RDH: OCTOBER 2024

03/10/24

Late Night Art Belfast

David McKinney at Arts For All

Royale Arcade Academy 3 opening

My work "Hindsight Study" in Royale Arcade Academy show.

Jonathan Brennan at PS2

✱-✱ Catalyst Show

Laura Nelson at Vault Studios

Grace McMurray in the Black Box

05/10/24

A dry studio day. No paint - just charcoal work and redrawing sketches and some tonal work. SOMETHING!

09/10/24

Malleable metal wire drawing?

10/10/24

‘Line of Sorrow’ - micro expression.

13/10/24

TAN podcast - The White Pube book “Poor Artists”

“Spare Change Study” - facial work -warmer tones in the shadows?

Mood plays an important role… not the ‘I’m not in the mood’ kind of mood. More so the downward mindset - something foreign playing over in the back of your mind and it is difficult to shake and focus on anything else.

I can and will do better. In the studio context with this guilty / downward feeling playing out today - productivity took a nosedive. Better all round if the socks get pulled up.

17/10/24

RUA Opening. Very pleased.

19/10/24

Saturday Studio. Afraid that what’s here has gone - or rather my enthusiasm towards them - has gone stale. “S.C.” has promise but it’s on the small side - too bitty for what I want to achieve. If that makes sense.

20/10/24

“Look! Daddy’s painting!”

This will warm my heart for a long time.

21/10/24

£1 - Bargain.

22/10/24

Maya Todd (top centre) - Royale Arcade Academy

23/10/24

‘You Will Not Stop Here’ by Claire Morgan at the Golden Thread Gallery.

24/10/24

The more I think about it, the more annoyed I get at myself for letting certain aspects stagnate. Prioritising stupid, irrational shit over investing in practice.

F.F.A.S. - what else is there?

27/10/24

Studio clear out. Moving recent works down to shed and out of eyeline. Freeing up wall space. Re-working / Recycling / Repurposing - just generally Re- really.

Enjoyed the “A Brush with Robert Longo” podcast.

…‘les yeux sans visage’ imagery could prove an interesting challenge. Some good first steps.

“A Brush with Marlene Dumas” - think I’ve listened to this four times now.

30/10/24

Dublin bound.

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?

---

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.

RDH: APRIL 2024

02/04/24

Utilise own advice! Get pro-active!

04/04/24

Not being idle within practice is key.

LNAB

Éabha Campbell - DEPICTA MUSCA in Catalyst - beautifully macabre.

Stephanie Loveless - “This Street is a Song” - part of Sonorities Festival.

Blue Whale/Maeve McGreevy/Tom Hughes - “Last Immediate Moving Image” at VAULT.

07/04/24

“A Brush With… Nalini Malani”

“…slippage of imagery…”

Clothing detail work on “Last Fancy Dress” and a promising start on “They Had It Coming”. Keep it raw - how do you describe that?

11/04/24

Submission 1.

16/04/24

Submission 2. Ran out of time for drawing work.

17/04/24

Sketchbook work.

S.A.W.E.D.

18/04/24

Submission 3 - an open call.

21/04/24

Studio - pre paint notes:

• Headscarf - maroon?

• Background - a sickly yellow / green (not unlike “Amy Study”.

Now that the canvas is covered (no more blankness) - it’s show time.

24/04/24

Dublin bound. Really bad that I have gotten out of the way writing in this. [slaps wrist].

S.V. confirmed! Class!

Popped into the LAB Gallery to see “Emergency Knowledge: The Missing Archives - Vagabond Reviews”. Great to see Save Our Sperrins highlighted among other important causes.

25/04/24

OK, so I’ve been putting this off for a while and now, it seems that bus time is usually RD time these days.

Project idea I had maybe ten years ago: record a sitter - up close in portrait whilst asking questions - mix of mundane and psychological. Between each question - leave around 20 - 30 seconds. The sitter remains silent throughout - more of an introspective process. The idea was to then take still of video and convert to painting.

What if…

test demo screenshot from 2014

instead of a static camera on tripod (that I tried back in 2014) - the footage moved in, out and around the sitter?

And…

instead of working off individual stills on separate works - merging onto one surface. Showing a variation in composition, scale and method of painting depending on the image taken throughout the test?

So, let’s take stock…

Four submissions done in past 6 weeks plus an SV!

Sketchbook work tonight - since brain is firing on a few more cylinders than usual.

27/04/24

Four years. Surreal.

28/04/24

Studio time.

Well, after nearly losing it on the skin tones - “THIC” turned out better than I could have hoped. A strange feeling.

30/04/24

“mother tongue” in the MAC - GREAT!

Dorothy Hunter’s work took breath away! Bloody brilliant.

