Its Arts Week. I have my exhibition, but I also have the opportunity to view many, many more exhibitions, all in Thomastown. Thomastown is very much the visual arts centre this week. There is huge variety, and lots to see. Actually, you won’t see better art in one location, anywhere else on this island. It’s just fab.

I won’t list it all. But…. It has me thinking. First of all – the future is BIG. There are some big pieces (in both mills, and the water garden). Not just big, but beautiful. I have been going bigger, especially with my waves, but the largest sheets of paper are imperial – 78cm by 58cm – or thereabouts, but these pieces Im talking about are 2×3 meters. Wow. (Oils and acrylics/ and mm) So it has me thinking! Space! How to go about starting a really big piece. The paintings Im talking about are representational, not abstract. I mean Wow.

But there is also abstract. How do I feel about abstract? I am a representational watercolour landscape artist. So, how do I feel about abstract. Well you know, splashes of paint, squares and triangles, garish colours….found items! Now Im looking more closely at it. I’ll be honest, I don’t have the benefit of an art education, and… I am not keen on the idea of art as a medium for social change (not all change is for the better!). Nevertheless Im looking more closely at abstract.

How do you judge a good abstract painting? I don’t know, I suppose I could google it. I could do an art appreciation course. For now, I am looking at abstract to find what I value in a landscape. I mean – perspective, depth, composition, colour, tone and contrast. Now Im beginning to see all of that in some abstract art, and I like it! So it has me thinking!

I like what I do, but sometimes I feel I need to experiment more – to push out the boundaries. Make a note in your diary to come to my exhibition in 2024, maybe I’ll surprise you (and myself).

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Plein air painting seems to be all the rage at the moment.  Im not one for crowds, I’d be slow to join with one of the many plain air travelling groups (though I might) I’d rather be on my own. For me painting is about peace and quiet, reflection and mindfulness, serenity …. Not easy to achieve if there are fifteen other artists about. Also, Im not very competitive in that way. 

I think I do better work in my studio, I have all my materials ready to hand (and a kettle, wood stove, bathroom etc) and I can take my time. 

Anyway, I decided to try it.  Sitting on my little boat (I have a kettle, shelter, toilet) in the peace and quiet of a secluded backwater I did manage to achieve a measure of serenity. 

June is well under way,  lots of fine dry weather kept me in the garden, the last few days of thunderstorms has me back in the studio! So what am I up to? Well, Im working on the final few paintings for my TCAF/Arts Week exhibition in August (Concert Hall, Thomastown). 

I have already sent a few to the framer, there is no point in leaving everything till the last minute, she is typically inundated with work in the lead up to this annual art frenzy. I will have the rest ready hopefully by the end of the week.

I will have my usual coastal landscapes, and a preview of my (WIP) Lough Derg series, but what has me busy this month is the mill at Kells, Co Kilkenny. Its just a few Km from here. The whole area, especially by the river, is very pretty. I will have a mini-exhibition, as part of the exhibition (TCAF) featuring five images of the mill, the mill wheel and the bridge at Kells. 

Visit my studio (by appointment) if you are looking for a painting as a gift, I have lots of watercolours, framed ready to hang.  Im in Stoneyford, Co Kilkenny.

Selling Watercolour

Watercolour has a lot going for it as a medium for painting. One great advantage is the ability to ‘crop’ a painting. When painting on a canvas or wooden panel you are committed to the size from the onset, not so with paper. I have many times painted an A3 painting only to be unhappy with the composition, or maybe a part of the scene that didn’t work out right. Easy peasy – get a scissors and cut it to a smaller size. I usually get a smaller mount and move it around the painting until I find a frame that works!

The images above are a point in question. On hearing of the passing of Gordon Lightfoot I wanted to paint the wreck of the Edmund FitzGerald. I was not happy with the painting (top) so I cut it down (bottom) to a smaller image. The result is a better composition (in my opinion) I’ll sell it cheaper – but that’s better than binning it. I’ll have it with me at my next pop up art fair, which reminds me …

The season (2023) kicks off with a pop up art fair at Mountain View, Ballyhale on the 28th May. The following weekend I’m at the Clancy Brothers Art and Music Festival at Carrick on Suir – I’ll have a full exhibition of my work in the conference room at the Nano Nagle centre. This exhibition will be of work not previously shown in Carrick.

Ill keep y’all posted about other happenings (on Facebook) but do try to catch my exhibition at the concert Hall, Thomastown in August (TCAF / Kilkenny Arts Week). I will be showing some of my most recent work there – the exhibition is called Watervision.

What size of painting is right? 

When painting in oils on canvas or wood, generally the size of the painting is determined by the size of the canvas or wood panel you buy. You will then need to have a stock of all the sizes you might wish to paint. You can of course create your own canvas or wood panel in any size you like.  This work (like framing) takes a lot of time and effort and leaves you with less time to paint. 

