Of Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness

by Deborah Watkins. Posted on November 25, 2015

25 Nov

Photography by Mark Furniss

I’ve been away from this blog for a while, caught up in catching up since my exhibition in September. Fortunately I have the Connemara Journal to bring me back to writing and this piece is in the the current November edition. It reflects what we have been seeing here in Connemara for the past few weeks, although we have had some wintry moments since. Today I’m looking out at clear skies and cool sun and I’m glad of it. I will post about my painting soon. Continue reading →

The Clearing

by Deborah Watkins. Posted on July 16, 2015

16 Jul

Summer is always busy in Clifden and this year is no exception, in spite of the atrocious weather. There is a multitude of demands – children to be occupied, ferried around, fed and watered ( yes the basics, ) gallery business to be attended to, a new part time summer job ( teaching art at the Elm Tree Centre in Clifden which is an absolute joy for me ) and last but not least, paintings to be made. Continue reading →

New Studio

by Deborah Watkins. Posted on July 2, 2015

02 Jul

I have relocated my work space ( which has been a make do corner of our living room for the last couple of years ) to the top floor of the gallery building. Continue reading →

Life drawing Residency in Roundstone

by Deborah Watkins. Posted on May 5, 2015

05 May

James Hanley (RHA), Carey Clarke (RHA), Gavin Lavelle and Una Sealy (RHA) outside the Lavelle Art Gallery, Clifden

We’ve had some interesting visitors to the gallery recently – old friends and acquaintances that we don’t get the opportunity to meet often enough. Pictured with Gavin outside the Lavelle Art Gallery are RHA ( Royal Hibernian Academy ) artists James Hanley, Carey Clarke ( former president of the RHA ) and Una Sealy. They were part of a group of fifteen artists that were here for a life drawing residency, organised by mutual friend and RUA painter Rosie McGurran. Continue reading →

Blue Pool

by Deborah Watkins. Posted on February 17, 2015

17 Feb

I got back to this piece recently, having started it before Christmas. Here is the painting as I found it below – the main shapes have been loosely defined with blocks of colour, mostly blues and yellows.

I looked up the photograph I had been using for reference – it was taken out along a road near Killary, about this time last year. I love the complimentary colours – the blue of the water and mountains against the orange landscape and I used this in the painting. The pool is the focus and this lovely dark blue that reflects the sky. I decided to leave out the poles.

Next I applied some coloured inks with another layer of acrylic paint to add more depth.

I added more colour around the pool shape in the foreground at this next stage below. It has become a little muddy and there is too much blue in the painting. I leave this layer to dry before continuing.

Here’s the finished piece after a little more work. I’ve defined the grasses with clearer brushstrokes to make them seem more fiery and I’ve changed the colours of the road.

This piece is available to purchase on our gallery website at lavelleartgallery.ie

Poetry, Painting and the President – Sea week 2014

by Deborah Watkins. Posted on November 13, 2014

13 Nov

This piece was written for the current issue of the Connemara Journal, out now.

The 2014 Sea Week Festival celebrated its 30th year this year with a series of events that brought the village of Letterfrack on to the national stage. It began on the 17th October with a visit by President Higgins who opened the Letterfrack Poetry Trail and Small Works Exhibition in the National Park.

President Higgins and his wife Sabina at the launch of the Poetry trail with Leo Hallissey and David Keane, photo by Aoife Herriot.

The Connemara Environmental Education and Cultural Centre commissioned nine poems by nine of Irelands most eminent poets for the occasion. The poems are carved onto plaques made of native larch, designed by Conservation Centre Letterfrack. They are mounted on slate from the old industrial school and strategically placed around the National Park, Connemara West centre and village of Letterfrack. Some of the poems are specific to their site while others are more general in nature. Together they make for a most enjoyable and thought provoking walk for the community and for our visitors. The poets are Theo Dorgan, Paula Meehan, Rita Ann Higgins, Joan McBreen, Moya Cannon, Michael Gorman, Louis de Paor, Mary O’Malley and Eva Bourke. Letterfrack is a thriving centre of education today but it has always acknowledged its troubled history in a spirit of openness that is respectful to those who lived here in less happier times. If you haven’t been on the Poetry Trail yet, go out and enjoy it soon, it is well worth a visit.

