Pattern

These days I'm all about patterns. Particularly the kind found in or inspired by folk-based ornamental textiles. Such as this lovely work, which I believe is from Owen Jones's The Grammar of Ornament ;

via butdoesitfloat

I've never been great with that aspect of design, so it's always something I try to get my head around. But most of the time the focus of where I seek inspiration has some sort of purpose, linked in some way to what I'm working on. A lot of my drawings are based around my sometimes tree-limbed, sometimes bird-faced, sometimes plain old Emily character, and more so lately, I've been working on developing her story, which is all there floating around the nether regions of my head, but is simply a matter of translating into some sort of coherent shareable form (I'm not really known for my communication skills). But I am easily distracted by the details. Delayed. In one or two "stories" there is a house.

And lately I've been decorating the house (you know, in my head). In particular, I find I need to design the rug, a particular rug.

some pattern/design sketches

storyboard thumbs

watercolour in progress with aforementioned photoshopped rug

But the rug is also another story itself. As is the wallpaper and a long taspestry in the hall in the style of an old chinese watercolour. I'm terribly confused by the whole thing myself. Needless to say, it's a slow process.

Anyway, while we're talking about patterns, check out Denise Nestor's latest work. Work in progress, I believe, but it's still wonderful.

If you haven't come across her stuff before, check out her site. She's one of those people who makes drawing seem effortlessly beautiful.

Past the sketch

I've got a bunch of uncolored drawings piling up at the minute. I tend to work in one specific medium at a time. My brain doesn't really multi task artisically. Occassionally I'll start a picture and just paint it right through. But usually I'll just work on drawings and keep starting new drawings, ignoring the painting side of things as long as I can. Not that this is a concious effort to organise my studio time or anything. It's purely because drawing, the ideas part, the inception of an image, comes a lot easier to me than the finishing. Or that middle period at least; setting down the principle colours of a picture. The details, I'm fine with, and even manipulating the paint on a page I enjoy, but it's just that point where you have to make a choice. You've got this nice sketch that you're happy with and then you have to figure out where its going to go, in the hope that whatever rendering you do adds to the image instead of ruining it. Especially so with watercolours. Generally you have one go. I'd usually have a practice area before applying paint, but i find watercolours will always behave differently every time you use them. Which is also why i like them. You end up with colours and textures you hadn't even planned.

Anyway, I've about a dozen drawings in varying levels of finishment piling up on the desk (not including the 10 or 20 canvas and wood paintings stacking up that I'm completely ignoring). Here's a few watercolours in progress.

little wildness

recent sketchbook work.




good things from the web;

hye su lee's illustration

Thomas Thwaites building a toaster. from scratch

Fabric designs by Gunta Stölzl

in gardens such as temples

fruiticiously deficient

don't feel like i've been getting many things finished lately. so here's some sketchbook pages. plan on doing a big post on sketchbooks soon. maybe a sketchbook week. think if i could only make sketchbooks for a living i'd be happy enough.





p.s. i missed this weeks blog comic. bad blogger... double homework for next week.

time for hibernation?

doesn't seem like i've been updating the site as regular as i'd like. but then i haven't been getting much work done. i'd resolved to use as little motorised transport as possible at the beginning of the year but in the last few months i seem to be on bus journeys every third day. its sort of depressing me. and not cooking my own dinners, buying crap imported food in centras (how hard is it to grow a bloody apple in ireland...) and sleeping on people's couches. feel like hibernating for the winter. try and finish some projects piling up in my head. i've also let the Gulf fund slide. I wasn't getting much interest or feedback, but I haven't been giving it the attention it deserves, I'll put something up tomorrow for it. The Laboured Error series, I had hoped to exhibit somewhere and have half the proceeds go to the GRN, but knowing my usual artistical agoraphobia, i might just sell them through the site.

Excuse the dreary tone. I'm a little knarky this week. so here's some good things;

this book looks amazing. so so pretty; I WONDER

I had never heard of Lu Cong before. shame on me. Check out his stunning portraits. And some lovely line drawings on his Flickr page.

here's some sketchbook things from the weekend;




playing with Bouts in Twisted Pepper for HWCH on Saturday night. It's part of the festival, so for anyone planning on going, you'd need to get a ticket. practice is going well, should be a good night. can't remember last time i played on a stage...

i'm now going to do some painting to the sound of the new Threadpulls album.

Sketch book

here's the last few pages of my sketch book, just for a gander. the last page, the emily pencil drawing, i'd like to do as a big painting with a nice green and yellow countryside background. her eye paint will be a weedy seadragon, me thinks. there's also plans for a sculpture and a piece of music in there, if you'd believe...

New sketches, new toys and Iron Man

looking forward to a few weeks of serious painting time. have loads of drawings to work on. mostly emily pics. here's a pair from the weekend.



i got a new delay pedal, handmade by a brotherly analog heart. i do believe it shall be fun.


and my nephew drew me as iron man. awesome.


things are as they should be.

Emily meeting some unfortunate characters

emily finds a two headed mountain, with one head never looking up, another head never looking down and who's body turns to broken glass at touch. another mountain is trying to dig his house from out of the sand. the hills aren't as wise as you might think.



i like how animal she looks here with her non-lactating cow-dogs (times are tough for such creatures).


i dug up this root today from a dead tree in the garden. i know my affection for vegetation is a little extreme, but you have to admit, this is pretty beautiful piece of dead thing.

things have happened

there was very upsetting news within the quinn ranks this week. my sisters' vintage emporium, dirty fabulous, has had to shut down due to a fire in their building. lots of uncertainty and sadness in the air. but they have lots of loving support around them. right, people!

some new sketches.






i had the idea that emily was hunting birds to hang them on her branches so she might fly....but i don't think she's that mean. i hope not.

the etsy store will be closed next weekend for a the Crafty Market on Sunday. I plan to have a lot more stuff uploaded to sell afterwards (unless of course I manage to sell it all). For anyone in Dublin on Sunday, drop into the market in Newmarket Square. It's always a great day.

listening to joanna newsom's sawdust and diamonds on repeat. at least 10 times today already. still haven't got the new album yet.

new sketches and old paintings

new photos on flickr, drawings and photos;



spent some of the last two days recording some guitar parts for a friends album (the band in question are remaining pretty quiet on the subject for now). will be a while before i have something to put up here from it, but was really pleased with how it went. many thanks to the lads and to the very patient and understanding shane of K9 studios. unfortunately i've no photos, and this is what happens when i try to draw real people with beards and clothes.


took some new photos of a painting i did a year ago, which i plan to put on etsy, along with a few other older portrait style paintings. any interest, let me know.

90cm x 110cm | acrylic and chalk on loose canvas

the umbrella tree

one of my favourite trees i've ever come across (yes, i am that uncool...) is tucked away behind st macartan's cathedral in monaghan. i went up there today to sketch it.


i think i'll take a photo next time...it's pretty amazing. limbs twisted in every direction as though its never quite sure what way its growing.

this one's still causing me trouble. can't get the colours right. nearly there though;



i didn't realise jonsi of sigur ros had a solo project going;

Jónsi - Go Do from Jónsi on Vimeo.