When painting in watercolour (goache or acrylic) on paper the decision on size is easier. You just cut the paper to the size you want.  You can buy watercolour paper in pads of differing sizes, but often the quality is not good. I buy my paper (Arches, Fabriano, Saunders) in sheets of 78cm by 56cm. I use 140lb (300gsm) which I cut into smaller sizes and 300lb (640 gsm), which I use for large paintings. 

But what size is right? 

Metric or Imperial Frames.

I started thinking in frame sizes early on. It seemed A4 was an easy size of frame to buy. So I cut my paper to A4 size. After a while I had quite a few of A4 sized paintings, framed up in cheap and cheerful frames. However, the A4 size is metric, whereas the paper is sold in imperial sizes, so there is a certain amount of wastage. This was also true when I moved to A3.

I stopped using the cheap frames, as the quality was often poor and started to get my paintings framed professionally by a local framer. Now that each painting is individually framed, I don’t need to keep to the standard sizes. This gives me more freedom. For instance, before I only got two A3 size pages from the large sheet, with a lot of wastage, I now get four nearly A3 pages with no wastage. Using a slightly wider mount they look the same size on the wall.

Therefore one aspect of the question is the ease of framing versus the cost of paper wastage, and the imperial / metric issue is relevant here also.

Likely hanging space

The other thing is to try to understand what size the customer wants. That’s virtually impossible (unless its’ a commission), but if we try to think where the buyer might hang the painting, it gets easier. 

Certain images work well in the study/office, detailed ones I think, that will be viewed close up. These can be small. Street scenes, studies of boats, bicycles, cars, tractors etc, work well in small – A4, or 20cm by 20cm square, or even smaller. 

Almost everyone has a painting over the mantlepiece, this is usually large. This will be viewed from further back, and should be less detailed. Seascapes, mountains, woodland, and also abstract, will work well, in the larger sizes. These could be one meter or more when framed. 

On walls in bedrooms, dining rooms and hallways, A4 and A3 work well. I sell a lot of A4, and fewer A3, which I think end up in these spaces.

Exhibition spaces

Another consideration is the exhibition space. I have a solo exhibition coming up later in the year in a very large space. Small paintings will be lost in such a space, so I am working on a series of A3 and bigger paintings for the exhibition. 

Your own mood on the day

Finally there’s yourself, and what you want to do, today. I often do an A4 painting of the scene I’m working with, which if it turns out ok, and while I still have the paint on the palette, I do a larger one immediately. 

If I am feeling free and easy I like to paint large waves, the full size of the sheet of paper. I have to control myself, though, because, these ‘over the mantlepiece’ paintings have a smaller market. 

When I just don’t know what to paint next, of if I’m just not in the mood, I will do something small, probably based on a detailed drawing. 

It is good, I think to have available a mixture of sizes. I have a wide selection of smaller sized paintings, and I try not to have too many larger ones. 

April 2023 blog

What size of painting is right? 

When painting in oils on canvas or wood, generally the size of the painting is determined by the size of the canvas or wood panel you buy. You will then need to have a stock of all the sizes you might wish to paint. You can of course create your own canvas or wood panel in any size you like.  This work (like framing) takes a lot of time and effort and leaves you with less time to paint. 

When painting in watercolour (goache or acrylic) on paper the decision on size is easier. You just cut the paper to the size you want.  You can buy watercolour paper in pads of differing sizes, but often the quality is not good. I buy my paper (Arches, Fabriano, Saunders) in sheets of 78cm by 56cm. I use 140lb (300gsm) which I cut into smaller sizes and 300lb (640 gsm), which I use for large paintings. 

But what size is right? 

Metric or Imperial Frames.

I started thinking in frame sizes early on. It seemed A4 was an easy size of frame to buy. So I cut my paper to A4 size. After a while I had quite a few of A4 sized paintings, framed up in cheap and cheerful frames. However, the A4 size is metric, whereas the paper is sold in imperial sizes, so there is a certain amount of wastage. This was also true when I moved to A3.

I stopped using the cheap frames, as the quality was often poor and started to get my paintings framed professionally by a local framer. Now that each painting is individually framed, I don’t need to keep to the standard sizes. This gives me more freedom. For instance, before I only got two A3 size pages from the large sheet, with a lot of wastage, I now get four nearly A3 pages with no wastage. Using a slightly wider mount they look the same size on the wall.

Therefore one aspect of the question is the ease of framing versus the cost of paper wastage, and the imperial / metric issue is relevant here also.

Likely hanging space

The other thing is to try to understand what size the customer wants. That’s virtually impossible (unless its’ a commission), but if we try to think where the buyer might hang the painting, it gets easier. 