President Higgins views the work with David Keane, photo by Aoife Herriot

The Small Works Exhibition is an annual event that is a gem of an idea brought into fruition by Leo Hallissey, the driving force behind this festival. It has become an integral part of Sea Week and it is unusual because the artwork is shown anonymously, allowing the viewer to decide what he or she likes without being influenced by a name. It is also unusual because each painting is made available for sale by the artists at the knock down price of €90.00 or €120.00 for a framed piece. The generosity of spirit at the heart of this collective makes it special and this is shared by the artists and by everyone who purchases an art work.

One of the artworks at the Small Works Exhibition

‘The Move away from the Coast’ – painting at the Small Works Exhibition

David Keane prepared this years brief which was entitled ‘Time and Tide.’ Artists living in the community were asked to reflect on the fragile nature of existence on the edge of the Atlantic, bearing in mind the impact of last Winter’s storms. The show was skillfully curated by visual artist Mary Hession and artist and wood turner Angie Williams – no easy task with literally dozens of artworks encompassing a wide range of styles. President Higgins took time to view each piece before he shared a few words with the assembled crowd. The president and his wife Sabina were presented with a hand bound copy of poems from the trail, transcribed by the poets themselves as well as two beautiful productions from Artisan House and a wooden bowl made by Angie Williams.

President Higgins and his wife Sabina with Mary Ruddy from Artisan House and wood turner and artist Angie Williams, photo by Aoife Herriot

These two events were highlights for me but they were just part of a rich and varied programme that celebrates the sea through music and dance, walks, workshops, a spectacular ‘After the Light’ parade and much more. Congratulations and thanks to all those involved for making this years festival such a great success.

Gavin Lavelle Exhibition – Clifden Arts Week

by Deborah Watkins. Posted on September 24, 2014

24 Sep

Cover image ‘Spiral Eye’ by Gavin Lavelle

This post is shared with the Lavelle Art Gallery blog which I write with my husband Gavin Lavelle. The Lavelle Art Gallery is a family business run by Gavin in Clifden, County Galway where we live. We have a brand new website that we have been working on this summer and you can visit it it here at www.lavelleartgallery.ie

Gavin opened an exhibition of his work this week end for Clifden Arts Week. The display is located at the Station House on the Galway Road and it comprises of twelve new works. The large space is divided into three rooms, the accompanying rooms feature work by Irish landscape artist Joe Wilson and artist and wood turner Angie Williams. The diversity of material and colour make for an interesting exhibition that showcases the high standard of artwork being made here in Connemara.

Preparation for the exhibition opening. Wood turned forms by Angie Williams behind and paintings and drawings by Joe Wilson in the far room.

New works by Gavin include two large circular forms entitled ‘Spiral Eye’ and ‘Hive’ in which a myriad of pattern, beads and glass eyes form a kaleidoscope arrangement.

‘Spiral Eye’ – detail

‘Hive’

The collection includes a small hand made triptych with a gold leaf central panel. There are several large collage paintings and a giant size map of Ireland.

Triptych central panel

Gavin collects his imagery from a variety of sources; maps, bird books, biology and botanical source books. He also uses vintage jewellery, beads, glass eyes and bones and twigs that have been painted or covered with gold leaf.

The compositions are all held within a structure, sometimes it is an adaptation from a classical painting or a real or imagined map. Larger forms are constructed out of wood into circular panels or domes. He uses antique boxes or specially constructed cabinets for smaller pieces.

Paint binds all of the strange, unconnected material together. A sensitive use of rich colour and contrast allows the imagery to flow in a seamless fashion in spite of its incongruity, creating an ‘alternative reality for the viewer’.

Of his work Gavin says ‘there’s a framework I have developed and a language that I use which can give the viewer enough scope to enter the paintings and enjoy them for themselves. Ideally I am happy enough with the viewer being engaged enough to meet me half way.’

