Art Blog

'Land of the Celt's' poster.

If you find yourself in Co. Kerry this weekend then drop into Cill Rialaig arts center where they are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with the ‘Land of the Celt’s’ exhibition. I have three painting there along with some other great artists. For more info: http://cillrialaigartscentre.org/about/

And of course we’re getting dressed up for St. Patrick’s Day here at the Avoca Studio Gallery, Co. Wicklow. We’d love to see you here too. http://www.rodcoyne.com

Raising the flag for St. Patrick's Day.

People often ask me if I prefer to work from photos or from life. I’d have to say I have no preference but it’s usually one or the other. “Ferrybank Blues 2010-2011” is obviously the exception to the rule. I started the painting at the Art in the Open, http://www.artintheopen.org/ , festival in 2010 but ran out of time before I could finish the painting. I liked the composition and how the painting was shaping up but I was nowhere near finished. I used my digital camera to take a shot of the scene in the off chance I might finish it at a later stage.

The painting went into the storeroom and I got on with all the other things I was doing. From time to time I would have it in my hand but never felt like finishing the job and I even thought of over painting the canvas and using it for a new picture.

More than a year later I found the photo on my computer and I was pleasantly surprised how cool it looked. I printed it off the image and pulled the canvas back out of the storeroom.

The original plein air work was done with acrylic paints and brushes and I was determined draw a line between the first and second sitting. So I made a point of working in oil paint and using a palette knife. I worked on the image long enough to see that it could make a strong piece but I still wasn’t finished. I looked at it closely for a week before getting stuck in late one Friday night.

The next morning I surveyed my work in the daylight and was quite pleased with my efforts. In fact I was delighted with the painting and it proved to me that there’s no reason that a piece can’t start out in the open and finish off in the studio.

The new painting will be having it premier next month at Greenacres Open Exhibition, Official Opening at 12 noon on Saturday February 4th. Greenacres Art Gallery, Selskar, Wexford, Ireland. Tel: +353 (0) 53 9122975 http://www.greenacres.ie/art-galleries/exhibitions/

"Ferrybank Blues" oil on canvas, 40X120cm.

The back-up image.

The outdoor studio.

Busy bank holiday weekend coming up; please have a little look and feel free to forward it to family and friends:

I will be taking part in the fourth annual Art In The Open Festival of plein air painting: July 29^th, 30th, and 31st 2011. This is an opportunity to see myself and several other artists out painting around Wexford and Enniscorthy during the weekend, further details: http://www.artintheopen.org/art-in-the-open-2011/

There is an Exhibition of art created during Art In The Open Festival opening on Monday the 1^st of August 2011 at 4pm at Greenacres Galleries,  Selskar, Wexford. P: +353 (0)53 9122975

Also on  Monday the 1^st of August 2011 some of the TAG sheep flock will be putting in a guest appearance at The Tinahely Agricultural, my sheep Daisy will not be joining them but I will have artwork on show in the VIP / Press tent, details: http://www.tinahelyshow.ie/

During the coming month we will be having a 1-Day outdoor painting workshop on the 20^th of august, and a 5-Day outdoor painting break from 8^th-12^th august. For details please see: http://avocapaintingschool.com/

And remember our Avoca Painting School special offer to run throughout summer 2011: you can bring along a friend for half price to any of our upcoming 1-Day outdoor painting workshops, for details http://www.avocapaintingschool.com/courses.html

And finally, on the August 6th 2011 I will be giving a 1-Day outdoor painting workshop at Greenan Farm Museums & Maze – Ballinanty, Greenan, Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow, booking and further details at: http://www.greenanmaze.com/courses_two.htm

The clouds were almost too fast for my paintbrush on Wexford Bay, Art in the Open 2010.

We spent all day Tuesday planting sheep. We used shovels, rakes, sledgehammers, and a sticky compound called T7. It was sweaty, satisfying work, and it raised more than an eyebrow or two. Most people had heard about our public art installation but they were pleasantly surprised to meet them face to face.

Personally I was blown over to see how diverse and beautiful each sheep had been retrofitted and modified. I spent so long in my own “Daisy” bubble that I couldn’t imagine what else she might have looked like untill I saw all these other weird and wonderful creatures. It was hard to tell they had all started from the one template.

