Halloween Carve-up

After days of pestering from my nine year old daughter, I finally got around to the annual task of fashioning the pumpkinhead. This year's theme was; drool. We wanted to represent the sticky moistness of yer average monster by leaving some of the 'meat' in the mouth.

As usual, a job that's supposed to be a father/daughter bonding experience started to turn into a serious carving session, with daughter standing by wondering how she could be involved...

Scary.

Look Mum: No Hands!

Lidl seem to be able to tap into my thoughts. A couple of weeks ago, after spending almost €50 at Woodworkers getting some MDF cut down into squares for painting supports for my students, [they charge €1.80 per cut] I decided to invest in one of these lads. The cheapest I could find in the specialist tool shops was around €199, with a possible €40 to buy a new, finer blade for cutting MDF.

Next thing is Lidl put this one on offer at €130. This isn't the first time they've had just what I was looking for at the moment when I needed it. How do they do that? What other private thoughts are they reading? Am I that bloody predictable?

Just one thing, though: The only problem so far is the 'eccentric lever' which is supposed to lock the 'fence' [the moveable guide to which you knock up the wood to be cut]. After a couple of cuts, it loosened and now won't stay in position; I have to keep it fixed with a G clamp . At 1700 watts, the blade cuts very well and the machine seems to be solid enough. And...AND...it came with two blades, one course and one fine.

I believe next week, Lidl are doing a range of prosthetic hands.

Not Quite All Washed-up Yet...

I received a communiqué [well -a comment] from somebody who asked why I'd stopped posting to this blog recently. 'Tis true -I have only posted seven times in the whole of this year.

To Anonymous.

The reasons for my lethargy were that I thought no-one was reading this stuff, for a start; so that's one reason! It's truly gratifying when I discover that someone is listening to my outpourings -especially when the comments are as cheering as yours. Thank you.

More importantly though, I've been through some challenging times, shall we say, along with many. First, a sudden and dramatic fall-off in editorial illustration work forced me to rethink how I should be directing my efforts; and really about how I should be living my life. What's true is that I had become increasingly dissatisfied with life as a jobbing illustrator and there are several strands to this: The constant but fruitless promotional efforts [I had a database of well over a thousand two hundred names that sat in my computer ever accusing me of not contacting them].

The work that I really enjoyed ; illustrating for the Irish Times Business on Friday section was cut and I was left with one last editor who had the authority and desire to buy in my illustrations. However, the editorial approach was too heavy-handed for me and I gave it up. The only 'work' I enjoyed doing was sketching and posting them up on Creative Ireland!

The reality is; the problem has been mostly me. I don't like being told what to draw or paint. Sure, most people who dislike their jobs just turn up at their workplaces and do their daily duties but the whole point of striving to be an artist is that you mustn't compromise your soul and that's what I was doing. I've been involved in too many projects where some cardboard-brained pillock has taken over and ruined a good idea. Furthermore, I'm brutal at negotiations and almost always short-change myself. The one piece of advice that I can offer to those wishing to make a profession of their art is: Don't make your hobby into your job as I did. A good artist is an amateur in the real sense of the word. If money comes in as a result of my artistic endeavours, that's great -it'll allow me more latitude for art.

The upshot of all this navel-gazing is that I started teaching painting in my studio. That's my day job. I turn up to work four times a week on two days and earn my wages. You can take a gander at my Art Classes Ireland site, if you like. In fact, teaching ticks many of the boxes for me:

• Time. I work 12 hours a week -the rest of the week is mine, to do with what I please. That includes the following: Painting my own compositions; taking on an illustration project from decent and respectful clients; staring out the window of a favourite café; playing the fiddle; doing raised-leg farts; organising paintings for exhibitions; thinking; farting while jumping up in the air and clicking my heels; catching up on my neglected blog[s]; meeting colleagues in cafés -and jointly staring out of the windows.
• I meet great people -my students come to me because they like my work, so they want to be here.
• I now know where I'll be and what I'll be doing on two days of the week -that hasn't happened for the last fifteen years. I'm the last person who should be left to organise my own week!
• Choice. At long last I feel that it's an easier prospect to reject offers of work by clients who I know won't suit me.