Getting some Perspective

by Deborah Watkins. Posted on March 21, 2014

21 Mar

I’ve been busy for the last few weeks, doing lots of writing and not very much painting. I’ve been involved in a poetry workshop for over a year now and it’s been great. Writing has slipped into my life so quietly and unexpectedly that I find myself wondering what I did with my time before the workshops. Possibly more painting but life is always a juggling act – for me it’s a question of balance and trying to find just enough time for everything to keep some kind of equilibrium.

At the moment I am writing a business plan for our gallery as we are hoping to develop what we are doing in a new direction. It’s a different kind of writing of course but it is also exciting and I hope that I will be able to share more about that in a few months time.

For now I am going to talk about this painting. I came across it recently while sorting through my desk. I remember working on it about six months ago and leaving it aside as I was unsure whether or not it was finished. Clearly some part of me believed it was not, as it lay quietly unnoticed for all this time. When I found it, I wondered why, because it does seem finished to me now! There are blocks of colour on the right – the pink and green that might seem flat and unresolved compared to the more subtly applied colour to the left, but this gives the piece interest and balance which is something easily lost if the whole surface is treated in the same way.
The negatives seem outweighed by the positives – there is atmosphere, something moody around that hazy purple, the way the light diffuses in the distance and those stripes of red, pink and green do work even though they are incongruous with the rest of the piece.

It reminds me how useful and important it is to take some perspective on a painting – a little distance and time have allowed me to see the piece as if for the first time, so it is easier to make a judgement.

I realise how true this is of writing and yes, so many other aspects in life – it has just taken six months and an old painting to help me remember.

Lecknavarna

by Deborah Watkins. Posted on February 5, 2014

05 Feb

This is the second painting in a recent series based on the Lecknavarna townland near Killary. Here’s how the painting began – it’s a 12″ x 16″ canvas board.

Blue and red dominate and these are the colours that stood out when I was there. The fiery red is unusual for this time of the year and the effect was accentuated by the low fall of light. The mountains ( the Ben Coonas ) complement with rich tones of blue. I’ve accentuated the depth of hue in this initial sketch and I make a mental note to do some more studies like this soon as there is an immediacy and an energy to the piece at this stage that would work on a smaller scale.

Here’s the next stage. I’ve used some dark ink on the mountains and I’ve added more detail to the road and middle ground.

I work with paint and ink together at this next stage and add some green to the foreground to give it more definintion.

The mountains have become a little too dark and flat so I attempt to lighten them next.

This continues below and at last I feel that the mountains are coming alive. I referred back to the initial sketch to help me achieve this. The paint is still wet when I take this photo.

This is the same stage but the paint has dried and dulled a little. Once again, this will deepen once the piece is varnished.

Return to Painting 2014

by Deborah Watkins. Posted on January 27, 2014

27 Jan

I got back to painting this month once the kids returned to school. Armed with some photos taken near Killary, I chose two largish canvas boards ( 12″ x 16″ ) and one stretched canvas ( 12″ x 14″ ) to get started. I have been working on all three paintings over the last few weeks, bringing each of them along in stages. I took photos at the end of each painting session which proved useful as I was able to use the earlier images in some cases to develop the work at a later stage. I have written about each piece separately due to the number of photos – here’s how the first piece began below. I love this initial phase of getting the fresh paint onto the board, there’s a great freedom and an opportunity to be bold with broad sweeps of colour.

This is the next stage – I’ve used a good deal more paint, working from the top down. I’m happy with the blue mountains and don’t develop these much further.

The middle ground is next, probably the brightest part of this piece. I’m using ink and allowing it to bleed into the paint in places.

Next I start to work on the foreground – it still lacks definition. I want to get across the effect of looking into or through the earth by abstracting this part of the painting so I experiment with some different shapes.

I try a few bold upward sweeps using a large brush and some gold and white – I also use inks ( blues and reds ) through the paint. I decide to leave it at this stage.

The paint is dry in this final photo. The colours have dulled a little but these will be lifted again once the piece has been varnished.