Contemporary Art

RDH: October 2025

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01/10/25

Prep ahead of VAI event in the MAC.

02/10/25

The start of a crazy month. But looking forward to LNAB later…

‘The Weight of Inheritance’ showing in the Royale Arcade Academy group exhibition.


Catalyst Arts

05/10/25

Deep breath…

Let’s have a go at session three for “B,W,oatS”.

A Brush with Wolfgang Tillmans - “RE-ENERGISE YOUR ARCHIVE!”

From what I can tell, the ocular device looks the part - symmetrical enough to look convincing and squ-whiff enough to be interesting.

Finished - bar Malcolm’s contribution (although I do kind of like it).

S….GF?

12/10/25

A Brush with Suzanne Jackson.

Completed ‘Kiss with a Red Flag’ - minimal touches needed - thin wash on highlights of hair and a slight change in background / freshening of the red flag / shirt. It could have been done on the second session but with elements not dry, the risk was too high of destroying any good work done to that point.


14/10/25

Visit to the MAC. Niamh Seana Meehan’s sombre textile installation that waits for you to immerse yourself.

William McKeown’s paintings of meditative light and beautifully subtle horizon lines.

Marie Hanlon and Rhona Clarke’s thought provoking work - a collaborative video installation that shines a light on the climate emergency plus Hnnlon’s sculptures of knotted glass that explores water as a resource.

19/10/25

Second session on ‘To Conjure’. Both images are fighting for dominance right now. Limiting the palette to see how this could affect this struggle and the work as a whole.

Mostly working on the large portrait element today.

22/10/25

26/10/25

Went and sat up in the studio for a while only to realise I wasn’t ready Space needed tidying up and organised so after a bit of time cleaning - it was back down to the office to work on admin updates. The boring stuff needs done too.

28/10/25

Zhanna Kadyrova in the Golden Thread Gallery’s ‘Radical Hope’ exhibition.

RDH: May 2025

01/05/25

LNAB - A Bumper One! - A.B.F.

04/05/25

Self-portrait - destroyed. Frustrating but that’s just the way it goes.

07/05/25

Some practical work tonight.

…50%. Better than nothing. Getting to grips with perceived ‘rut’. Is it a rut or is it just a natural effect from other factors? Practice has always been deeply personal so it's little wonder that there's a subconscious ripple effect happening.

The ‘disconnect’ I'm having with the recent work / work in progress now seems valid. When things are still very raw, it's understandable to numb or distance yourself and for a practice that's always been reflective of my experiences, then there's an issue there.

When the practice relies on a kind of gut-level recognition (imagery needs to speak directly - even found images) wanting to avoid it due to current circumstances seems reasonable.

An external image sparks an internal echo but when you're struggling with internal processing - switching off seems understandable.

Not sure if there's a quick fix - or if I would want to put a ‘sticking plaster’ on it without dealing with the wider issues. Back in … so that's a step. Could also be that I'm too hard on myself. As David Sylvester said “… artists must be allowed to do bad work. They must be allowed to get in a mess…”.

Things to try:

  • Revisit old sketchbooks.

  • More journalling - words can lead into visual metaphors.

08/05/25

John Price show in the Engine Room Gallery.

11/05/25

Not trying to reinvent the wheel here! Overthinking as per.

Really good start to what I'm affectionately calling “Pebble Dash” (will not be real title).

Its worth throwing imagery up, taking time to look and experiment with compositions. It's not only fun, but sparks potential ideas into life!

Work also done on “Uniform Hate” background. Work on these have went almost too well too quickly!

13/05/25

Back into PS² to spend more time with Molly Martin's ‘Re/Cusp’ show. Found it incredibly cathartic, sometimes breathing in time with the surroundings and little moments of unease - audible heartbeat echoing in the air.

15/05/25

…Tempted to.

Silence the inner critic - or at least make him smaller.

Just because it's there doesn't mean you have to use it!

Use of yarn to sew ogham onto canvases and then stringing the works together like a weird mind map on the wall.

17/05/25

Man in the Rug.

19/05/25

Going cold turkey. Feels like something has just clicked in my head. Now, tomorrow’s entry could read “what was I thinking!”

Occupy the Present. Already, it will be a case of getting time back. An hour an evening saved - 7 hours a week - that’s a solid day’s work back!

Breathe.

20/05/25

Freud in Titanic, Belfast.