Certain images work well in the study/office, detailed ones I think, that will be viewed close up. These can be small. Street scenes, studies of boats, bicycles, cars, tractors etc, work well in small – A4, or 20cm by 20cm square, or even smaller. 

Almost everyone has a painting over the mantlepiece, this is usually large. This will be viewed from further back, and should be less detailed. Seascapes, mountains, woodland, and also abstract, will work well, in the larger sizes. These could be one meter or more when framed. 

On walls in bedrooms, dining rooms and hallways, A4 and A3 work well. I sell a lot of A4, and fewer A3, which I think end up in these spaces.

Exhibition spaces

Another consideration is the exhibition space. I have a solo exhibition coming up later in the year in a very large space. Small paintings will be lost in such a space, so I am working on a series of A3 and bigger paintings for the exhibition. 

Your own mood on the day

Finally there’s yourself, and what you want to do, today. I often do an A4 painting of the scene I’m working with, which if it turns out ok, and while I still have the paint on the palette, I do a larger one immediately. 

If I am feeling free and easy I like to paint large waves, the full size of the sheet of paper. I have to control myself, though, because, these ‘over the mantlepiece’ paintings have a smaller market. 

When I just don’t know what to paint next, of if I’m just not in the mood, I will do something small, probably based on a detailed drawing. 

It is good, I think to have available a mixture of sizes. I have a wide selection of smaller sized paintings, and I try not to have too many larger ones. 

My thoughts on art classes. 

‘I’m confessin’, I never had a lesson, all my notes are just a matter of guessin’ (Chet Atkins).

It is no surprise to me, to find that many of the artists I admire claim to be self taught. None of these, though, will claim to have achieved their level of skill without some guidance.  The fact is they are not self taught, but self guided.

The artist is typically a specialist. Very few will try to be good at everything.  I find that oil painters don’t like watercolours and so stick to perfecting their oil painting techniques. Other artists work exclusively in charcoal, pastels etc. All of these are specialist areas. There is a lifetime of learning in each of these. There is no harm in experimenting, though.

I am painting, in a serious way, for a number of years now. I paint almost exclusively in watercolour. Previously, I painted only in oils, though I had tried watercolour, but I was frustrated by my attempts. I couldn’t understand what I was doing wrong. 

Then during Arts Week (Kilkenny), a number of years ago, I approached a watercolour artist (Ray Osborn) whose work I admire, and I asked him if he ever taught classes. He didn’t seem interested in discussing the matter at first, but I chatted more with him, and about his work, and eventually he gave me a number for the South Tipperary Art Centre, where he sometimes teaches classes. A couple of months later I was attending his beginners watercolour class.

He was not a college trained art teacher, as far as I know, he was just an excellent watercolour artist. His classes covered nothing other than watercolour. No curriculum, no exams. They were really workshops/demonstrations. This was perfect for me. In no time at, all I began to learn how to use this medium, properly.  I moved on to his advanced class, and I never looked back.  

His greatest tips were – use only the best paper (he recommended Arches), the best brushes (handmade sable) and the best paint (Windsor and Newton). I made the investment. 

When the watercolour classes finished, I was on my own. I bought some books on painting and specifically on watercolour. I then turned to YouTube for more tips and guidance. This was helpful and interesting. I might write my impressions of YouTube as a resource another time. There is good stuff to be found, but a lot of time wasters also.  

Eventually I began to find my way. A lot is learned by experimenting. In fact every painting is an experiment. However I don’t like to sacrifice my good quality materials, I work on every piece until it is presentable, I rarely scrap a painting. For me, careful planning, starting out with light washes, and carefully building up the colour until it feels right is the way to go. A painting takes a number of days to complete, I don’t often do alla-prima. Over the coming year, I might sign up for workshops on aspects of watercolour that I’d like to improve on, (like maybe alla-prima ?).

The point I want to make, and the my message is – forget your typical local art classes. These follow a wide curriculum, cover all types of media from painting to printing, and in fairness, have modest objectives. They are at best a taster. They use cheap paint bought in bulk, cheap paper, cheap brushes, and with thirty or more in the class, there is very little individual attention. They are arguably more about socialising, than art.  Nothing wrong with socialising, though.

To make serious progress, and not waste your time, decide what medium you want to work in, first. Go to exhibitions (Kilkenny Arts Week), talk to the artists and see what appeals to you. Find someone expert in this medium and try to work with them. Look for good guidance in the medium, network with other artists (they are a great and generous bunch of people) and work slowly and carefully on every piece. 

I am a representational watercolour landscape artist. I am no expert, but I really enjoy painting. Visit booleyart.com and see my work.

Watercolour painting can be very relaxing. I recommend it. I have come to realise that what I tend to do, is to identify patterns in the subject I want to paint. I spend some time with the image before I start. The image nearly always means something to me, a happy memory, a trip, or a holiday.  But to convert the image or memory into a watercolour painting takes some thought. 

