Commissioned painting

Just finished a 2metre wide painting which a couple who bought my 'big egg' commissioned from me. They are leaving Ireland to return to USA and wanted something to remind them of Ireland.
The theme is based on a poem by Yeats about two lovers destined to be together after death in the form of two swans and two entwined trees. It also incorporates icons that the couple requested. Its a busy painting but I'm happy with the result.
Its titled 'the two strings that made one sound'

Go n-eirí an bothar libh

For my good friends Nico and barbara

Big Egg Progress

The Big Egg Hunt 2013 will be Ireland’s biggest and most interactive public art display where 100 exquisite and uniquely crafted eggs designed by leading artists and celebrities will take over the streets of Dublin. The Eggs will be placed in key locations in Dublin from the 12th February (Pancake Tuesday) to the 15th March after which they will be brought to one central location and displayed for one week.
I am painting one of the eggs. 

I have taken the theme of fertility – Easter, the egg, Spring, rebirth.. and used the image of Brigid, the old celtic goddess of fertility. Her profile sits under a shining sun renewing the life energy in the earth and causing plants to shoot, grow and flower from her hair, which winds down and around the egg. As we spiral around the circumference of the egg, there is more and more growth – Spring turning to summer, part of the endless natural cycle of the seasoned year...

Below are some pics of the progress of painting the egg which has proven to be a bit of an ordeal, especially the underside of it! Although the egg looks manageable, the surface area is huge!!!
Anyway, once I finish it, varnish it and get it in some good light I'll post some more pics..

Two landscapes

I just delivered these two landscapes on cotton rag paper to the Joan Clancy gallery in An Rinn, Dungarvan. They're of the ruins and the harbour of ballinskelligs, near the Cill rialaig artist retreat... One of my favourite places..

West coast landscape

Back to landscapes for a change. I find when I get stuck, when the inspiration isn't flowing strong, I can return to more figurative work and that generates ideas for the abstract. Landscapes are like practise, going back to basics. So here's one of a little bay in Kerry..

Blue tit

Just a little pic of a blue tit..

Rothe house paintings

I installed 2 of the 3 recent paintings I did based on compositions within the German expressionist films cabinet of dr caligari and der golem. This is for the Kilkenny arts festival. The largest of the 3 is almost 3 metres wide and was the largest painting I've completed. The fumes as I was working on it nearly killed me!