The church, the tree and the ambulance

And here is how the painting ended up. It's quite clear from the title I gave it that I couldn't decide what my focal point would be. I'll definitely revisit this using what I learned from the workshop on composition with Uma Kelkar! So, maybe we'll use this painting as the "before" example. Let's see how I can push it!!

That said, let me tell you this: I didn't play with possible compositions, but I played with colours. The sky was blue, so is the church wall, and the grass was definitely green. So, for me, this is a big departure from literally painting what's in front of me!!

And yes, it is a scene from UCD, the university campus where we've been walking our dog for the past 32 days - I can't believe it's so long since I've been by the sea!

UCD, ambulance parked

I've been taking lots of photos in UCD lately, as this is the furthest we can go under the current restrictions. I probably won't be painting a full series inspired by the university campus, but there are a few views that I would like to explore further.
I'm starting again to use a sketchbook for preliminary ideas, compositions, tones, shapes, colours.
So, even if what I paint doesn't work out this time, I will always have these notes to refer to in future!

Áras an Uachtaráin

I'm enjoying these virtual outings with Dublin Sketchers! We go places we wouldn't be able to go to otherwise, the weather is never cold or wet, and I don't have to carry my bag of tricks!

So, Louise had this wonderful idea for us to go to Áras an Uachtaráin, the beautiful house in the Phoenix Park where our president, Michael D. Higgins lives with his wife Sabina. The two locations that caught my eye the most were the maze garden and the entrance hall. 

For the garden, I worked in direct watercolour, with a touch of watercolour pencil to help me keep important angles where they should be. I added the background in light pen.

For the hall, it was all about that amazing painting and the contrast of its fluidity with the formal ceiling. 

Thoroughly enjoyed it. We'll be back again, Mr President!

By the way, I'm currently working in a Seawhite of Brighton watercolour sketchbook, and I'm enjoying the paper very much. It's almost like the old Moleskine watercolour paper - not quite as vibrant in terms of how the colours work, but smooth enough for fountain pen and textured enough for lovely granulations.

And yes, it used to be the viceregal lodge, the residence of the British viceroy in Ireland, before Ireland became independent, so I had no trouble finding a quote in Ulysses!
'And the viceroy was there with his lady.'

Beyond my ability

I took a photo in Belfield the other day, and there was a lovely contrast between a bright green silver birch and the dark building beside it, with a round structure to the side. I did some preliminary sketches, and I've come to the conclusion that I'm not quite ready for that - light tree over dark background. And those circular sun-shades. It would be a setback to try and paint that. Let's eat this elephant one bite at a time. Maybe time for thumbnails - shape studies and value studies!

Amsterdam

I'm very much in experimenting mode at the moment, trying different styles and techniques. Hopefully something good will come out of it, but I have come to the conclusion that now is not the time for me to paint a masterpiece. For that, I need a stronger energy. I am in good form, but these are not normal times, and I am not feeling the joy that comes to me when I'm out sketching or plein air painting, be it in Dublin or anywhere else in the world. So, rather than trying to battle it, I have decided to go with the flow. I came across a photo I took in Amsterdam last year, during the Urban Sketchers Symposium (and the heat wave - oh, I would love a bit of heat on my bones right now!). And it brought back lots of happy memories, so I decided to paint a happy painting. Including boats, cars and bicycles!!
This is not how I see myself painting, but you know what, I'm happy with it! Just because I actually included the boats and cars and bicycles!

Drawing our food

Another day, another challenge! After drawing my own flat sourdough, I needed to be inspired by my friends in Dublin Sketchers and their wonderful food arrangements. Where would we be without Zoom? But now that I think of it, I also want to sketch my own arrangement, which was a pyramid of tins from Lidl! - next time, I'll start with my own!! I didn't draw everybody's food, I have to admit. Strangely, I find that sketching from Zoom gives me almost the same buzz as sketching from life. But sketching from a photo does nothing for me. And yet, another things I can't explain, is that when I paint in watercolours, I work from photos 90% of the time. I would love to do a lot more plein air work, but, even without a pandemic, it's a challenging past-time in Ireland - paint that won't dry because of the damp air, easel that goes flying in the wind, ... Still lives are definitely more relaxing!

