Clontarf Christmas Art Fair and other news...

Paris Street, Rainy Day 1877 by Gustave Caillebotte (1848-1894)

This week I have some paintings in the local Christmas Art Fair at Clontarf GAA club. It is a three day Friday to Sunday event on the coming weekend. I have also been busy looking at the printers available for A3 and A2 printmaking and may go down the route of buying one rather than paying someone else to print for me. I haven't decided yet, looking at the costs of various printers versus inks etc. first. I got some great results from the visit to the photographer I chose (Sheldon Photographic), and he was really helpful in creating the final files ready to print. So making some progress - now just need to get my non art projects, house decorating etc. out of the way to get more art done!! With Christmas around the corner too, it's going to be a busy time over the next while. What else is new!

Getting organised...Prints for sale from an emerging artist!

The above is an illustration I dug out while going through my files. It was a bit of drawing practice and I am not really sure when I did it, maybe two years ago or less. I am pleased with how it turned out as I drew it entirely in ink and one mistake meant it was finished and couldn't be corrected. So it forced me to really focus. Having said that I wouldn't recommend to do this, it is very unnerving if you are afraid of making a mistake!

This week I am getting some paintings photographed professionally to enable me to make prints. So very soon I will be able to offer a range of prints in various sizes and on various surfaces, ranging from archival quality paper to canvas. Check back over the next while and you will be able to see as I set up the prints for sale section of the Etsy shop or offer them for sale at prices which are more affordable than the originals. Also I will be able to sell images of which before I didn't want to sell the original.

I have been busier than anticipated over the last while and shall post more progress as I get the chance on the recent paintings... pontoon bridge and clare island. In the meantime why not explore some of the rest of this blog...there's lots to see!

Oil Painting of Clare Island - Irish Landscape Painting

This is the painting of Clare Island that I started this week - based on photos taken by my parents while touring in County Mayo. To those not familiar with Ireland, Mayo is in the far west, north of Galway and contains some really incredible scenery. Also, as I have always thought, the ever-changing skies are quite stunning at times there.

Below are some progress photos showing my initial drawing and work on the underpainting. The above photo is at the finish of the underpainting stage, more or less. As the photos are taken indoors they are a little dull compared to the reality of the actual colours. I will post further as I progress it....so check back. Also feel free to visit my online shop - click shanahanart or the etsy link on the right below my photo. I hope soon to organise prints of my work so check back also if interested in buying some of my work as a print.

Changing circumstances -- More to follow...

This week has been eventful and due to circumstances at this moment I now anticipate having more time to concentrate on my art for the foreseeable future. Enough about that, except to say that I have the chance to really push my ability and see how far I can stretch myself over the following weeks and months. This is a development I was not entirely unprepared for and I see it as an opportunity in disguise.

Last night I attended the opening of an exhibition by Claudio Viscardi, opened by Bill Cullen, a prominent businessman in Ireland (currently he plays the same part of Donald Trump in the Irish version of The Apprentice). It was in Gormley Fine Art in the centre of Dublin. It was an interesting exhibition, by this well established artist (Claudio is dual Irish Swiss nationality and lives in the Beara Penninsula Kerry) and a reporter was taking photos. Bill Cullen is quite flamboyant and gave a lively speech to open proceedings. There was a wine reception and Bill's teenage children played traditional music on harp. I stayed for about an hour. The exhibition was a chance to meet other artists and art enthusiasts and I enjoyed conversation with several people there.

I am entering some paintings in a Christmas art fair to be held in the rugby club in the Clontarf area of Dublin, so have to decide what ones I will put in this next week.

Thats about it for an update. There will be some more frequent postings of work in the following weeks as I have the time. I am looking to start a series of paintings of Irish landscapes, unless I get distracted onto under themes, which happens on occasion too...