Upper Gallery view of "mother tongue" in the MAC

'Formwork (Nervous Systems)' by Jane Butler

'as much as one can do' by Dorothy Hunter

RDH: OCTOBER 2023

01/10/23

Three white rabbits.

Studio: ‘Passive Study’ going well - bouncing between the brush and the drawing mark. It’s always interesting to see which of the two (if any at all) comes to the fore.

“A Brush With… Sarah Lucas”

‘A Séance in London’ - slowly building layers but, more importantly, working through structure and composition. Very early days.

03/10/23

Anxiety overload!

05/10/23

WOW! Can’t remember a late night art quite like this one in a very long time. Belfast was buzzing!

'Cladding' at Catalyst Arts

'Dredge' by Gerard Carson at PS2

Johanna Leech and Stuart Calvin at Threshold space

Belfast Exposed

Royale Arcade Academy opening - Arcade Studios

Vault Studios Opening

09/10/23

Put the bloody phone DOWN!

11/10/23

Quick sketch of artist Amy Higgins. Ideas brewing.

12/10/23

Easy to say, but difficult to implement.

In transit

15/10/23

Studio - A.H. portrait study: A good start. There was one point where the charcoal became a little too much but thankfully it wasn’t difficult to rectify. Just before adding the last layer of charcoal, all the previous drawing marks were pushed back with just the paint taking the stage. Some nice areas of tonal quality but overall the image was flat. You would think that adding a charcoal line would make it even more flat in appearance but the opposite is the case! The crux of it - that interplay between the drawing line and the painting mark.

17/10/23

Second straight day of jury service but on the flip side, a good chance to see Kwok Tsui’s new exhibition in the CCA.

18/10/23

QSS - ‘Messy Business’. Great group painting show.

21/10/23

…worth sticking foot in the door.

22/10/23

Studio time. A long session but very little to show for it. Slow progress on all fronts. Perhaps working on multiple pieces (four canvases) is biting a little more off than I can chew?

Setting a couple of pieces off to the side for a while should make it more manageable. It probably hasn’t helped that the palette is in a poor state and needs cleaned badly. Not a complete loss of a day but it could’ve been a lot more fruitful. Several factors at play but, lesson learned.

Palette given a good scrub before finishing up.

25/10/23

Dublin - too dark to write on the bus down - too dark to write on the bus home. The Autumn evenings are here.

Atoosa Pour Hosseini’s ‘The Magic Circle’ in Temple Bar Gallery + Studios is excellent. Remnants of vintage horror films in the video piece.

RDH: SEPTEMBER 2023

05/09/23

06/09/23

Crow in flight. Morrigán. Could see the stabbed brush marks of the wings when watching it in flight. Weird. Aren’t we all?

Time needs to be set aside for practice. Shia LaBeouf.

Sounds like an excuse but a certain letter has thrown a real spanner in the works.

NB: Forgot to jot down that ‘Red Lines’ has been accepted into this years’ Royale Arcade Academy show at Arcade Studios.

07/09/23

LATE NIGHT ART - Belfast

'Living but a Day' - Chloe Austin at PS2

Emma Brennan's work in 'STOOP' group show at DAS.

Some very late-night sketching.

09/09/23

Setting your stall.

10/09/23

Art Wank Podcast with Array - listening during studio time.

“Painting is a place to hide thoughts, hide feelings, hide emotions.”

- Stephen Millar

The Arts are not singular. Arts as a united force for good. Collaboration.

You can’t eat prestige (or a flag).

‘Ready to Go’ blocked out. Not sure if it’s a damp squib but I think it’s worth another shot.

‘Marina’ - content with background. Loose is good. So bloody close.

13/09/23

H.B.S.

After a bit of mulling - the ‘Ready to Go’ canvas is anything but. I have forgotten the first rule:

IF IT DOESN’T EXCITE YOU THEN THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG

It is not and it is also an image that, if it’s going to work, will need another image merged to elevate it.

It is a solid image, and it has a resonance with me personally but it’s just not doing it for me, for the want of a better phrase.

Handed in ‘Red Lines’ to Arcade. Stopped by the MAC to see ‘No History in a Room filled with People wih Funny Names 5’ by Korakrit Arunanondchai and Alex Gvojic with Tosh Basco. An extremely immersive experience.

Abhartach - the Irish Vampire.

Black / Peaty Soil. Roots become negative space. Possible triptych?

14/09/23

Abhartach - source material…

This will be for down the line. Even the little portrait alongside ‘Ready to Go’ on acetate has more promise and, more importantly, has my head spinning!

Back of the bus, it’s been a long time.