And I have a couple more pages in my sketchbook for Joyce quotes, so here we go: 'Famine, plague and slaughters. Their blood is in me, their lusts my waves... I spoke to no-one: none to me.'

Life drawing with Megan, all the way from Hawaii

It was such a joy to draw Megan last week, joining us all the way from Hawaii! I've only got 4 drawings that I'm happy with, but yet, I felt wonderful all through the whole drawing session. She had the window open to her garden, and we could hear so many exotic birds (and a few hens) singing their hearts out! It was really so special. 

And for the last pose, she brought a leaf from her garden!! Amazing!

I'm in a phase where I'm trying to add some basic features to the face, so the following drawings were definitely not my best! Clearly I have a lot to learn, as I can't seem to be able to draw body and face in the same drawing! Maybe in another few years, after a lot more practise!

Vegetable patch

We had some sunshine last week, and it was actually pleasant to sit outside and sketch for a bit. The sun didn't show up today, unfortunately. And it's been colder. Still, we're making the most of what we have, going for a good walk twice a day, which keeps us in good physical and mental shape. Scary to say, but the last week has gone in a flash. It's like we're getting into a rhythm. Maybe it's to do with the hope that there will be some relaxation of the confinement measures from the 5th of May? But what if they let the builders go back to work, but we still can't go beyond the 2km perimeter? That would be tough! Although our neighbour was telling us the other day that in Moscow, you cannot go further than 100 meters from your apartment. And children in Spain were not allowed outside for the last 44 days! So, yes, we are the lucky ones!

Now, back to my little garden. well, it's not looking the best right now. Half of it has been taken over by Brendan's garlic. And then I have a massive parsley plant in the middle of the other half. And chives. We never eat chives. So, I'm not sure how I'm going to organise things in order to plant my lettuce and bean seeds. I probably should have started sooner, but I'm always reluctant to do anything in the garden before early May. I just don't want to spend time nurturing little plants only to see them killed off by frost in late April. Which can happen. And did, only a few days ago. I was very lucky last year with lettuce and beans, so even if that's all I plant, it will be OK. Carrots and beetroots were not so good. I'm not a natural.

'A nice salad, cool as a cucumber, Tom Kernan can dress. Puts gusto into it. Pure olive oil. Milly served me that cutlet with a sprig of parsley. Take one Spanish onion. '

Zoom in on the plants

It is so lovely to meet up with fellow sketchers and spend an hour or so sketching together. This time, we all brought a plant to the party. Some healthier than others. There was even a money plant that originated as a cutting smuggled back to Ireland from California in a suitcase!

I drew in pen only, but then for the last few minutes, I took out my watercolours and started a new page in direct watercolour, maybe all inspired by Lapin in his interview with Rob Sketcherman on USkTalks!


' Language of flowers. They like it because no-one can hear. Or a poison bouquet to strike him down. Then walking slowly forward he read the letter again, murmuring here and there a word. Angry tulips with you darling manflower punish your cactus if you don’t please poor forgetmenot how I long violets to dear roses when we soon anemone meet all naughty nightstalk wife Martha’s perfume.'

'The greeneyed monster. (Earnestly.) You know how difficult it is. I needn’t tell you.
ZOE: (Flattered.) What the eye can’t see the heart can’t grieve for. (She pats him.) Come.
BLOOM: Laughing witch! The hand that rocks the cradle.
ZOE: Babby!'

Roses

I'm getting into a space where I feel ready to start painting more freely. But I feel I need to be gentle with myself. So, roses, started wet in wet, in a small format, is always a good place. Maybe not as ambitious as I would like to be. But still enjoyable.

And here is what the first layer looked like. Sometimes I feel I should only ever paint one layer!