23/05/25

Q.F. - what the hell is this!? Hit by a train. Must remember, it’s the body healing itself and it will pass. Now, to focus on more important matters.

25/05/25

Studio time - this will be the biggest test so far.

Timelapse of “The Weight of Inheritance". Pleased with progress - the others, in a bit of a muchness with them.

The drawing needs stepped up, get the archive lit again and spark interest / ideas.

28/05/25

Dublin - Visit to TBG+S, RHA Show (seeing some familiar faces) and Michael Kane’s show in the Taylor Galleries.

30/05/25

Sketchbook Rawness. When it worked, it really worked. When it didn’t, it really didn’t

31/05/25

Sketchbook studies again to round off the month. Started thinking (here we go - this old chestnut again) - stopping earlier in the process… fell asleep writing!

RDH: AUGUST 2024

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02/08/24

Studio time finally - after a slightly longer than usual cleaning session.

Not much progress made with “Turn to Page Five” but still feels great to put paint down after seventeen days of renovating, family time and north coast fun!

04/08/24

“Restraint Study” handed in. Crossed fingers…

Took myself up to the Ulster Museum afterwards to finally catch the two Caravaggio works together for a rare time since the 17th Century.

“The Supper at Emmaus” (1601) and “The Taking of Christ” (1602). The first time in a long time where I just sat in awe. Spent nearly an hour just soaking them up (from near and far). He really was the master of light and shadow. Today has brought memories back of my last trip to the National Gallery in London back in 2019 and a reaction in front of another Caravaggio - “Boy Bitten by a Lizard” (1594-1596). Skipping past pockets of school kids getting guided tours, I stumbled upon it, right in the corner of the room.

There was a guide giving a talk to a class of children about a much larger painting just beside the Caravaggio. Can’t mind what it was - but it was a big canvas. Anyway, I’m looking at the painting and I suddenly start to feel myself well up - and I couldn’t stop it. I started crying.

I remember being in shock and some of the class beside me were staring and whispering among other. Because of where the Caravaggio was in the gallery, I was sort of pinned in with the school kids sitting on the floor all around listening to the guide speak. I eventually had to make a break for it, snaking past them to get out. First time I ever cried at a work.

The next time that happened I think was with Daniel Coleman’s epic work in the MAC show a while back. The sheer audacity of scale, the use of colour in the limited palette - everything took breath away to the point I got choked up.

06/08/24

Called round to check out ‘The Shape of a Pocket’ exhibition at Catalyst Arts curated by Dougal MacKenzie and Christopher Hanlon.

“Hindsight Study” submitted…

07/08/24

Back to spinning plates.

10/08/24

The Golden Thread Gallery has reopened with shows by Robin Price, Charlotte Bosanquet, Rob Hilken and Graham Fagen.

11/08/24

Honey ate more paint than I thought. More put out. “Turn to Page Five” - dark, ochry brown background? Semi-transparent?

FINISHED. Thought I had nearly messed it up with a little too much fixative but managed to pull it back OK.

12/08/24

“Restraint Study” accepted into the RUA! Chuffed!

18/08/24

Three wonderful years - and a lifetime ahead!

Tried a jaunt to the studio - not feeling it. Will try to block in some colour to “bin” piece.

22/08/24

Sketchbook work before bed.

25/08/24

“The possibility of the studio” - Eva Rothschild

From “A brush with ,,,” podcast.

So, after a layer or two on the “bin” piece, it was time to say goodbye. Just wasn't working, especially with the background. So working a new image on top and starting a new portrait from scratch on a nice, clean canvas.

28/08/24

Dublin reconn.

29/08/24

Re-group…

31/08/24

Sixteen Years. Hard to fathom.

RDH: JULY 2024

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04/07/24

LNAB

07/07/24

Early sketchbook work this morning - bit of a delay but in the studio now eventually.

12/07/24

Late Night Sketchbook Session

14/07/24

“Turn to Page Five” - good progress.

21/07/24

Into the second round of the RUA. Taking “Defiant Study” up on Sunday 4th August. Fingers crossed.

25/07/24

Wasn’t successful in Mayo application. Onwards.

Not too much art related happenings this week and next - decorating the kitchen and having some family holiday time. Must make a point of getting thoughts / ideas / notes down as and when if possible. There have been a couple of instances where something has popped into view mentally relating to practice but since they weren;’t recorded, they have faded into lost memories.

Renewal isn’t a lie.

30/07/24

North Coast - burnt to a crisp.