Can see where… might have an advantage. More time. Been reading “The World New Made - Figurative Painting in the 20th Century” by Timothy Hyman.

“I was alone in my studio in front of my oil lamp. Two or three in the morning… Dawn is breaking… I used to sit up like that all night long. My lamp burned, and I with it.”

- Marc Chagall c.1920

Henri Rousseau = recovered a primal truth in painting.

17/09/23

Short Sunday Sessions.

“Marina” finished! But only just. A little over indulgent with the fixative meant some emergency fixing (irony) was needed.

If I had my wits about me I should’ve drawn up a new canvas in the 45 minutes spare. Hindsight.

“Look to Henri Rousseau as examplar for a renewal of figural language reborn in the image of childhood.”

- Timothy Hyman

18/09/23

20 week scan. All well! Surreal.

Also, on the way to Causeway - a lovely note, Warm, fuzzy feeling.

21/09/23

Chloe Austin’s “Living But A Day” in PS2

22/09/23

Breaking the Cultural Code - Tenth Anniversary of Derry’s UK City of Culture.

“Culture is everyday lived experience.”

- Sir Phil Redmond

Culture Night Derry

Banu Cennetoğlu at VOID Gallery, Derry

24/09/23

Studio time. There was a temptation to rework ‘Ready to Go’ for a minute. Had to remind myself that structurally it’s interesting but it doesn’t excite me to see where it can go.

“A Brush with… Claudette Johnson”

A really promising start to three canvases today.

25/09/23 & 26/09/23

BP high. Ordered to Antrim A&E. Arrived at 7pm - didn’t get seen until 10am on Tuesday. Tests to be done and rest needed. Poor timing.

28/09/23

…day in court.

29/09/23

VAI Get Together 2023 - Online day.

Imogen Stidworthy - How We Work.

Lindsey Mendick talk was great!

30/09/23

Be better at channeling time and effort into productive means.

We’re all a work in progress.

RDH: JULY 2023

02/07/23

TALK ART: TIM STONER

“When you are a mature artist, you’re not a mature painter”

Edward Hopper

“Process of Catharsis”.

“The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is more important than the eye… The hand is the cutting edge of the mind.”

from ‘The Ascent of Man’ by Jacob Bronowski

Really good going with “In a Huff” today. Yellow a little acidic maybe and the t-shirt needs refining - but not to the point of going too tight with it.

06/07/23

Matthew Wilson at Threshold, Belfast

Katharine Paisley at Threshold, Belfast

Allison Maria Rodriguez at DAS, Belfast

09/07/23

‘A Brush with… Jeremy Deller’

“In a Huff” - muted the floor; slightly less acidic and lightened the background / walls. T-Shirt texture is troublesome so pared it back to jostle with it another day.

“Put it Away” - background darkened and textured up. Happy little accidents like the dripping on the skin and around the mouth. Have kept them there for now. Perhaps veil them at a later layering stage.

The lighter hair is going to be a challenge and at this point it’s rough as hell

but

I’m looking forward to tackling it again. I feel this may be a case of slowly working in between a few days of drying time. The open hand is a headache because the source image is so bleached out with light that it looks flat. COUNTER THIS.

11/07/23

A few days off.

LATE NIGHT SKETCHING!

13/07/23

Palette cleaned and two new canvases drawn up. Essentially getting ready for Sunday/Monday painting session.

Noticed something when looking through acetate sources. Initials. Lots and lots of initials. Subconsciously adding? Especially ‘A’. If you look at the drawings (and by proxy the paintings too as I try to keep elements of the drawing mark there too) they are there from the get go. Food for thought.

15/07/23

… submitted …

16/07/23

Thought better of putting paint out for a morning studio session. Decided to focus on pushing the drawing and tonal elements of the two new canvas works instead. Full day in the studio tomorrow. Best not throwing that away!

17/07/23

The bones of Orestes.

A really good day in the studio. “In a Huff” finished and more progress on “Put it Away”. Also some layering and groundwork done on the two new pieces. More of this please!

19/07/23

Take own advice.

22/07/23

Oppenheimer = outstanding.

23/07/23

A solid six hours in the studio. Good momentum on large piece - still no title (but worked from an image of Marina Ginestà). An enjoyable birthday weekend.

27/07/23

… preselection…

30/07/23

Not feeling it today. That does not mean that you simply walk away from studio. Grind it out. Do something! Will set ‘Marina’ aside and work on “Put it Away” instead.

See what happens if you stick it out!? Finished this painting even though head was not in it today at all. Yes, the guts of it was done and it just needed refined in certain areas. There’s a level of satisfaction to be had when you accomplish something that is usually the bread and butter stuff when you’re not in the zone. Makes it sweeter somehow.

