IMMA

RDH: NOVEMBER 2024

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01/11/24

Pretty sure this is Dad in the Vectra circa 2000.

02/11/24

H, F & M.

…taking a back seat.

04/11/24

Escalation

05/11/24

Late night home.

06/11/24

The fun never stops!

07/11/24

Collected. No late night art for me this month. Exhaustion has taken over.

08/11/24

Proposal started. Excited to stretch and prime canvas tomorrow! Nerd Alert!

In the chaos of the past few weeks, I forgot to note that I’ve had a lovely delivery of a 10m roll of canvas and primer.

09/11/24

Didn’t realise I had so much primer! Two canvases, stretched and primed with one coat (plus one bloodied thumb).

Sketchbook time - this definitely needs time allotted to…

… came back to finish off the two drawings started earlier on. It can be done - just needs some discipline and manoeuvring.

10/11/24

‘Natural Alignments’

GET OUT THERE!

***Updating from loss and eventual return of diary***

12/11/24

MAC Show - beautiful and just a joy to immerse yoursself in. Wonderful homage.

Weird seeing D.M.’s paintings again after so long. Remember getting my graduation photos from NWRC in front of them.

17/11/24

Can’t believe I’ve lost track of RD. First time ever in fourteen plus years and quite annoyed at myself.

ADAPT - MOVE ON - WORK

Primed canvases with second coat. In terms of C’s submission, materials gathering and experimentation ongoing.

18/11/24

Dublin - Day 1. Lights out in middle of set up.

19/11/24

GTG a great success. Good night had by all.

20/11/24

Dublin Day 3. Brian Maguire in the Hugh Lane. Glorious large scale works and great to see some old favourites I first saw in VOID a few years ago.

Douglas Hyde Gallery - ‘LAND’ group show. Beautiful video work from Pinar Öğrenci in situ - videos on display will change to change throughout the run. Tried to get into another space - was not allowed with suitcase in tow.

Lastly the LAB before the bus home. Vanessa Daws’ show inspired by endurance swimming pioneer Mercedes Gleitze. Great show but still filled me with anxiety looking at open water.

Home … and finished submission.

21/11/24

Reunited with diary!

24/11/24

Studio - started commission. Beginning to incorporate moss into c.m.s piece - painting into the final layer of primer. Waiting game.

More progress on ‘L.Y.s.V’.

Love was spread a little in the studio today - bits and pieces worked on in different areas. Covering all the bases.

27/11/24

Dublin again!

28/11/24

RDH: AUGUST 2024

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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?

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.