The Mysterious Traveller

Here's a peak at one of the images from the book I am working on at the moment.
It is set in the mountains and deserts of north Africa.
I was thinking that this one has the potential to be a good cover image for the book.

RTE Radio Interview

Here's a link to the interview I did last week with Richie Beirne of RTE's Arena programme.
I really enjoyed meeting Richie and I think it shows in the piece.

Two Studies of Giuseppe

Here are two paintings I did of Giuseppe.
They are both of the same pose but seen from different angles, and in the second quicker study, I decided to try a grisaille in oils for the first time.
It's quite surprising to me how different in character the sitter appears in each picture.
The more sensitive, spiritual look in the first painting is certainly a truer reflection of Giuseppe's nature.

RTE Radio interview tonight

The interview I did with Arena's Richie Beirne airs at 7.30 on RTE Radio 1 tonight.
If you are in Ireland you can listen on the radio, otherwise I will post a link in the next few days.
Richie and I had a great chat so hopefully it will make for an interesting segment of the programme.

Mervyn Peake, 1911-1968

Saturday 9th July 2011, marked the hundredth anniversary of the birth of the great author and illustrator, Mervyn Peake.
If you are unfamiliar with Peake's work, there are some great publications and exhibitions happening now to coincide with his centenary.
And the BBC are doing a new Radio presentation of Gormenghast which you can listen to on the BBC iPlayer.
I was fascinated by Peake and Gormenghast since I was given a gift of the trilogy of books when I was a student. Years later, I was thrilled when I was selected by the Peake family to be the artist who would illustrate Boy in Darkness, a novella described as a "fragment from Gormenghast."
Below is my cover artwork for the book.

A Drawing of PJ by Conor Walton

I was given the very kind gift of this drawing by one of my Thursday drawing buddies, Conor Walton.
And I was able to find the painting of Angelique that I was working on so intently when Conor drew me.
It's always an interesting comparison to look at how two artists tackle the same subject.
I must say I love the elegance and restraint in Conor's drawing.

Westport Arts Festival 2011 Poster

Here is the poster I designed for the Westport Arts Festival 2011, which has just gone live on the festival's website.
I was trying to reference the mystic heritage of the region, and incorporating one of Westport's best known landmarks in a slightly irreverent way, I have St Patrick (atop the column) leading the dance on his fiddle.
I also designed a vertical version of the poster to be used as a flyer.

Sunday Times Article

Here is the article that appeared in yesterday's Sunday Times Culture magazine.
I have kept the jpegs pretty big so you should be able to read the text.
Pavel's piece is a very good distillation of the long and pleasant discussion we had a week or two ago.
My authors will be intrigued by the sub editor's headline that says they get more money than I do.



The photo of me in my studio is by Fergal Philips.