2023 in Pictures

JANUARY

Three works in progress on the studio wall

'Soldier Boy Study'

Close up of 'Adrift Study'

A foggy January night

FEBRUARY

'A Matter of Fiction' - completed in the studio

Mirror Mirror

Late night sketching

MARCH

Hand work

Taking Time over 'Soldier Boy'

Our beautiful girl turns 1

APRIL

Detail of 'Check your Pockets'

Some works rattle on until they cave

Gradient added to background of 'Soldier Boy'

MAY

Louise Wallace at the MAC, Belfast

Niamh O'Malley at the Golden Thread Gallery

Ciarraí MacCormac

Stunning work by EMIC in Belfast City Centre

Two works in progress - beast and the beauty (working titles)

Trip to the river

Daniel Coleman in the RHA, Dublin

Mags Geaney at the RHA, Dublin

Avril Corroon at the Project Arts Centre, Dublin

JUNE

Two new works - a little on the personal side

Charys Wilson at the Golden Thread Gallery

Eimhéar Atkinson at the Belfast School of Art Degree Show

'Adrift Study' in Catalyst Auction show

'Small Earth (Eden)' by Katherine Sankey

JULY

Detail of 'In a Huff'

Matthew Wilson in Threshold Gallery

'Put it Away'

Wonky Studio Shot

Baby number 2 - coming 2024

Detail of 'Marina' - in progress

AUGUST

Still from 'The New Dawn Fades' by Clare Langan - Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast

Imogen

Drawing of Christmas dinner - circa 1997

London bound

Part of the Catalyst Members' Show

Detail of 'Marina' background work

Sunset over Glenshane

Beginning of 'The Night Draws Near' event by Array Collective, Ulster Museum Belfast

SEPTEMBER

Chloe Austin at PS2, Belfast

Korakrit Arunanondchai at the MAC, Belfast

'Marina' completed

Banu Cennetoğlu at VOID, Derry

New works in progress

OCTOBER

'Indifferent Study' in progress

Detail of 'A Séance in London' in progress

'Red Lines' on display at the Royal Arcade Academy Exhibition

VAULT Studios, Belfast

'Defy the System' drawing

Studio Shot - Early October

'Amy Study' in early stages

Deferral / Echo by Kwok Tsui in CCA, Derry

'Messy Business' show at QSS, Belfast

Juggling too many works at one time.

Atoosa Pour Hosseini at Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin

NOVEMBER

Cameron Clarke at DAS, Belfast

Save our Sperrins exhibition at 2Royal Avenue, Belfast

'Indifferent Study' finished

'Amy Study' finished

Detail of 'A Séance in London' in Progress

DECEMBER

Additions and Omissions

Andy Warhol at the Hugh Lane, Dublin

Hands detail coming together

re-working an old canvas

Final studio shot of the year.

2022 in Pictures

January

Detail of "A New Normal"

Supermoon

Sketchbook work from childhood photographs

February

Ronnie Hughes' 'Isobar' in the MAC, Belfast

Notions for ideas in the snow

Catalyst Residency - early beginnings

Cast of my mouth by Stephanie Tanney

Temporary studio space in Catalyst Arts

Artist Rachel Macmanus hard at work

Ogham residency in full swing - late February

March

Final stages of work for Ogham in Catalyst

with artist Stephanie Tanney and curator Jen Alexander in final moments of residency

painting in progress - hair colour undetermined

Mothers' day - little Imogen is born

very early morning sunrise

back home and doing / adjusting well

at the closing night of Ogham exhibition in Catalyst with artists Rachel Macmanus, Stephanie Tanney and curator Jen Alexander

April

Quick sketching work

Ciarán Ó Dochartaigh at CCA Derry

'Ogham' work returned to the studio

'Girl with Red Hair' finished

Emic in 'Art That Made Us' documentary series

May

Decisions, decisions

Drawing from historical imagery

June

'Mothman' detail - in progress

'Peek-A-Boo' close up

Claire Barclay at the MAC, Belfast

July

A studio assistant sleeping on the job

beginnings of a small piece

Studio wall shot

Powerful work by Stuart Calvin at Atypical Gallery, Belfast

On show at the Boyle Arts Festival, Roscommon

August

Ron Mueck at the MAC, Belfast

Sunset at Portrush

detail of skulls

little and large

September

a conversation in pen

'Four of Five' detail I

'Four of Five' detail II

October

a packed opening of the RUA exhibition in Ulster Museum, Belfast

'Girl with Red Hair' in RUA

Giving a talk about practice in the Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin

Springing on with new works

November

Imogen's first trip to the Ulster Musuem - infront of Alana Barton's work

Proud daddy and daughter moment

detail of eye in progress

December

The last works completed this year.

Stunning painting by Daniel Coleman at the MAC, Belfast

The opening of 'New Exits - 10 Years of Painting Shows' in the MAC, Belfast

2021 in Pictures

January

Frozen Lake in Hillsborough

"Shock" - first finished work of the year

Studio shot - all three works would be abandoned

Sketch of female police officers

February

"Shock" on display for FirstSite show

Freshly squeezed paint

Home with a dash of snow

Back and forth on work that didn't survive

Two out of Three works survived!

March

Detail of hand - in progress

Early stages of 'On Gilded Steps' detail

Horn detail for "The Infamy of Crete"

Early Spring Studio shot

In a Huff - aged around 8

April

"On Gilded Steps" detail

Longer evenings mean longer walks.

Collecting work from 2020's RUA

Little revamp of the office/drawing space

"Gathering Thoughts" finished

Cherry Tree in full blossom

May

Layering of biplanes for "History Repeating"

Spring clean of painting storage space

Detail of "History Repeating"

Sketch from a Victorian Photo

June

Studio Shot June - with "History Repeating" on right

Three pups in a bed

Drawing from a cult 60's film still

Detail of "Moon Boy"

Ambera Wellmann at the MAC, Belfast

Maya Balcioglu at the MAC, Belfast

July

"Galamseyer" - shrub detail

Early stage of "Life is But a Dream"

A low flying balloon over the garden

Sunset over Slieve Gallion

Finished - "Galamseyer"

August

On the Cover of Geraldine O'Kane's book

Wedding Day

Detail of "Life is But a Dream"

Drawing of a dangerous individual

September

Early days of compositional juggling

First image of new addition-to-be

Memory of 1993 sketch

"Saint and Sinner" - detail of finished work

Detail of "Unimpressed" painting

Close up of "Rex Aegypti Penultimus"

Minimal sketch study

October

"Rex Aegypti Penultimus" - finished work

Cold day in the studio with multiple works

Close up of "Lady of the Manor"

Detail of large multi-imaged canvas

November

Portrait of NI exhibition in GT Gallery, Belfast

Anne Tallentire in the MAC, Belfast

Took part in Platform's Salonathon show

Drawing up a new batch of canvases

"The Doctor will See you Now" - Finished

Eva Rothschild in VOID, Derry

“Tilt [At Windmills]” exhibition in CCA, Derry

Three paintings at different stages

December

John Rainey in Naughton Gallery, Belfast

Array Collective welcoming the Solstice

"Label"

"Under Surveillance"