Thursday, September 2, 2010

The fountain at Mt. Mellary


Everything seems so flat without strong directional sunlight. I'm at the fountain in the grounds of the monastery at Mount Mellary. I came out early to take some photos and create some thumbnails in the mountains.The monastery is a very special peaceful place. I always stop by when I'm working in the Knockmealdown Mountains.
I have been reaching into the landscape finding endless surfaces each one beneath the last I have been using glazing techniques to respond to this idea and explore the layers always trying for the next surface.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The Nature of reality


Early this morning I packed sandwich camera tripod sketchbooks and watercolours and drove into the Knockmealdown Mountains.Spent some time at the Vee and took some more reference photos From that vantage point you can see across the valley and the other mountain ranges including Slievenamon the Galtee mountains and the Comeragh's. I am working on a series of landscape images at the moment some quite large. I am moving quite freely between smaller watercolours on paper an larger Oil and Acrylic works on panels and canvas. This return to large landscape after two years working on small images specifically for Limited Editions is very refreshing. The process of creating small block work can become mechanical if one stays at it too long even though some good work emerged.
I have always found that when dealing with landscape that I work in layers especially using acrylic and oils. I start with soft underpainting using earth tints and using stronger colours as the painting progresses, finally using oil glazes to complete the work
The satisfaction for me is how each element connects and how I feel in rhythm with the process . As I look for balance in the work it ceases to be a particular place and even though it is a representational image certain abstract elements appear.
I have long since ceased trying to force anything as I am now sure that the most important part of the creative process for me is to allow the image to emerge and to acknowledge that all is connected.
For me Painting has become an investigation into the nature of reality.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Back in the Mountains


I have been painting on location in the mountains the Galtees, Slievenamon, Comeragh's and Knockmealdown. Doing small watercolour sketchs and very loose drawings. Collecting visual information on the landscape to create some large scale work later in the studio.I still think this is the most valuable way of reaching inside the subject matter and I find that I can deal with rapid light change by concentrating on tonal values and recording colour changes with small thumbnails

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Drawings and Waterc...
By Ronnie Fitzgerald