Not really a scribbloid -I spent too much time on it. This is one a several sketches done during my holiday in France. I had brought with me a range of colours in gouache but most of the time I stuck to pencils. I’ll be posting the results up as I go along over the next couple of weeks. As usual, I concentrated on constructing faces and ignored the beautiful scenery all around me. Also, following on from comments made by the women of this house about the dearth of females in my sketchbooks [I'm severely outnumbered here], I made sure to draw some.

About ten years ago, my friend, illustrator Steve Doogan won an Illustrators Ireland award with his painting of just such a face. I think he may have painted it onto driftwood [you may have to search about on his site from where this link takes you]. Anyway, I always liked it and I had it in mind when I worked this one up.

Have you always wanted to learn how to paint? To bring out your creative side and express yourself as an artist? Help is at hand: A new 6 week term of art classes will begin on Tuesday 14th and Thursday 16th September. Places available. Please call on 086 247 0737 For more info, see the web site: www.artclassesireland.com

This exclusive class provides students with the best of painting tuition, clearly and simply imparted to novice and intermediate alike. These small classes 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 preparation of canvases, technique, composition, colour-mixing and brushwork.

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

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

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

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

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

Telephone: 086 247 0737

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In the summer of 2007, I took part in a group show in Paris in the Musée des Arts Decoratifs and although I missed the show, I managed to get along to see the museum, and its many and varied exhibits on another occasion. Right at the start was an exhibition of Jean Paul Gaultier’s work, including drawings, many costumes and this video collaboration between him and Regine Chopinot [link to a laughable translation of a Wikipedia page].  Called ‘Le Défile’, it had me transfixed and I must have watched it nine or ten times. I think it was produced sometime in the early nineties [not sure]. I meant to post it to my blog before and it was only a discussion with a neighbour, who’s currently studying fashion, that put it back in my mind. Anyway; enjoy.

Late August; France. Some time ago, I finished the last of the three tomes I brought with me and the other two that I found in a brocante in Brignoles, so I had to revert to sketching indoors to pass away the long hours of sunshine that afflict this country. (Fortunately, Trevelyan had thought to pack my trusty pad and 3B pencils in my gutta-percha leggings).

This unattractive and surly fellow followed me for some days, seeking my shoes as additional payment for several unauthorised minutes use of one of his pedalos (we were at odds due to his refusal to accept GMT).  I had nothing with which to fend him off, save a newly-sharpened Faber-Castell. Did the trick.

Just the other day,  I finished this commission from Barry and Paul McNerney who jointly own and run Junior’s Bar & Deli on Bath Avenue, Ringsend [or is it Ballsbridge? It's adjacent to Beggar's Bush]. They’re now opening up a new pizza joint around the corner on the other side of Slattery’s pub [what a golden triangle it'll be]. I was given free rein to do whatever I pleased with the proviso that it should have the same ambience as a self-promotional work I did a few years ago, called ‘Coffeebot’, which you can see here.

The concept came to me quickly. Junior’s pizzas will be made in a wood-burning oven, which provided a strong central ‘character’ for this work and the literary references were included as I sketched up preparatory drawings. The final painting is acrylics on linen; oils would have been far too slow-drying to be ready in time for framing and the opening of the pizzeria.

During the project, I paused every so often to photograph the painting as it progressed and then compiled them into a movie. You can take a look at it here. I found some great jazz music by  The Incognito Traveller to accompany the film. Junior’s pizza restaurant will be opening sometime towards the end of this month. Meanwhile, you can browse around their current web site here. Bon appetit.

Acrylics on stretched linen. 35″ x 47″

I’ve been going over some old ground lately -dry-brushing acrylics over striated gesso [I had to make that term up]. Whatever way it should be described, it’s a very enjoyable process and one that always yields unexpected results. I’ve been a big fan of Belfast illustrator Jonathan McHugh’s work for years -he’s a master of this technique. I’ve also been leafing through some old sketchbooks, gleaning ideas, where I found a drawing something along the lines pictured here. This is painted on a 7″ x 5″ MDF board, coated with gesso which was then [in this case] painted black prior to sketching out the composition.