Yes, we must paint from light to dark and try to preserve the white of the paper where it is needed,  we need to draw the outlines, but we also need to identify patterns. Once we see the patterns in the image we can start to paint. This is where the mindfulness comes in. 

Nothing is really random. Everything follows a pattern. We can’t always see it, but it’s there. Look closely, and take your time. One great thing about painting is that you start to look at things differently. 

For example, when painting buildings, these obviously follow a pattern. Take the brick or stone wall of a building, we look and take note of the pattern.  We outline the area to be painted, lay on a light wash, and then, having identified the pattern, we can dispense with the reference photo and paint the pattern. We don’t need to refer continuously to the image. We don’t need to paint every brick in the wall.

There is a pattern in everything. Winter trees. Outline the area of the tree – identify the pattern, paint the pattern.  If you look at trees you will notice that the branches get progressively smaller and more numerous as they move away from the trunk.  The smaller, furthest out ones tend to droop downwards, Once you start painting, you can dispense with the reference photo and fill in the pattern.  Summer trees, you don’t need to paint each and every individual leaf. Grass, the same. Water – you can’t paint water as it is constantly moving. If you try to replicate a photograph, it is likely to turn out lifeless. Sit and watch the motion of the sea, the patterns become apparent after a while, paint the pattern. 

I’m working on a new watercolour painting to be called The Reefs of Arrecife. When choosing what to paint – the WOW factor is important for me. We’re just back from Lanzarote. It is an island of course, and the sea is a key feature. It’s a lovely spot. We visited Arrecife, and took a walk along the promenade. Its an interesting port town, and while most of the other people there, were checking out the ancient canons, or trying to get into the museum, I went around the back of the castle to view the sea. Wow, what colours there were! Turquoise, deep blues and greens, sandy beach, black volcanic rocks, and the white foam breaking on the reefs a couple of hundred yards offshore. I’ll paint this I thought, so I took about twenty snaps on my phone, and when we came home I started into it. Im not trying to copy the photos but trying to capture that ‘wow’ moment, while it’s still fresh in my mind.

This was our first winter sun holiday, and I didn’t really intend to look for subjects to paint. I just wanted to chill out. However, I nearly always return from trips, even day trips, with ideas of what to paint. I think it’s the novelty factor of being somewhere else, of seeing something for the first time, and maybe also being in the right frame of mind.

My former students (Business not Art) will tell you that the issue of inventory featured heavily in my lectures. ‘What is the single biggest issue facing business today?’ I would ask – ‘inventory’ was always the answer. An often quoted view is that ‘it’s better to be looking at it, than to be looking for it’. That way of thinking does not really help – inventory has a cost. Usually the problem is too much inventory and probably in the wrong place. Not well understood is that, having too much inventory prevents you from moving on (like baggage!). You can’t bring in the new model until you clear the pipeline.

For the artist a certain amount of inventory is necessary, though. It is necessary to have a ‘body of work’ before you launch yourself on the market, and lets face it – you cant have an exhibition unless you have a selection of work to show. However your body of work does have a cost and especially so if it is framed up. It can be a big investment. And as I said, too much inventory prevents you from moving on. The artist needs to be constantly moving on.

Whats the solution then? The same as for any retail enterprise – the Studio Sale.

It’s easy to be precious about your work. I wouldn’t show any painting that I wasn’t happy with. I actually get quite attached to many of them, and I am sad sometimes to see them go, but go they must.

I have developed a pricing model for my paintings, it seems to work well enough. Initially I set very modest prices, the paintings sold, so I increased the prices and now I find that I have come to a balance point where I sell enough and have few complaints about prices. (I had previously received complaints about low prices from some other artisits!)

I have come to the opinion that if someone likes your painting they wont argue about the price, and conversely if you drop the prices people wont necessarily buy more paintings. So, on balance, my advice would be – once you reach the balance point – hold firm on prices.

But then there’s the inventory issue. And the studio sale to clear the inventory. Its a tricky balancing act.

For the month of December (2022) then, if you should call to my studio, you will find that I am working ahead on new work, with a view to next years exhibitions – and – also trying to clear some inventory. On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, up to Christmas, I will be having a half price sale. I will have work on display that I have shown in the past couple of years and older work, some prints and if that doesn’t suit, I have a few cards. You will find me on the Norelands Road, in Stoneyford, Co Kilkenny (R95R704). (087 6695635) https://booleyart.com/home gallery

But never mind the sale, come along for a chat, especially if you are interested in watercolour painting. Painting is very therapeutic, it is restful and rewarding, when you finish a piece that you are happy with. I’ve being doing it now for about eight years (before that – oils). I’ll make a coffee, and we can talk about the process and so on, and I can answer any questions you might have.

That’s another thing my former students will tell you, I love to talk about the things I love.