Sheep Meeting.

What time is it Mr. Wolf?

Wierd and worderful.

Turn the other sheep.

No animals were harmed in the creation of this artwork.

The (sheep) brians behind the operation.

Not interfering with farmyard animals.

Flocking great art. 100% thumbs up, Rod.

The Ewe Tube.

Daisy and I.

Back in March I had a curious delivery to the Avoca Studio Gallery. It was a sheep, but not a woolly one, this was a steel sheep. 25 artists of TAG (Tinahely Arts Group) each got a 2-D life-sized sheep template to create their own individually styled art-sheep. They will make up a public art display around the town of Tinahely, Co. Wicklow. They will be on display through out the summer and be taking part in various events, including the Tinahely Walking Festival and the Tinahely Agricultural Show.

As a painter I knew I would be out of my depth working with metal. But I devised a plan and enlisted some help…

Here is the text from our Press Release:

Hung for a Sheep as a Lamb

A curious flock of sheep and lambs will be descending upon Tinahely this summer in time to join the annual Trail Walking Festival at the May Bank Holiday, 2011. These art-sheep, created by the members of TAG (Tinahely Arts Group), will be “grazing” around the town and surrounding area. Each artist, starting from a uniform steel template, has worked through the winter to create their own individual take on Wicklow’s familiar woolly friends. The results promise to be as diverse as they are quirky, while adding a new dimension to the renowned Tinahely Trail Walking Festival.

Tinahely Arts Group is a collective of artists and craftspeople, all living and working in the Tinahely area. Members and their work represent a wide and diverse range of disciplines and media, including painting and drawing, photography, sculpture, textiles and ceramics, glassware and metalwork. Formed in June 2010, the group seeks to share knowledge and techniques, pool resources, and work together on projects to promote awareness of the wealth of creativity in the region. In addition, members combine to ensure that the arts and crafts heritage of South Wicklow is visible in as many local events and tourism initiatives as possible, and to contribute their talents to community enhancement projects.

The Tinahely Sheep Flock will be comprised of approximately two dozen 2 and 3 dimensional metal sheep (almost one meter in length and more than half a meter tall, with some smaller lambs), each of which will be customized by individual artists in a variety of styles and materials. The flock will celebrate Tinahely’s history as a vibrant market town and will be unveiled at Market Square, Tinahely on the Festival Weekend, on Friday April 29th 2011 at

7.00 pm. Each sheep will have an ear tag identifying its designer, and the flock will make a striking visual display for this busy weekend. For the rest of the summer, the eye-catching sheep and their lambs will be situated out and about in Tinahely in unexpected locations around town, to be enjoyed by residents and visitors sampling our wonderful location and outdoor pursuits. In the autumn the sheep will return to the Market Square, and will be taken home to over winter with their artist owners. It is hoped that they will increase and multiply over the winter, as well as getting some refurbishment if needed, and will return to the roads and hills around Tinahely as an annual event.

Details of TAG and our members can be found on the group’s website at:

http://tinahelyartsgroup.wordpress.com.

There will be a special Sunday Family View of the “Skellig Brothers” exhibition. Families are encouraged to visit the show where the young ones will be entertained with face painting and mask making. There will be some complementary brunch and I will be in attendance. “Skellig Brothers” is an exhibition of new seascapes by Irish artist Rod Coyne and New York painter Scott Redden. The work was created en plein aire during a residency at Cill Rialaig, Co. Kerry in 2010.

“Skellig Brothers” Paintings by ROD COYNE (IRE) and SCOTT REDDEN (US) URBAN RETREAT GALLERY – March 10 – 10 April 2011

HQ Building, Hanover Quay, Dublin 2

Tel: 01 633 7865

Email: urbanretreatgallery@gmail.com

… please have a little look and I am sure there will be something in there for you:

“Life at the Courthouse” a figurative group exhibition opening Sunday 13^th February 2011 @ 3pm in The Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely, Co Wicklow. www.tinahely-courthouse.ie

Love times two! Between now and Valentines Day you can double the value of your euro at the Avoca Studio Gallery. We will double the value of your euro on every Rod Coyne painting purchased. Express your love with twice the passion…http://www.rodcoyne.com/

