2025 in Pictures

It’s been a year with highs and lows, both personally and professionally. But, taking stock and looking back at the last 12 months - I have to be grateful for so many things, that the positives undoubtedly outweigh and null the lows by some margin.

So, by going month by month, here are some visual highlights of the year that was.

January

Fresh eyes on "Gathered"

'Call me Mother' by Sarah Maple in Naughton Gallery

Chilly morning on Royal Avenue

'Misaligned' by Katherine Penney at Ulster Presents

Storm Éowyn has an impact

Eileen Leonard Sealy at the LAB Gallery, Dublin

'Otherworld Trouble' by Dervla O'Flaherty in Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich

February

Malcolm turns one!

'Watch Carefully' sketch

'Gathered' in annual Catalyst member's show

On the road to Ballyliffen

'Summer Visits' sketch

Belfast Visual Arts Forum in the Great Hall at Queens

'The Goose and the Common' by Array at RUA RED

March

The Irish Palette show in the Engine Room Gallery, Belfast

Latesst copy of the Visual Artists' News Sheet lands

'The Crush' by Sian Costello in PS²

Studio shot with works at various stages

April

'Stay a While' by Stu Calvin at the Golden Thread Gallery

'Decoys + Ghosts' by John Rainey in Golden Thread Gallery

'We Lose Sight of the Night' by Aisling O'Beirn in the MAC.

'What an Asshole' sketch

May

'Re/cusp' by Molly Martin in PS²

Lucian Freud print show at Titanic Belfast

'The Weight of Inheritance' in progress

Visit to the RHA Annual Exhibition

'Dynamic Duo' sketch

June

Detail of 'The Weight of Inheritance' finished

Sophie Calle at the Golden Thread Gallery

Mohammed Sami at the Douglas Hyde Gallery

July

Maria Horvathova at Arts for All

Husk Bennet in 'Shopwork' show at Vault Studios, Belfast

Studio Shot with 'The Woman with the Dogs' and 'To Conjure' in progress

Little self-portrait study finished

August

Chloe Austin at Platform Arts

Fresh Canvases stretched and ready to go

Compositions ongoing

Fun in Portstewart

Early stages of 'Better, Worse or About the Same'

September

'Glimpses' by Jen Alexander at Threshold Gallery

VAI Get Together at TUD, Dublin

Kathy Tynan at TBG+S, Dublin

More progress on 'Better, Worse or about the Same'

Close up of 'Kiss with a Red Flag' in progress

October

Delighted to be a part of the Arcade Studios' Royale Arcade group show.

Detail of finished work - 'Better, Worse of about the Same'

VAI's Belfast Peer Support Programme in the MAC

'Kiss with Red Flag' finished

'Sea Skin' by Niamh Seana Meehan in the MAC

EMIC piece on Lower Garfield Street

Rounding of the Peer Support Programme in the MAC

November

Uncovering degree show works from 2010

yet to be titled

Close of of figure in 'To Conjure' in progress

Terence Philip Flanagan - Art Unwrapped at Ulster Presents

December

'To Conjure' finished

Sketching in the park

New works beginning

Artist Talk in Banbridge's Southern Regional College campus

'Milena study'

Festivities

Visit to Pomeroy Forest Park

With an international excursion, group shows and a solo exhibition coming up, there is plenty to look forward to for 2026.

Art Journal: July 2025

01/07/25

O.C. - Not successful. Still…

03/07/25

LNAB

‘Here for Now’ ArtsForAll - Maria & Anna Horvathova.

Scott Benefield Trunk Show - Craft NI

‘Inner Space, Outside Place’ - Sarah McConnell / Jeffrey Roberts - Atypical

Husk Bennett

Shopwork = Vault Group Show.

‘The Ceremony of Falling’ Hana Abri Smith - Rattlebag.

Also, some revisits to Catalyst, Golden Thread and Belfast Exposed.

06/07/25

Studio Time. With two newly primed canvases - revisting some imagery that I feel had/has promise but faltered in a past iteration.

“The Woman with the Dogs” + “To Conjure”

The latter is adding a new image / element alongside the seance scene I tried to depict last year. The initial stages are always filled with such optimism and hope. Then I look at ‘Uniform Hate’ - so much I like about it, a lot more I don’t.

The two figures behind the central officer, they’re nearly the crux of it all. Carrying all the hate. The central figure is the calm in the storm.

…rearrange.

08/07/25

P - worth a look?

09/07/25

Get to grips.

10/07/25

12/07/25

‘Hew Locke - A Brush with…’.

Solid work on new pieces today.

17/07/25

Request sent. Fingers crossed.

Test run a time limit for work depending on size to reduce the risk of overpainting.

Whatever shape it is in by the final day is how it will be.

≤ 50 x 50 cm → 3 studio days

51–99 cm → 5 days

> 100 cm → 7 days

From there, I choose:

A: Leave it as-is after the final studio day (radical / reluctant acceptance)

or

B: Turn to the wall and let it rest for a month, then revisit briefly (cooling-off window)

18/07/25

“I’m coming, I’m coming,

and my head is bending low.

I hear the gentle voices calling,

Poor aul Joe.”

20/07/25

‘Uniform Hate’ finished. Not perfect, but much more I like now than not so that’s it.

Grabbed a mirror and started working from life partly on self-portrait. It was fun, frustrating but fun.

21/07/25

Something really nice about painting with mirror yesterday.

22/07/25

WFH = a lot!

23/07/25

Possible…

27/07/25

‘Twenty Eighteen’ complete. Taken as far as I can, Stuck to guns and 3 studio day limt.

Added bonus - yes, the original drawing is from 2018 but if you add 20 and 18, you get my current age. Meant to be!