The MAC

RDH: AUGUST 2022

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02/08/22

Getting a little anxious as word gets closer…

03/08/22

“Girl with Red Hair” has been preselected!

07/08/22

Work dropped off to the RUA.

Visit to the MAC for Ron Mueck exhibition.

14/08/22

15/08/22

Can’t just be sitting around waiting…

Some sketchbook work started.

16/08/22

Drawings finished up from yesterday. Studio time now and some painting with the niece.

GOT INTO THE RUA SHOW!

17/08/22

‘A Brush With … Lina Iris Viktor’

“I think using a limited palette gives you more freedom.”

L.I.V.

Another layer on ‘lovers’ piece and a clean palette needed.

18/08/22

One Year!

20/08/22

Studio. Bit of burning on “Catherine Study”.

21/08/22

Good progress on “A Lovers’ Harvest”… man’s face works and doesn’t at the same time. Need to come back with fresh eyes.

There are aspects about “A.L.H.” I need to jot down:

  • Fracture

  • Loss vs Hope

  • Memento Mori / Passing of the Seasons

27/08/22

Adam Pendelton on “A Brush With…”: “Masks conceal and evoke.”

Studio time: Grass - too much? Go lighter? Lovers - more sculpting? Background - more solidity?

A lot more questions than answers at the minute. Less writing, more doing. Retrospective analysis is much more succinct and compelling (?)

PTO…

Although, in hindsight, creating a short, concise list of things to look at, attempt / rectify seems to pay off more often than not.

“A Lovers’ Harvest” finished.

Detail of “A Lovers’ Harvest”

31/08/22

Submitted… finger’s crossed.

Never far from thoughts.

RDH: FEBRUARY 2022

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01/02/22

Daft Punk Live - Alive. Frantic.

Sketch with music on in the background. No Show and Tell, just Tell.

05/02/22

4,000 weeks. Poetics of space.

Great to meet up with J.A. and S.T and to see Catalyst’s new space.

Quick jaunt to the GT and to the MAC in the morning. Edy Fung’s and Ronnie Hughes’ work were great! Hughes’ translucent layers of paint suck you in and grab hold. Shimmering colour clashes.

Head is buzzing with ideas. Exciting!

06/02/22

Mary Beard’s Forbidden Art. - Pan and the She-Goat.

Daphne Todd - painted recently dead mother.

“Violence will always be a part of the human experience.”

Mary Beard

It’s been an odd weekend. Great but odd.

Ideas are starting to be slid into place about how ‘Ogham’ will be approached. Churning away so keep faith.

It’s been a limbo sort of a day. Feeling the need to do SOMETHING - but not being able to find the energy.

Reading, research, drawing, responding.

Readymade… Domestic

So, actually I retract the ‘limbo’ statement. I did do things today. I was productive. It’s just there wasn’t any tangible outcome. Case and point… 7th page.

07/02/22

“An Ode Study”

Sketchbook with Daft Punk on - upping the tempo.

08/02/22

Fabric search.

Carving out ideas. Scrap yard.

09/02/22

H.B.M. Looking forward to getting into the garage this weekend.

Let’s give it a goo!

12/02/22

Aoife Dunn - IMMA: Socially engaging sculpture.

May have slipped a disc. Acetate sketches.

SUN - MOON - HOME

14/02/22

Image sorting today.

16/02/22

Meeting. Repetition and extremities. Develop and evolve.

17/02/22

J.A. Studio Visit!

19/02/22

Studio time! Finally! Using just titanium white and charcoal - both willow and compressed - to work up images. Going back to my process’ roots - year 2 in art college. Two new works started.

Studio Wall: 19/02/22

22/02/22

‘Ogham’ has begun. Dog study - black dog. Great to see what S.T. is doing in the space and Rachel’s response.

“Black Dog”

SLOW AND LOW SHOOTING STAR.

24/02/22

Snow! Appointment done.

ogham chair in the snow

25/02/22

Belfast bound. Scared guide dog on the 212.

Great to get into the space at Catalyst and set up for the next two days. Began working on two pieces. ‘Don't Look’ in ogham.

The fourth wall is glass. Casting of mouth by S.T. Reminds me of ‘Red Dragon’ from the SotL prequel of the same name.

26/02/22

Day two in the space. Time is not our friend but still have to remind ourselves that there’s no end goal needed. Just to respond and be creatively present.

So good to meet Rachel and see Steph’s process in the flesh.

N.P.

28/02/22

‘Offsite’ chats with Catalyst! Refreshing.

RDH: NOVEMBER 2021

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03/11/21

Some good sketchbook work today.

04/11/21

National Common Sense Day. “Portrait of NI: Neither an elegy nor a manifesto” in the Golden Thread Gallery. Interesting layout, gathering work of a similar ilk throughout the decades together.

Anne Tallentire’s “But this material…” in the MAC; great use of spatial interaction with the work and the gallery space. Some really strong work in “The presence of Absence” exhibition from the MFA 2019 cohort group show in QSS.

Really enjoyed the opening of the “Salonathon Show 2021” in Platform - seeing my work alongside some great artists and meeting up with familiar faces!

05/11/21

Wincing the odd time.

06/11/21

“Portraiture exposes the gap between the interior and exterior selves.”

-unknown-

Priming is all today amounted to.

08/11/21

Didn’t realise the gravity…

11/11/21

What was thought to be a dud - must have turned out alright!

12/11/21

Several pieces sketched up today.

13/11/21

Detail of “The Doctor will See you Now”

Really good day in the studio. “The Doctor will see you Now” finished! This new philosophy of keeping it loose, not striving for a realistic perfection, which is ultimately unattainable anyway, seems to be working.

I have a tendency of focussing on niggles to the point when the paintings get tight and the imagery too self aware. Learning to let go and step back a stage or two sooner seems to work for me.

“The Doctor will See you Now” Oil and Charcoal on Canvas 150cm x 100cm

16/11/21

Didn’t get accepted but that’s OK. Sketchbook work tonight to get brain working.

17/11/21

Very quick trip up to Derry to see “Tilt [At Windmills]” with work by Jarkko Räsänen, Fionnuala Doran, Paul Moore and Robin Price in CCA and “The Shrinking Universe” by Eva Rothschild in VOID.

20/11/21

Blocking in and working out logistics on three pieces today.

29/11/21

Nervous but that’s pretty much down to the unknown factor.