting one - when you finish a drawing, and it immediately sparks something more. It’s only happened a few times at such breakneck speed (‘Return Voyage’ springs to mind).

The child soldier has done that today. Can’t sit on my hands with this one.

22/01/23

An early rise. Today I had one goal - get this child soldier image exorcised by getting a composition down. Sadly, it meant that there had to be a casualty, so the large study of my sister had to take one for the practice. For whatever reason I felt this image is demanding a large surface.

So far so good (and the weight that lifts even just by putting a mark down is incredible!).

29/01/23

An early morning studio session. Change of tactics and driving all my attention to little ‘Jaws’ piece.

Adrift Study” finished!

RDH: DECEMBER 2022

Sketchbook work - it’s been way too long!

03/12/22

Quick studio time…

… as suspected, it didn’t take much to get last two paintings of the year over the line. Still aiming to keep the (well, less is more is a little inaccurate) “Stop before I think I should” mentality.

Definitely less misses with this strategy.

08/12/22

‘New Exits: 10 Years of Painting’ opening at the MAC. Excellent show. Daniel Coleman’s painting ‘The House Down the Lane’ is absolutely stunning. It moved me to tears. A real stand out from a strong group show.

11/12/22

Freezing in the studio.

Drew up two small works (having a crack at the ‘Jaws’ image again - with a slightly altered composition) and have set up to take a look at a couple of pieces that have fallen through the cracks recently.

Street Walker’ and ‘Laughing Man’ (working titles).

17/12/22

Wood is for the living, stone for the dead.

Said farewell to GT’s reading round. It’s been such a boost having this weekly outlet of chatting, sharing ideas and making connections. Had a great run!

Stream of admin this evening.

18/12/22

“Tomorrow is Saturday” - Interesting documentary on Sean Hillen.

28/12/22

Studio time. The Week in Art: 2022 in review” podcast.

Blocking in on the small piece. ‘Man looking in his pocket while descending the stairs’ or ‘Looking for keys’ OR ‘Check your pocket’.

29/12/22

Newcastle.

30/12/22

Penultimate day of the year. admin and prep before a few hours in the studio!

For the time of the year that it is, I find myself in a bit of a reflective and thankful mood. 2022 has been good to me.

There have been losses also. People who have impacted our lives that have moved on, but their imprint will remain.

So much to be thankful for, a loving family, the support of friends and loved ones during the highs and lows. Also, to those who took a chance on my work, who invited me to be a part of their projects:

THANK YOU!

2022 in Pictures

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

RDH: NOVEMBER 2022

Studio Time with an assistant!

08/11/22

Painting in RUA has SOLD!

11/11/22

It all adds up.

12/11/22

“You know in the back of your own mind if criticism holds any merit for yourself.”

13/11/22

Studio time - short but sweet stint today. Good progress on three pieces. A little too on the nose in some areas but very productive otherwise.

17/11/22

VAI Get Together day 2. Highlight was listening to Samir Mahmood talk about his practice.

19/11/22

Progress on “Feeling Stretched” and “Red Lines”. Getting there. Colour choices needing a tweak though.

20/11/22

Belfast trip with the family. Ulster Museum - Renaissance to Romanticism. Brueghel the Younger pieces very good and the Goya portrait on display is a special painting.

Great to get up with Jan and Imogen to see the RUA again.

26/11/22

Shocked and saddened to hear of Hugh O’Donnell’s passing. I got to know Hugh in applying for funding in 2018 and again in the run up to my solo show in Atypical in 2020.

Hugh was always so kind with his time - having a studio visit beforehand and his feedback and insight during the install was a dream. Hugh was a real presence and his life blessed all who spent time with him. Rest in Piece Hugh.

30/11/22

Priorities shifted about.

RDH: OCTOBER 2022

02/10/22

#Mousegate

Strange events

08/10/22

…notes complete. Need refined for easy consumption.

13/10/22

Royal Ulster Academy opening. Craig Donald won an award for best portrait! A great night all round and chuffed to see my little painting up on the wall with some wonderful artists.

14/10/22

Early start. Perhaps the X in X4 stands for extra-long.

Talk in the Hugh Lane couldn’t have gone any better. Pleased with the reaction and feedback from everyone and profoundly grateful to Basic Space for the opportunity to speak.

15/10/22

Studio Shot: 15/10/22

A Brush With… William Kentridge’.

charcoal - the indeterminacy of the point.

… at the edge of meaning.

“Give an image the benefit of the doubt… there is a danger in certainty.”

William Kentridge.

21/10/22

NB: Melancholic apostle image interesting.

22/10/22

World of proximities.

23/10/22

26/10/22

Sketchbook work.

David Lynch “The Art Life” - documentary

27/10/22

The Art Spirit” by Robert Henri

30/10/22

“Cherish your own emotions and never under value them”

Robert Henri

RDH: SEPTEMBER 2022

03/09/22

Sketchbook work

06/09/22

A rough few days culminating in both houses testing positive for covid.

13/09/22

17/09/22

Still positive. Studio time but not feeling great to stay too long but it’s important to be in.

18/09/22

Weird. Lack of drive. Putting elements of practice off too easily - by the same token I may be a little too harsh on myself as I’m still getting over being sick.

Life and Art are (hopefully) a long game.

24/09/22

Surprise purchase.

Studio time. “Four of Five” finished.