To finish; currently I feel about as happy as I could be. I'm painting for myself. I'm not so pressured that I snap at my family. Sure, I don't have much money but I have abundant other riches. I'm awash in a sea of love rather than swamped in the corrosive bilge-water of commerce.

Thanks for asking. How are you?

Les Petites Soeurs Gouache

Me old matey Steve Simpson's story about acrylic paint drying on the brush during his Italian painting holiday prompted me to bring along a set of gouache tubes on our family camping spell in France. Good thing too -there was a real heatwave for much of the time. I didn't get much painting done but I managed to get some time to doodle in the bar whilst the bairns were in the mini-club. I tore off part of an empty cereal packet which served as a palette for the entire time I was there.

I can't really remember what I wanted to achieve with these two. I seem to recall that I wanted to give them a kind of deathly, consumptive pallor -and that they're supposed to be sketches for a future painting. I used varying mixtures of cyan, magenta, yellow and ochre for the skin tones [Why is it that gouache sets keep to printers' colours? Perhaps because gouache was the preferred medium of graphic designers?]. I aimed to keep the whites of their eyes tonally similar to the skin.

Gouache is a pleasant and forgiving medium and I must use it more. The high density of pigment allows the building up of colour and it's possible to use a wet brush to blend at any stage. I brought a good high-quality Hahnemühle 5" x 5" sketchbook with me; no amount of blending or reworking broke down the surface of the paper. Mmmmmmmm.

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Ireland should do this not because it's easy; but because we've a lot of unemployed builders.

Acrylics on stretched canvas

Bearding Michael O'Doherty

I've just read Marketing Magazine and saw the reference to Michael O'Doherty's Sunday Times interview. I didn't read the original article unfortunately. O'Doherty is quoted as saying that the one thing he'd change in Irish tax system is the artists' exemption. "Seriously", he's quoted a saying, "why is it that someone who writes a crap book doesn't have to pay tax, simply because they have a beard, whereas a team of well-groomed people who produce a brilliant magazine, do?".

I do suppose that the man was joking [although it does start with the word 'seriously'] or else that quote would win the Double Take accolade for being, witless, peevish and ignorant all at once. I do understand that people who pay tax regularly may feel aggrieved that a whole section of the workforce seems to be treated favourably [including myself; I'm a registered artist under the exemption scheme although I do pay tax on some work]. O'Doherty's glib comments aside, it's worth examining the system as it stands. First, the scheme for the much greater part, covers people whose income would not rise to the level where it would be taxed, anyway. [There was talk of capping the scheme: Here's a quote from Visual Artists Ireland's report on how the scheme has been adjusted: "The scheme therefore does not represent a cap of €250,000 on the artists exemption scheme but rather a cap on the percentage of total income that can be exempted from tax which applies to those who earn over €250,000. High earning artists whose total income is comprised of up to 50% of creative earnings and 50% of non creative earnings (from performing or merchandising for example) will not be effected by the new proposals no matter how much they earn. This is a significant difference to the implementation of a straight cap that was initially reported." The likes of U2 are always thrown into the ring as an example of how this system is unfair but anyone working at that level of income has the motivation and resources to move their taxable status anywhere around the world.]

Art should be different from commerce; it shouldn't follow the same rules -ie. produce at best cost -then sell for best price. Each artistic endeavour is only ready when it's ready. Inordinate amounts of time and effort and research may go into a single production which couldn't be charged for with at any reasonable hope that costs may be recouped. Paintings stay on easels for months or even years being re-worked, sculptures remain unfinished, plays undergo constant rewrites, all because it's about a process which culminates in a finished unique work. It's all about the endeavour and not about the pay-off which for the large part will never come. If the bearded artist's book is crap, there's a good chance it won't sell; however, if the bearded artist's book is brilliant, there's still a good chance it won't sell. In most cases, Beardy has to continue working in the day job -and pay tax.

Artists, live in the hope that one day, the fruits of their creativity will be appreciated enough to provide an income, or even just appreciated. The Irish tax system allows artists some hope of remaining as artists. Now imagine Michael O'Doherty of VIP, producing magazines month after month for years on his own before his magazine is recognised for its brilliance, merely because he felt inspired, thought it was important and he needed to put it out? Then, after a period of modest success, it falls out of favour with the public who have moved onto something else, with no other reason than the public is fickle. Most artists produce work for long periods of their lives without ever earning a living from it.

