Last Saturday, I took my usual place in the Avoca café in Suffolk Street for my treat of the week; a chance to sit down and think and sketch and look at the world from the height of a cup of coffee. This time, I didn’t stay long because I wanted to have a rummage around the shops to find some new trinkets to paint. I also spied a bunch of silver teapots and other silverware up on a shelf in the café  but I didn’t have the courage to ask to borrow one…Next time.

I saw precious little on my tour of charity shops and some of the plusher outlets (I was surprised that there was so little in Brown Thomas. I expected more). I also got another Chinese blue and white decorated jar in an oriental food shop. Anyhuff, I ended up back in Avoca and bought two pretty little jugs, one of which I’ve painted here.

Incidentally, I have to say how much I enjoy those Saturday mornings. I take my daughter into the Alliance française for her weekly class which leaves me two hours -two whole hours! - to stare into space or draw figures or whatever leaps unbidden into my imagination. That’s like a holiday. The staff are just great, too. I lift my large cup of coffee and scone with jam up in salute.

8″ x 8″ Oils on panel.

For this study, I set this silver dish onto a linen napkin. I stole both from the local landlord while I was up at the Big House paying my tithe.  All the other peasants were bowing and scraping and generally tugging frantically at their forelocks, hoping to be allowed stay in their Dalkey hovels.

Well I can’t afford linen, can I? Dirty sacking from the mill is all that I can lay my rough peasant’s hands on these days. The landlord’s agent, Mr. Finn O’Gael was distracted, marching around, quill in hand, trying to translate commands in German and bark them at us in Irish and  whooosh! Out with my grubby hand and under my sodden, stinking greatcoat with the dish and under my stovepipe hat with the napkin.

I can’t wait to show the other boys in our Kinnegad Slashers faction down at the bothy.

Anyway, white isn’t white and that’s why it’s a good thing to practice painting white objects.

Next week, I’ll be painting the chalice at the Mass rock. An raibh tú ag an gCarraig? Not me, Guard.

The new 6 week term of morning and evening art classes will begin on Tuesday 17 and Thursday 19 April in Terenure in the South Dublin area. Places available. Please call on 086 247 0737 For more info, see the web site: www.artclassesireland.com and join Ireland’s friendliest art class now!

These exclusive lessons provides students with the best of painting tuition, clearly and simply imparted to novice and intermediate alike. These small workshops are held in the warm and friendly environment of my studio and everyone gets maximum attention. Over the 6 weeks, students will be encouraged and nurtured in a convivial atmosphere; so don’t be daunted!

Still Life Painting: [Adults: All levels] Students will learn and practice drawing technique, preparation of canvases, technique, composition, colour-mixing and brushwork.

Tuesday mornings: 10:00am – 12:30pm Fee: €175 per 6 week course. 3 places remaining.

Tuesday evenings: 7:00pm – 9:30pm Fee: €175 per 6 week course. 1 place remaining.

Thursday mornings: 10:00am – 12:30pm Fee: €175 per 6 week course. 1 place remaining.

Thursday evenings: 7:00pm – 9:30pm Fee: €175 per 6 week course. 1 place remaining.

Address: The Studio, 17 Aideen Avenue, Terenure. Dublin 6W. See map below

Telephone: 086 247 0737

Email: art@mcsherry.ie

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With the sudden departure of last week’s summer to be replaced by freezing sleet and more bad economic news, I went out yesterday and bought myself a couple of large canvases in Evans’ art shop in order to paint some sunshine into my world. I’m currently exploring stained glass windows; in particular, Harry Clarke’s work (My daughter was confirmed recently in St. Joseph’s, Terenure, and when we walked out of the church, there was a magnificent Clarke above us in all it’s sparkling slendour -and I never knew it was there until somebody told me!).

Anyway, looking at stained glass has provided me with some inspiration to explore a style very different from my other work. Technically, these will be based around dry-brushing, which is most easily done using acrylics. I’m about mid-way into the above piece, a still life of sunflowers. I’ll get a picture of it up on my site as soon as I can figure out how to scan such a large area!

I’m planning to take a course in stained glass later on in the year. Incidentally, I went looking for a book on Clarke, to get a closer view at his work and I came across the book, ‘Strangest Genius’ on Amazon. I’d have loved to be able to buy it but the price was €1600. It might be quite a while before I can part with that much cash…It turned out that my local lending library in Terenure have a copy which I’m going to collect tomorrow. I’m looking forward to soaking up all that sunlight.

My latest solo show, ‘The Exile’s Return’, will run from March 29 to April 14 at the Copperhouse Gallery, Off Synge Street, Dublin 8. I’ll be showing all original paintings in oils and acrylics but there will also be archival museum quality reproductions available through the gallery’s sister company FIRE.

Further to that, I’ll be giving an artist’s talk on Saturday 31st March at 2pm if I haven’t burst a ventricle due to the stress. Sounds attractive? See you there.

The painting at left is, ‘Yankee Dan Halligan-and-a-Half’, Acrylics on Arches paper.

If you’d like to have more information about the exhibition, please contact the curator, Tony Strickland or myself at 086 247 0737.

Please feel free to click on one of the social media buttons below to share this fantastic news…

Continuing the story from posts passim; I’ve been thinking about committing to canvas my memory of our family’s 1969 Kerry odyssey. I actually went out and bought the canvas for the job at the weekend. Some say that you shouldn’t tell people about work as yet not done but in my case, I disagree. I invariably find that if I let on that I’m going to do something, telling everybody about it gives me the impetus to start.

Coincidentally, Some time ago, Tom Dunne’s wireless programme on Newstalk ran a segment on the Honda 50 and its place in Irish hearts. I answered a tweet with my piece of family lore and wound up talking to Tom himself on the wireless.  It was enough to kickstart the project which has been at the back of my mind for years. I now intend to take the project at a leisurely pace, putt-putting down the pot-holed road to that destination in my mind. Sure, my knees will get cold, I’ll become boggle-eyed and partially deaf from the wind-rush, but I’ll get there. It’s only over that hill…or maybe the next one…and the wind will bluster and the petrol tank will run dry from time to time but I’ll replenish my flagging spirits with roadside mugs of hot tea; I’ll shift my drowsy young pillion passenger from the back seat of my 90cc step-through to the back seat of their uncle’s Renault 10 and we’ll wend our way down the emptying roads; past country towns and villages, by the darkening ocean, chasing the red tail-lights and red number plates towards Kells Bay. And there, Dad will speak Irish with local men and buy useless bamboo fishing rods for us to cast our lines from the bridge at Kilorglin but he’ll neglect to buy bait. Mum will be young and strong again and hide her health fears from us and we’ll pick blackberries by the roadside and I will stand at the edge of the pier, peering down into the clear water while my brothers take the plunge. Only this time, I’ll dive before the tide ebbs too far.

I will be holding a one-day workshop showing how to create great paintings using the ‘dry-brushing’ technique. It will be held on this coming Saturday 25th Feb in the Methodist Church hall, Brighton Road between 10am and 4.30pm. You can see more information, some examples of this method and also sign up for the workshop at this page. As usual, tea and coffee will be available free throughout the day and there’ll be a break for lunch at around 12.30, with the wonderful Mayfield café only around the corner.

I look forward to seeing you there. Kevin

 Feb 25th. ‘Acrylics Dry-brushing’. Saturday 1 day painting workshop. Email Me or pay directly by clicking the button above.