RDH: JUNE 2023

03/06/23

Late night transferring… some drawings that have slipped through the net over the years.

04/06/23

Early rise - Early balloon

“A Brush With… Phyllida Barlow”

Two new canvases sketched out.

06/06/23

Charys Wilson at the Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast

Clinton Kirkpatrick at the Black Box, Belfast

08/06/23

Test prints in the post today!

09/06/23

Watch this space.

10/06/23

Studio cleaned, layered on two new smaller pieces, and cleaned palette.

11/06/23

…no more diddly-dallyin’, let’s get right on into this Sunday studio session. (IYKYK)

Substantial progress on “Put it Away”. Little prayer piece, not so much.

12/06/23

So “Put it Away” moving along nicely and a little surprisingly. The new paints are making a difference, I think.

13/06/23

Visit to the Belfast School of Art Degree Show.

Eimhéar Atkinson

Michael Doherty

Rachel McCallin

Éabha Campbell

Mollie Browne

Ciaran Dallat

Hannah Williamson

14/06/23

Didn’t get to sketch tonight as intended but there will be time set aside.

Mythology / Semiotics

…venturing onwards…

It’s just dawned on me that Saturdays will alter. Well, they’ll change a good few times in the coming years. But - as always, adapt, re-organise, create, repeat.

15/06/23

After all that graft … to be left at home.

Lovely comment today. Left painting over to Catalyst for showcase and auction coming up.

18/06/23

Studio time now. Let’s see where these go.

Quick notes for Prey/Pray:

• charcoal first

• contrast facial tones

• less marks in hair - blurred or subdued

Quick notes for “In a Corner/ Huff”

• Scrape paint on walls - flatter

• T-Shirt work

NB: Didn’t get as much done as I would like to.

19/06/23

PRINTS HAVE DROPPED!!!

20/06/23

FB Memories - use to dust cobwebs off? Also just having the small sketchbook close by - for out and about.

Is it too fuzzy? Probably do no harm to have the mini sketchbook around with me - as was the original idea for it.

One thing I have noticed, and it’s a good thing. With the two journeys on the bus three times a week and the time at lunch, I’ve noticed some considerably more writing / thinking time / ideas coming into RD.

I’ve even started bringing a book with me on the bus. Although The Iliad was probably a poor first choice. I am eager to delve into mythology / symbolism again.

The legend of “Bisclavret” has been crawling through my head the past few days.

IIW = IMAGES IN WAITING

21/06/23

Quick stop to see the work in Catalyst’s Showcase.

Very fast and very loose sketchbook study.

22/06/23

23/06/23

Our beautiful Bonnie, my studio assistant and my dad’s blonde shadow passed away in her sleep last night. Everyone is hurting. 12 and a half wonderful years. The best girl.

24/06/23

…called in to say hello… folds around eye went in such a way that it looked like he didn’t have a socket let alone an eye. Hard to explain.

Quick Question = Very Quick Yes

25/06/23

“A Brush With… Jacqueline Humphries”.

Finished “Let Us Pray”. Areas successful, others not.

28/06/23

Dublin Bound.

"Cailleach boy ii" by Kian Benson Bailes

"Singing Toadfish (emptying the lungs to fill my heart" by Kian Benson Bailes

Culchie boy, I love you / Grá mo chroí thú, mo chábóigín féin – Kian Benson Bailes at the Project Arts Centre.

"Small Earth (Eden)" by Katherine Sankey

"Swallow" by Katherine Sankey

“an atom bomb in each morsel of life” by Katherine Sankey in the LAB Gallery. Beautiful aroma in that first box space.

Sunset over Slieve Gallion

RDH: DECEMBER 2022

02/12/22

Wardell Milan - Louisiana Channel

Sketchbook work - it’s been way too long!

03/12/22

Quick studio time…

… as suspected, it didn’t take much to get last two paintings of the year over the line. Still aiming to keep the (well, less is more is a little inaccurate) “Stop before I think I should” mentality.

Definitely less misses with this strategy.

08/12/22

‘New Exits: 10 Years of Painting’ opening at the MAC. Excellent show. Daniel Coleman’s painting ‘The House Down the Lane’ is absolutely stunning. It moved me to tears. A real stand out from a strong group show.

11/12/22

Freezing in the studio.

Drew up two small works (having a crack at the ‘Jaws’ image again - with a slightly altered composition) and have set up to take a look at a couple of pieces that have fallen through the cracks recently.

‘Street Walker’ and ‘Laughing Man’ (working titles).

17/12/22

Wood is for the living, stone for the dead.

Said farewell to GT’s reading round. It’s been such a boost having this weekly outlet of chatting, sharing ideas and making connections. Had a great run!

Stream of admin this evening.