Bread

I actually sketched this one before Róisín Curé did her USkTalks interview with Rob Sketcherman. I had baked my sourdough bread last week. It turned out flatter than I would have liked. Same thing again this week, despite adding a bit more flour so the dough isn't so wet, and giving it a good stretch before placing it in the Dutch over (or Le Creuset to you and me). But I think the problem is timing. My starter is lively and boozy. The dough looks good at the start. But I let it sit overnight and when I come down and look at it in the morning, it's like it's exhausted itself, rising beyond its ability. So I can do one of two things: 1: get up at 4 am, or 2: bake in the evening. Neither is ideal as I like to have fresh bread for lunchtime. Two friends have sent me tips and recipes. My husband has shown me YouTube videos. What bothers me, though, is that the recipe I follow never gave me any trouble before - it was a different starter, of course, but I knew my dough was bouncy and happy and it never failed. Whereas now, I know it lacks energy. I just need to get my schedule sorted!

USk Virtual - Top of O'Connell Street

'Simon Dedalus said when they put him in parliament that Parnell would come back from the grave and lead him out of the house of commons by the arm.
...
They passed from behind Mr Bloom along the curbstone. Beard and bicycle. Young woman.'

For Easter, we were sketching, virtually, between the GPO and the Garden of Remembrance. I chose this building at the top of O'Connell street, at the corner or Parnell Square. Because it's a busy junction and it would be hard to sit in the middle of the road and sketch while cars, busses and trams zoom by. And because it's a gorgeous building.

OK, at first glance, this looks like my usual kind of sketch, but it's not - first of all, I painted the shapes, then added pen on top. And then, a thing I find hard to do, I didn't draw every single window. And you probably hadn't noticed until I told you! Plus I added a car. And the statue of Charles Stewart Parnell, which actually stands on a big monument to the left of the spot I'm standing on. But I decided to make two sketches out of it, rather than a badly-composed one.

Charles Stewart Parnell, now that brings back memories. College project in first year, with Martine, for VDH. When he said "not bad", we were over the moon. And that was the start of my life-long love affair with Ireland!

Sandymount seafront and big sky

So this painting is the reason why I was practising cars. A few weeks ago, when we could still go beyond 2 kms, we were walking Sandymount beach, and I captured a view with a beautiful sky. I love skies, but are they enough for a painting? For me, yes they probably would. But I would probably get bored. And so would you. Although, now that I look at my sky attempts, maybe I should just practise skies after all? It's hard to keep it all in balance. I remember something Veronica Lawlor said to me in Amsterdam that struck a chord: if you keep sketching scenes without people, your skill level for people will always lag behind everything else, so you have to incorporate all elements in your sketches. (Words to that effect, anyway)

So the seafront has all these beautiful Georgian houses, and a few horrors too, but I ignored those. I love the pattern repetition of the windows, and the chimneys, and the colour variations. But without cars, it would not have worked, I think. Now, I know that all my cars are the same colour, but I had enough colours with the houses, so let's pretend this is a Hertz car park!

We're doing well, despite the restrictions. But I can't wait to get back to the sea, and far horizons, and big skies. What do you miss the most?

Below you'll find how I got to this painting above. Exploring story, composition, colours, etc etc. And I'm not done yet! But as is often the case with me, I'm itching to move to something else. I feel that I get too frustrated if I attempt the same view too many times. But if I move on to something else, I will learn on the way and the next time I come back to painting something similar, I will be better prepared. Or maybe not. Anyway, life is short, art is long.

UCD, yellow flowers

This is only a small paiting, but done in direct watercolour, so it's boosted my confidence in painting more. Since the 2km-rule has been applied, UCD is the furthest we can go for walks with Timber. And we're lucky to have it, lots of different paths, wide avenues where you can side-step the joggers and cyclists, plenty of vegetation, coming into leaf and flower at this beautiful time of the year. So I've been taking lots of photos with my phone, and I will try to paint a few of the views, as a memory of this special time. But when the rule is finally relaxed, I will not want to set foot there again for months!

