It’s been a busy few weeks and I am looking forward to having more time very soon – school starts in about two weeks and I will soon finish my part time job which will have lasted almost eight weeks. In the meantime, I’ve been burning the midnight oil at the studio in an effort to get some work together for my next series of paintings. The biggest change for me at this point is scale – most of my previous works were on small 5″ x 7″ boards and I’ve shifted almost overnight to working on canvases several times that size. This next body of work will be put towards an exhibition for Clifden arts week ( mid September 2015 ) which will come under the title ‘Everything Moves,’ a title shared by a painting I made recently. I think these two words encapsulate for me the essence of what I am trying to do and why I am doing it, so it seemed a fitting enough title for a show.
I’ve just finished this piece ( 12″ x 14 ” ) which is based on a small hill just outside of town. It’s a much prized patch of farm land that is guarded with a familial fierceness that brings the character ‘The Bull McCabe‘ to mind. I find it appealing in terms of its composition but there is a darkness about it that makes the subject interesting. I’ve abstracted the shapes and used strong colour and expressive lines to describe this conflict. I’ve called the piece ‘Imprint.’
‘Imprint’ by Deborah Watkins
This next piece is a favourite view from the bog road in Roundstone with the Twelve Bens in the distance and a carpet of grass and lake in the foreground. I want to keep the painting loose, so I’m using larger brushes and trying to work in the same way as I would with my smaller pieces. I also want to keep the colours bright and fresh with lots of texture. Here’s the first stage below, worked over the course of an evening.
Bog Lake – first stage by Deborah Watkins
Here’s another photo taken a couple of days later, with just a few adjustments made – some gold on the hills and some colour highlights. I need to take another photo as the light is a bit too yellowy here. I’ll post some more photos in the coming weeks.
Bog Lake by Deborah Watkins