Further to all that, this visionary system attracts foreign talent that combines with our own, hopefully creating an environment that increases the cultural capital and therefore, the international profile of this country. We have to compete, culturally, with countries that plundered many of their treasures from defeated peoples during imperial wars. In comparison, I prefer the way we're doing it. Under this system, Irish-born artists gain by having outside influences arriving at their doorstep, rather than having to leave these shores to seek them out. The fact that there are a few extraordinary and lucky characters that have risen to stratospheric levels of income is just the price we have to pay for this generally excellent scheme. And you may even find that they pay a certain amount of tax anyway.

All this is true, provided that art means something to you, of course. If all you really appreciate is superficial splendour and the trappings of financial success, then I could see your point.

Personally, I find that since the cabal of recent governments and business have made such a hames of the economy during the credit bubble, we need authenticity and creativity more and more. It's through art that we can transcend the dreary repetition of day-to-day living and through creativity that we can control something in our lives. In other words, art is vital.

Being shown the gracious interiors of celebrities' cribs and the revelry of the well-heeled month after month was always a somewhat vapid proposition and now seems somehow matted with irony and just a little embarrassing.

Finally; what's wrong with beards anyway?

Painting Class has Begun

I've branched out somewhat and commenced painting classes in my studio. My inaugural class was last Tuesday morning when I had six students along and I started them off painting a single apple. My aim is to keep compositions simple, with perhaps a single object. 

I've seen many students in art classes, who may not have much experience, try to take on large compositions and become overwhelmed by the task they've set themselves. The philosophy at Art Classes Ireland is to gradually build up knowledge and confidence. The second principle is to have fun while learning -the atmosphere is relaxed and convivial. You can see the Art Classes Ireland web site here

Marketing Magazine Covered in Glory

This is the latest cover art for Marketing Magazine. The topic is, of course, the necessity for increasing marketing activity during this slump in the economy. All Marketing covers are put together by Jamie Helly and the team at Dynamo Design who won both the packaging design award and the Grand Prix in 2008's IDEA Awards. Well done.

I enjoyed this task. It's very rewarding to work with clients that understand that illustration can add a whole new dimension of personality and, well...fun to projects.

The Nasal Cosy

Thursday's supplementary fashion post.

If you want to get ahead; get a hat

*Stop Press. Thanks to Peter Kirwan from Denobi Web Design, who phoned me to ask me if this was my brainchild. Such wit merits a link.*

Apologies for mentioning ancient history but an event occurred in the run-up to the unmentionable 'festive season' that is indeed worth mentioning.

The IGI Christmas party took place in Doyles pub on College Green and was organised by IGI stalwarts, Una Gildea and Pádhraig Nolan. Members were urged to contrive an imaginative hat, worthy of their august profession as arists and which would be judged by none other than writer and grizzled comedy elder, Kevin Gildea. Kevin, who appeared very surprised by the honour suddenly thrust upon him by his sister, the aforementioned Una, turned in a wonderful ad-hoc performance, which not only affirmed to all of us his wit, flair and fluency but also impressed me, with his keen judgement, since I came joint- first along with Joven Kerekes in his jive-ass afro-contraption head-set thing. Unfortunately, I don't have a decent photo of Joven's crown-topper but I do have a pic of Padhraig Nolan's Viking Splash Jewelry Stand Creation and Chris Judge's ' The Ruskies are Coming!'

If you do have a snapshot of Joven avec chapeau, could you send it to me? I'll post it up here and we can keep the spirit of Christmas alive.

Sketchbook scribbloids 2

I escaped from my studio last afternoon in order to buy some materials -and to spend time staring into space in a café. I had my sketchbook with me and doodled away a couple of hours over a pot of tea.

I meant to take some time to generate ideas for my Cafepress prints and cards shop that I've had for a year without developing. It needs filling with new illustrated products. Anyway, nothing was springing to mind, so my attention wandered.

There was a young woman sitting adjacent to me in the company of friends and I started drawing her but she was so animated and I was trying to be surreptitious, I had to turn it into something of a caricature.  Maybe I should have suddenly told her to stop moving, for God's sake!