Gormleys fine art auction: Tuesday February 22nd 2011 @ 7pm in 25 Frederick Street, Dublin 2, and online: http://www.gormleysartauctions.com/index.asp

Mullen’s fine art auction: Sunday 27th FEBRUARY 2011@ 12 noon at Mullen’s – Laurel Park, Bray, Co Dublin. http://www.mullenslaurelpark.com

I will be giving a free painting demonstration at the Avoca Studio Gallery February 19^th 2010 @ 1pm. http://www.rodcoyne.com/

I have just posted a whole selection of new paintings from Cill Rialaig on my Art Blog: http://rodcoyne.ie/blog/

Also, we are now enrolling for Avoca Painting School’s springtime painting course to commence March 1^st 2011. http://www.avocapaintingschool.com/

“C.S. Parnell (uncrowned King of Ireland)” 2010, oil on canvas, 40x50cm, at the Tinahely Art Centre from February 13th 2011.

Hello Art Friends,

I just got word from the Urban Retreat Gallery that the “Ocean & Sea” exhibition will be running until 30^th of September and there will be a special 20% reduction off all wall prices during this period. This kicks off with an event next Sunday 19^th September from12 – 2pm, when one of the artists in the group has offered kindly to give a painting demonstration (see invite attached).

Also coming this Sunday the Children First fundraising Art Show reaches it’s climax with the Draw and Auction Sunday 19th at 2pm sharp, RHA, 15 Ely Place, Dublin 2.

And still to come during this busy month of September I have work in the following events:

“Arthur’s Day – Guinness on Canvas” Balla Ban Art Gallery, Westbury Mall, Dublin, 23rd – 25th Sept 2010 with a Guinness

& Wine Reception on the Thursday 23rd from 5pm until 7pm.

I am showing with the Tinahely Artists Group, in the Riverside Business Park, Tinahely, Co. Wicklow from 24^th until 29^th of September.
And there’s a Fine Art Auction at Mullen’s Laurel Park, Bray, Co. Dublin – 26th September 2010.

http://www.rodcoyne.com/exhibitions-1.html is the link for full details on all of the above.

"Weather Imminent"

by Rod Coyne, oil on canvas, 70×100cm,

on show at the Urban Retreat Gallery, Hanover Quay, Dublin 2.

I hope you can make it to one or the other event, and best regards,

Rod Coyne.

www.rodcoyne.com

Today I am posting a few images of paintings on view and sale at various events during September 2010. In order of appearance: Gormleys are having a fine art auction in Athlone http://www.gormleysartauctions.com/auction.asp?ArtistID=822&AuctionID=29, where I will be showing in some esteemed company. Mid September is the big Children First Charity fundraiser at the RHA in Dublin where you could pick mine or another Irish master’s piece for a mere €350 ticket price http://www.childrenfirst.ie/default.asp?p=artshow for details. An exhibition celebrating the black stuff for Arthur’s Day at the Balla Ban Gallery in Dublin promises fun for all. The month finishes with three works at Mullen’s fine art auction in Bray, Co. Dublin, http://www.mullenslaurelpark.com/home.asp for online catalogue. You can check dates, times and addresses on my own site http://www.rodcoyne.com/exhibitions-1.html , I hope there’s something in there for you, and please feel free to leave a comment on the blog, cheers for now, Rod.

"Howth" at Gormley's Art Auctions - 7th Sept 2010 Sheraton Hotel, Athlone

"Heart of Gold" at the Children First fundraising Art Show - 16th - 19th Sept 2010, RHA, 15 Ely Place, Dublin 2

"Mrs Brown's Creamy Dreaminess" 65x90cm, oil on canvas, €1900 at “Arthur’s Day – Guinness on Canvas” Balla Ban Art Gallery, Dublin, 23rd – 25th Sept 2010

"Waterville" 40x40cm, oil on canvas at Fine Art Auction - Mullens Laurel Park, Bray, Co. Wicklow - 26th September 2010

"Tony's Trees" 30x90cm, oil on canvas at Fine Art Auction - Mullens Laurel Park, Bray, Co. Wicklow - 26th September 2010