18/12/22

“Tomorrow is Saturday” - Interesting documentary on Sean Hillen.

28/12/22

Studio time. “The Week in Art: 2022 in review” podcast.

Blocking in on the small piece. ‘Man looking in his pocket while descending the stairs’ or ‘Looking for keys’ OR ‘Check your pocket’.

29/12/22

Newcastle.

30/12/22

Penultimate day of the year. admin and prep before a few hours in the studio!

For the time of the year that it is, I find myself in a bit of a reflective and thankful mood. 2022 has been good to me.

• Collaborative residency and exhibition with Catalyst.

• Work shown at the Boyle Arts Festival, Roscommon.

• Part of the Royal Ulster Academy Exhibition in the Ulster Museum, Belfast.

• Gave a talk with Basic Space Dublin in the Hugh Lane Gallery.

• And most importantly, became a father!

There have been losses also. People who have impacted our lives that have moved on, but their imprint will remain.

So much to be thankful for, a loving family, the support of friends and loved ones during the highs and lows. Also, to those who took a chance on my work, who invited me to be a part of their projects:

THANK YOU!

RDH: NOVEMBER 2022

05/11/22

Art and Ecology Podcast.

Studio Time with an assistant!

08/11/22

Painting in RUA has SOLD!

11/11/22

It all adds up.

12/11/22

“You know in the back of your own mind if criticism holds any merit for yourself.”

13/11/22

Studio time - short but sweet stint today. Good progress on three pieces. A little too on the nose in some areas but very productive otherwise.

17/11/22

VAI Get Together day 2. Highlight was listening to Samir Mahmood talk about his practice.

19/11/22

Progress on “Feeling Stretched” and “Red Lines”. Getting there. Colour choices needing a tweak though.

20/11/22

Belfast trip with the family. Ulster Museum - Renaissance to Romanticism. Brueghel the Younger pieces very good and the Goya portrait on display is a special painting.

Great to get up with Jan and Imogen to see the RUA again.

26/11/22

Shocked and saddened to hear of Hugh O’Donnell’s passing. I got to know Hugh in applying for funding in 2018 and again in the run up to my solo show in Atypical in 2020.

Hugh was always so kind with his time - having a studio visit beforehand and his feedback and insight during the install was a dream. Hugh was a real presence and his life blessed all who spent time with him. Rest in Piece Hugh.

30/11/22

Priorities shifted about.

RDH: OCTOBER 2022

02/10/22

#Mousegate

Strange events

08/10/22

…notes complete. Need refined for easy consumption.

13/10/22

Crowd at opening of RUA in the Ulster Museum

Craig Donald's winning portrait: "Marinus van der Lubbe"

Alana Barton with her painting "Faeries".

Pictured alongside "Girl with Red Hair"

Royal Ulster Academy opening. Craig Donald won an award for best portrait! A great night all round and chuffed to see my little painting up on the wall with some wonderful artists.

14/10/22

Early start. Perhaps the X in X4 stands for extra-long.

The Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin

Works In Progress Space in the Hugh Lane

Mid Presentation

"O, To have a little house" by Michelle Malone at the LAB Gallery

Talk in the Hugh Lane couldn’t have gone any better. Pleased with the reaction and feedback from everyone and profoundly grateful to Basic Space for the opportunity to speak.

15/10/22

Studio Shot: 15/10/22

‘A Brush With… William Kentridge’.

charcoal - the indeterminacy of the point.

… at the edge of meaning.

“Give an image the benefit of the doubt… there is a danger in certainty.”

William Kentridge.

21/10/22

NB: Melancholic apostle image interesting.

22/10/22

World of proximities.

23/10/22

26/10/22

Sketchbook work.

David Lynch “The Art Life” - documentary

27/10/22

“The Art Spirit” by Robert Henri

30/10/22

“Cherish your own emotions and never under value them”

Robert Henri

RDH: APRIL 2021

01/04/21

“A Brush With… Ali Banisadr” - audio-visual synesthesia.

02/04/21

Palette is cleaned and managed to get some good work on “On Gilded Steps”.

03/04/21

Added some gold aerosol for the edges of the steps. So close to finishing it up. Very frustrating as last week one of the figures that was working the best is now the last piece of the puzzle yet to fit.

05/04/21

“On Gilded Steps” finished!

09/04/21

…apparently it was coming but it was a jolt and now a growing sense of uncertainty.

10/04/21

“Seven Types of Ambiguity” by William Empson.

Ambiguity has to be purposeful, holding multiple elements in suspension - that’s when the ambiguity works and has a function.

11/04/21

Such a leap from what was happening last year.

12/04/21

Catch up on webinars. Is ‘brand’ a dirty word?