Cat on the bed

Another thing I need to practise, cats. Still, this guy has been sketched more already than our previous cat. And he will be sketched some more while we're confined at home! He's got a great life. Up around 7, gets his breakfast, goes outside to watch his territory until about lunchtime, comes back in for an afternoon snooze, until about 6pm, when he goes out again to chase away any pretenders that might be lurking around, in at 9-9:30pm, nosebag, sleep. Simple life. Great routine.

'BELLO: Hold him down, girls, till I squat on him.

ZOE: Yes. Walk on him! I will.

FLORRY: I will. Don’t be greedy.

KITTY: No, me. Lend him to me.'

Bloomsday 2020

I have said this before, but the world is in Ulysses. So, no matter what I sketch, I can find a passage in Ulysses that will evoke something for me. Sometimes it's pretty obvious. I'm no Joycean scholar. Sometimes it's more subtle
Like this one, about our first Zoom call

'its metamorphoses as vapour, mist, cloud, rain, sleet, snow, hail: its strength in rigid hydrants:... its ubiquity as constituting 90 % of the human body:...'

Cars

Cars are an ongoing struggle. I should practise them more. But then, the same applies to faces, hands, skies, boats, water, ellipses and a million other things. I should have more time to explore these things, but you know how it is, the more time expands, the less time you have.

So, the conclusion I've drawn is that drawing the 3/4 view is hard. And all cars in my paintings are going to be parked face on, no matter the perspective!

I've been looking at cars in Alvaro Castagnet's paintings. Such economy of brushwork! He always makes it look so easy! I think I can break it down to a narrow windscreen reflecting warm light, a wider bonnet still reflecting light but maybe darker (depends if the sun is shining or not, really), a dark front bumper, dark dark dark wheels and shadows, and two white dots for the front lights (or red lights for a rear view).

I think these are pretty cool (from a photo I took in a car park near where we walk the dog).

My first efforts were pretty disastrous.

I know I can draw cars slowly from direct observation, but what I'm trying to do here is reach a level of abstraction where I can paint them really quickly as street furniture for urban landscapes. Irish houses can look pretty quaint and I feel that adding cars to the landscapes will help steer my paintings away from cute Oirishness. Plus, as an urban sketcher, it's about time I sketched cars, don't you think!

Hats

Another week, another Zoom. This time, we put on our fancy hats. First prize to Louise of course!

And I'm still working on the hope that Bloomsday will happen, although, realistically, it's not looking good, despite the improving shape of the Irish curve. But a festival with people travelling from all over the world? Mmm. Still, it's a bit like the Leaving Cert, if you're not studying as if the exam is tomorrow, you will never be ready!!

'They put on their bonnets and best clothes and take their umbrellas for fear it may come on to rain.

—Wise virgins, professor MacHugh said.'

Dublin Zoo

We're so lucky to have Louise organising our locations for April - she's thinking of all the places we can't get to on normal Sundays, like the Zoo, which is too expensive (and busy) to sketch in. But they have webcams and Google Maps street view through the main paths, so it was an ideal spot for virtual sketching. Of course I would prefer to be out there doing real urban sketching, but beggars can't be chooser!

I have been somewhat dissatisfied with my sketches lately, so I'm trying new things. On this occasion, I applied a loose watercolour wash, then drew with a fountain pen on top. But when the penguins came out, I reverted to type. It was fun, though!

'Wait. Stop. Gulls. Good heart. I saw. Innocence. Girl in the monkeyhouse. Zoo. Lewd chimpanzee.'

'(Breathlessly.) Pelvic basin. Her artless blush unmanned me. (Overcome with emotion.) I left the precincts. '

'What in water did Bloom, waterlover, drawer of water, watercarrier, returning to the range, admire? Its universality:...  its sterility in the circumpolar icecaps, arctic and antarctic: ...'