Pastel and Watercolour paintings completed during visits to the National History Museum of Ireland.
All but a few of these quick sketches were done with a simple ball point pen. The beauty of working with pen is that the line you use cannot be erased therefore you have to go with your initial marks. This limitation actually allows for incredible freedom with the use of fast flowing and intuitive lines.
This work, completed in the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland forms part of my ongoing study of human anatomy. Research such as this deepens my understanding of the body through its skeletal and muscular structure and improves the accuracy of my figurative work.
Gesture drawings from the live model allow for the essential movement of the figure to be caught quickly. This gives the work an emotion and vitality that is rarely captured in longer studies. These drawings range from 30 seconds to a couple of minutes in duration.
In these portraits I have use different techniques and materials in order to best capture the character of the sitter.
These large scale (50x70cm) longer studies from life, range from a number of hours to some weeks to complete. This allows for the model to be more intensely observed. The resulting work includes the modeling of forms described through light and shade. Atmosphere and elements of the background may also be included.
The still life paintings shown here consist of simple fruit and vegetables straightforwardly arranged on a plain background. This approach has the effect of maximising the impact of the painted subject. The work therefore focuses on the contrasting textures of the objects and how their forms are revealed in natural light.
My illustration work involved the creation of pre-production and conceptual drawings for classical animation films. These illustrations created the mood and set the visual tone of the project. Here are some examples.