13/04/21

Episode 27 of “Jo’s Art History Podcast” is live! Always strange to listen to yourself back but I really did enjoy the chat with Jo.

Some good sketchbook work tonight.

14/04/21

Re-watching Rego Documentary.

“Gathering Thoughts” gathering momentum.

16/04/21

Quick run to Belfast to lift “Hotel ‘78” from the RUA.

17/04/21

Studio work: less will be more with “G.T.”. Progress made but very slowly. I could have ploughed on this evening but I thought it was best to quit for the day while I was ahead.

19/04/21

“Leonardo" on Prime. Fast and loose with facts but still fun to watch.

22/04/21

Yesterday saw a long overdue clear-out of the office and the start of a fresh lick of paint.

25/04/21

I think I’ve taken “Gathering Thoughts” as far as I can go.

27/04/21

A solemn anniversary.

28/04/21

Submissions made. Fingers crossed. Primed large canvas today which took several coats. Barrow + woman with dogs / butcher?

Starting to get excited by a piece that hasn’t even been started yet.

29/04/21

Decided against ‘woman with dogs’ and ‘butcher’ imagery and opted instead for early biplanes of the RAF. This way I can instead swap scale instead of orientation and hopefully not overcrowd the composition. The red container behind the medics should be kept and then adding the planes using tonal differences / slightly different register. There and not there. Pillers - might be best to paint them out. There will probably be remnants of them as layers are added.

30/04/21

A broken up sort of day.

Surviving or THRIVING? - Panel Two Podcast!

On Thursday 18th March, I took part in a panel exchange regarding support and wellbeing in the visual art sector in Ireland. This was the second panel talk of which there will be a total of six - each one focussing on different areas of the creative sector in Ireland. Host by Dr Maureen Gaffney the other artists on the panel were Miriam O’Connor and Austin Ivers. Click below to listen to the podcast!

Surviving or Thriving? was created by the Waterford Healing Arts Trust with the Arts Council of Ireland and I would like to thank them for inviting me to speak and to Visual Artists Ireland for providing support for this panel.

It was great to get to know Miriam and Austin in the lead up and wonderful to hear their thoughts on being an artist during what’s been a rough twelve months.

The other Surviving or Thriving? events run up until the 1st April 2020 and more information about upcoming talks and workshops can be found here.

RDH: OCTOBER 2020

02/10/20

Prepping studio for visit

03/10/20

GT Reading Round returns!

-inbuilt desire to want something out of ourselves.

Atypical Studio Visit.

04/10/20

Sketchbook work.

06/10/20

MRI scan. Very loud.

Some progress on the little boy piece that was swiftly undone.

07/10/20

Studio Shot: 07/10/20

Materials ordered.

10/10/20

World Mental Health Day.

Very happy to have been asked to take part in the second day of Reimagine, Remake Replay’s mental health festival - Head and Heart.

Got a little emotional at one point but that is OK. In good company.

11/10/20

Real struggle to focus the past week. Probably the least productive day in the studio since March.

12/10/20

More work on little boy portrait.

15/10/20

Buck up ideas. Foot off the gas.

16/10/20

With new restrictions in place, there will be no Belfast visit tomorrow sadly.

17/10/20

Started two new canvases today. Not sure what’s up. For a while I thought it was the imagery that isn’t exciting enough but I don’t know anymore.

18/10/20

Some good movement on one canvas and a bit of weird experimenting on another.

21/10/20

New York Times: Rabbit Hole Podcast

(create intrigue)

22/10/20

“Silence is Golden” finished.

24/10/20

Surround Sound!

26/10/20

Painting work. (‘Misunderstood’ as a wee inside joke?)

The little go-cart piece - tougher than expected.

Two tone might be an option - like voyage home and G’OK.

27/10/20

Out of sorts.

20 paintings since March - hard to believe.

29/10/20

‘Confessional’ home safe and sound. Thanks to University of Atypical for their support and patience.

Sketchbook session

30/10/20

31/10/20

Radio Three’s Sunday Feature: Tate Modern - Exploding the Canon

With the darker evenings and the colder weather setting in, it’s not a surprise that studio time has dwindled. This shouldn’t mean that productive time goes to waste. I have been doing sketchbook work more and now is a good time to research other creative outlets.

○○○

RDH: AUGUST 2020

01/08/20

So saddened to hear of the passing of Chris Ledger. She was a true friend of the arts in NI and helped me in both a professional and personal capacity. Her tenacity and drive will be sorely missed.

02/08/20

Cleaning and priming.

03/08/20

‘Seashore Jester’ … over-painted to the point of no return - burnt and slashed. Good progress on “Enfield Study” though.

Close up of “Enfield Study”.

