RDH: SEPTEMBER 2024

01/09/24

Should LOFT TALK return?

05/09/24

Met Khaled Barakeh at his show in the MAC.

Late Night Art - Belfast Exposed, DAS, PS2 and VAULT.

Khaled with his installation work "The Shake".

The Weight of Light: Conor McFeely and Pascale Steven in the MAC

Emma Brennan at Belfast Exposed

Sally O'Dowd at DAS

Joey O'Gorman PS2 project space Residency

Continuous Fragmentation by Cathy Scullion at VAULT

06/09/24

‘Hindsight Study’ into RAA show!

08/09/24

Slow and steady progress on new portrait.

12/09/24

Basil Blackshaw: Selected Works in Ulster Presents. Always something incredibly moving about the last work an artist worked on. Almost like a lifetime's experience culminating into one last piece.

Late Night Art - East Belfast. Visit to Platform, Strand Arts Centre, Arts Care and Creative Exchange. Loud in between.

Platform Arts

Creative Exchange

Have really gotten out of the way of note taking. Subbed for worse habits. How to rectify? Stop. Breathe. Think.

15/09/24

Studio time. Portrait - ‘Never Be Seen’. All but there. Some moments where the background tone looks fine and works well and others where it looks like a mistake and falls apart. Chips and changes - probably down to the light through the day (or indecisiveness).

Resting on it for now.

22/09/24

One week on and yes, the background definitely needs addressed. Worked it so its back to a very similar colour to how it started. Finished and full circle.

26/09/24

QSS at 40!

Brilliant show and will be back to see multiple times.

Opening Speeches at QSS

QSS Studio Member Craig Donald

29/09/24

Studio and 'Tesla' painting is gone - for now. Drawing up new works.

What words or text become like the ground of a painting?

Glenn Ligon - The Week in Art podcast.

'Spare Change Study', ‘Running Errands', 'Repulsion from a Clown'.

Some good starts. 'RfaC’ redeemed somewhat for now.

RDH: AUGUST 2024

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?

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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.