Category: Uncategorized

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.

• 

• 

My WATERSIDES collection of watercolour paintings, first exhibited in Thomastown during Arts week (TCAF22), and recently in Tramore, is now back in my studio (those that didn’t go to new homes, that is). Next year 2023, I will be showing my newer work, some already completed and lots more planned. So …. I have a good number of framed paintings, ready to go, and at a bit of a discount, as I don’t have to pay commission. Buy direct and save. Prices from €150 to €500.

Original Irish Art, Watercolour, Coastal Landscapes

email : booleyart@gmail.com

• 

• 

I am delighted to be exhibiting my watercolour paintings in the Cafe Gallery, at the Coastguard Cultural Centre in Tramore for the month of October 2022. Why not plan a visit to Tramore for a walk on the beach (or a swim at Newtown Cove) and head up to the coastguard for a coffee afterwards. I am constantly amazed at the number of people who swim all year round. Hardy souls.

The past few weeks have been hectic in our house, but I’m finally getting to spend some time in my studio. When I am at a loss as to what to paint, I return to the sea. So I am working on some beach scenes. These ones have big breaking waves. White foam.

White presents a challenge in watercolour as there is no white watercolour paint. You can use white goache or even acrylic, but the clearest white is the white of the paper itself. There are various ways of preserving it, but for a large painting like this I use masking fluid. I paint the white coloured masking fluid onto the white paper, where the foam is to be! Thats a bit tricky, as its difficult to see what you’re doing! Once done, I then have total freedom to splash on the blues and greens, with long strokes, blending the colours to achieve the feel of flowing water. When I peel off the masking fluid I have beautiful chrisp foam (as in this image).

I’m not finished yet though. The fact is … foam is not white. The foam on the beach casts a small shadow, I will put that in, and it also reflects the colours around it (especially the sky). I’ll spend most of the day tomorrow adding these touches, and also touching up the water itself, adding ripples and swirls.

See my waves at my next exhibition, in Tramore. It runs for all of October … more on that later.

My 2022 Arts Week exhibition is 5th to 14th August at the Concert Hall, Thomastown. A lovely venue. This old historical building has great charm and character. On each of the two Saturday evenings there will be a performance of a play based on the life of one of Thomastown’s great ambassadors – Berkeley. If you come to see the play you can also view my paintings. I will be there most days from 11 to 5, but probably not when the markets are on. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings I share to the place with the normal weekly markets, so if you don’t want to buy a painting you can pick up some veg.

I am delighted to be exhibiting my new work this Arts Week coming, in the Concert Hall, Thomastown. My exhibition is titled ‘Watersides’. Thomastown is the new Kilkenny and the TCAF committee have been working very hard, with the support of the AKA to make this years art trail a great day out for everyone, who comes to visit.

Here is some blurb from the brochure – Exhibition of watercolour paintings. Constantly drawn to the subject of water, Micheál continues to create serene waterside landscapes in watercolour, guaranteed to bring a sense of peace to any home.  Themes include local rivers, familiar beaches and coastal features. New this year is a series of wave studies, large and small, created to bring the song of the sea right into your living room. The style is representational, however the wave studies provide the freedom to blend realism with a more abstract approach. Watercolour is a great medium for splashing about.

I hope you can make it. This is my third time to exhibit at TCAF, and it is, for me, the highlight of my artistic year. All of the paintings hanging on the walls will be new, mostly painted in the last years or so. A big thank you to Claire for the wonderful work in framing them. I will also have a selection of unframed paintings with me (in my haggle box) – you might find something nice in there.

The first exhibition of 2022 for me is the June Bank Holiday weekend – at the Clancy Brothers Festival in Carrick-on-Suir. The venue is the Brewery Lane Theatre, and I will be there Friday to Monday. There will be others there too, indeed the Art Trail takes you all around the town, there are many exhibitions, also concerts, plays and other activities. Fancy a day out?