It’s finally happened! I’ve had a little painting accepted into this year’s RUA exhibition!

04/08/20

Wee day off.

05/08/20

“Enfield Study” finished.

Watched ‘Apocalypse Now’ properly for the first time. The real animal sacrifice at the end was disturbing.

06/08/20

Sketched out some new canvases including a narrow set for a triptych.

Object connected to the figure rather than the figure itself so may need to rethink the centre canvas.

…a few people have told me how “Enfield Study” disturbs them and makes them feel uncomfortable. So a job well done.

07/08/20

Lots of blocking in compositions today.

10/08/20

Greenberg vs Read (HANDBAGS!)

Some studio time today. Almost too warm.

12/08/20

Left up “Hotel ‘78” to the RUA today.

Sketchbook work.

14/08/20

Jenny Saville in the “A Brush With” podcast is great!

When asked what is art for, Saville replies:

“Art is for life. Art is for survival. You know it’s a shock of recognition that you feel a sense of belonging you recognise yourself in the world. I really believe it’s for survival. It’s intrinsic to being human. We either have to make marks or it’s like singing or making music. It’s fundamental to being a human being. I can’t imagine doing anything else. When I’m in the process of painting I feel very in touch with myself in a sense that nothing else I’ve ever done in my life does.”

Satellite paths

16/08/20

Nothing the past few days due to another trip to the hospital.

18/08/20

One year to go.

19/08/20

Finished “Exhibits A to C”. Good to get painting again after a little setback. Chuffed to be names Catalyst Art’s Member of the Month for August!

20/08/20

Some good studio time in today.

21/08/20

“A painting which is from a specific photograph - you have to go beyond the photograph so you have to make the paint do something and once it gets a nature of itself then it belongs to the world and it takes a long time to get be in that field.”

Jenny Saville (link for interview here)

23/08/20

“Avarice is the enemy of virtue.”

Leon Battista Alberti

Sketching and mostly failing.

25/08/20

Studio time but nothing too strenuous.

Great to have a virtual catch up with UoA folk!

29/08/20

Trauma is inarticulate.

Some good progress on “But I Don’t Get It”. Still flat in areas but it’s nearly there.

31/08/20

Finished “B.I.D.G.I.”

RDH: MARCH 2020

01/03/20

Focus turns to show opening.

03/03/20

Spend a little time looking and you might find a way in. Now at that limbo stage with “No Remorse”. Compositionally solid but colours and painterly gestures are off.

Surprising bound forward on “Self Portrait with Sketchbook”. Face is mask-like (maybe a good thing?)

05/03/20

Nervous as hell. First stop - Ursula Burke in the Ulster Museum. Wonderful scope and the wall mural is stunning. A quick jaunt into town - in GT’s “Dissolving Histories” I especially liked Stuart Calvin’s work. Great to see Dougal McKenzie’s project space show “More Bad News”. Beautiful little touches.

Ursula Burns in the Ulster Museum

"Dissolving Histories" in the Golden Thread

"Dissolving Histories" in the Golden Thread

"More Bad News" by Dougal McKenzie

"Songs and the Soil" by Mark Garry in the MAC

Next onto the MAC for Mark Garry’s “Songs and the Soil”. Placed over the three galleries, the work is immersive and stunning.

"Confessional" install in Atypical Gallery

Before the doors opened in Atypical

Myself and Dad under "Crown of Dionysus"

Helped with the last little touches to the show prep. Great turnout for Late Night Art and the feedback has knocked me back - in the best possible way. Really not good at taking compliments. Marcus Keeley came by for a chat in the store room for his “Instant Feedback” podcast.

06/03/20

Wee stay with Jane. A beautiful house and a beautiful soul. Finally got to visit QSS for “Four Female Painters” exhibition. Amazing space and great work. Alana Barton’s piece “Blossom” made me cry and not even ashamed to say it. It struck a nerve. The delicacy of the child’s little fingers touching the adult’s hair. Beautifully painted.

"Blossom" by Alana Barton

"Four Female Painters" show in QSS

Took myself back to re-watch Mark Garry’s videos in the MAC. The close up recordings of the horses is haunting and strangely intimate.

08/03/20

Few days off but little updates online here and there.

11/03/20

Sketchbook work

14/03/20

Scary times. Back to the looking phase. It seems to help.

Self Portrait: face is still very mask-like. Reminds me of a still from “Les yeux sans visage”.

…knowing when to quit for the day is important.

15/03/20

Slow burning day but when I eventually got to studio and began making real progress, the power goes off!

Serves me right for getting ahead of myself.

“No Remorse” in progress

16/03/20

The “In Conversation” that was to take place with the show in Atypical has rightly been postponed due to ongoing circumstances.

18/03/20

Have to self-isolate for 14 days. The worries mount.

22/03/20

Sketchbook work for the first time in 11 days. Feels like a lifetime.

Is there a better, more cohesive way to go about the drawing side of practice?

I think immediacy, or the notion of immediacy, is still important.

24/03/20

Transferred some recent drawings to acetate.

STEP UP!

25/03/20

Studio time with Radiohead.

26/03/20

A bit of sketching but mainly organising imagery.

“There’s no point in worryin’ what ye can’t control.”

BAK

“No Remorse” is finished. There are parts that still annoy but all in all pleased to it’s best to leave it and move on.

28/03/20

Pushing and pulling with “Self Portrait with Sketchbook”. Frustrating but really fun at the same time!

29/03/20

Cleaning palette and studio up. Also stripped the background of “SPwS”. Too similar to the skin tones and made the canvas seem quite flat.

30/03/20

So bloody close!

31/03/20

Last day of quarantine.

Great to take part in the VAI online café and to get an insight into Tinka Bechert’s wonderful work.

“SPwS” finished. It is very wonky as it’s taken from a very wonky sketch from a few years ago but there’s something about the sketch that made me want to try and develop it into a painting for quite some time.

RDH: NOVEMBER 2019

01/11/19

… good job I checked…

Sketching today but no joy. How to move past this?

02/11/19

A good tidy up in the studio. “H” going well.

03/11/19

Helping Jan with some wire-wool spinning experiments.

11/11/19

Recording today and some solid sketchbook time. It’s so important. It is where ideas form and lay roots.

15/11/19

“Long years of secrecy have turned their faces into masks.” - not sure where I heard this from.

16/11/19

Detail of “Helen” - oil and charcoal on canvas.

“Helen” finished up.

17/11/19

Consciously hold back images.

EMPATHY

22/11/19

What am I doing?

24/11/19

Sketchbook work.

25/11/19

“The Art Advocate” podcast - episode 8 is live!

28/11/19

Bizarre

Delighted to have been commended in the Moth Art Prize 2019!

29/11/19

“Real painters understand with a brush in their hand.”

Berthe Morisot

Need to try and make one little hour of creative work each weekday.

30/11/19

What a difference a boiler makes!

Episode 8 of the Art Advocate Podcast

Delighted to have been asked to sit down and have a chat with the wonderful Fiona Stewart for episode 8 of the Art Advocate Podcast!

Huge thanks to Fiona for inviting me to her wonderful studio for a chat and definitely check out previous episodes as well as keeping an eye out future podcasts.

RDH: OCTOBER 2019

01/10/19

“A puncture - a level of emotion” - Zarina Bhimji

Mental health does not and should not define who we are.

Work is dropped off to Newtownards!

03/10/19

Umbrella destroyed by storm but the opening of “Bardo” was great. Great support from friends and a wonderful text written by Gemma Murphy.

09/10/19

“Sress is the killer of creativity” - Jamian Juliano Villani

Good sketchbook session tonight.

11/10/19

Doodles to burn.

12/10/19

‘Cooley’ is gone. Very stale so had to go. A really old image of Helen has replaced it. It’s been a long time since I attempted this image.

Mask and orchard idea. Sucker for attempting old failures.

17/10/19

Placed…

The prodigal ipod returns after nearly a year missing.

19/10/19

“Study of Helen” - image is nine years old and I’ve tried to tackle it many many times but only now does it feel like I am making any sort of headway. Difficult to describe. “No Regrets” - push and pull between the two images.

20/10/19

Conscious decision to limit the palette initially. Sometimes there can be too much choice - especially when starting a new piece. Thinking that by limiting colour in the first stages it can help focus in on tonal values and composition a little more.

“No Regrets” - Painting in progress

Weekends aren’t long enough.

24/10/19

Couple kissing under a dark sky.

Geometric lines turn from canvas folds to forks of lightning.

Portrait with slightly opened lips.

26/10/19

Joy Gerrard

Zoë Murdoch

Ciaran Harper

Alana Barton

Cornelia Parker

Very impressed with the RUA show this year. Some really strong works. Also great to check out the Ulster Museum’s new acquisition of Cornelia Parker.

Troy Michie

Elliott Jerome Brown Jr.

‘On Refusal’ in the MAC is brilliant - especially Troy Michie’s stunning collages.

David Sherry’s ‘Philosophical Society’ in the Golden Thread Gallery was a lot of fun!

Some unexpected speed curating from VAI was good fun and great to meet up with old friends.

27/10/19

Little visit to Fiona Stewart’s fabulous studio to be recorded for an upcoming podcast.

30/10/19

Applications.