A veil of silence permeates through the house   –   no sounds of I-phones, I-pads, headphones or telephones, radio nor TV ;   just me and the occasional creak and gurgle echoes throughout  the house as the shrill winds outside knock on every window and bang on every door,  looking for entry.

Christmas has passed along with the ringing in of 2012.  Parties attended, old friends reunited, waistlines expanded, all now absorbed in one big fading but happy memory.

And so it is Monday morning!  My family are housed where they are destined to be – work, college or school.  And then, there’s me here in my studio, filled with these passing thoughts; one hundred paintings in my head and several hundred reference photos begging to be explored.

How exciting and daunting all at the same time!   Here goes!

Happy New Year everyone!

Seasons Greetings

Here is what I have been doing:

Miniature Landscape Series 1

Miniature Landscape Series 2

Miniature Landscape Series 3

Miniature Landscape Series 4

Miniature Landscape Series 5

Miniature Landscape Series 6

The above are a selection of some of the  miniature paintings  I have been working on, all  inspired  from regular walks through  the Dublin and Wicklow mountain ranges, which are in easy reach of where I live.

They are all oil paintings  on canvas and range in price from €75 – €100 which I think makes buying original art affordable!

What do you think?

We arrived In Siem Reap, Cambodia which is the base for exploring the fabled temples of Angkor, the ancient capital of the Khmer empire.  We then travelled a five-hour journey by road  to Cambodia’s capital,  Phnom Penh.    Along the way, we saw countless paddy fields, water buffalo, cows and houses built on stilts to protect the homes in the rainy season.

Phnom Penh is said to be undergoing a modern renaissance and it was a  stark contrast to the quiet country life we encountered along the road.   Steeped in charm, beauty and a rich culture of ancient Khmer history,  its  people smile with a gentleness that appears unbowed  by the  wars,  genocide and  poverty that has besieged their country.

This is my first painting reflecting my travels.

It is so commonplace to see the street traders selling their wares, hoping to catch your eye, hoping to engage   –   a sale, a dollar!

Going to Market

 

 

In Phnom Penh, we came upon many food markets.  These were a feast for my eyes with a humming energy ever-present. The colours, the textures, the smells of fish, fruit and fowl all mingled together to create a pungent aroma. Chickens squawked, frogs leapt and fish squirmed while underfed cats came to see what  offerings could be had.

Crispy Snake for Sale

All kinds of food was on offer with fruits I’d never seen nor heard of before.  My imagination was rather more stretched when I saw such things as spiders being served as a delicacy.  Tourists gathered round and dared each other to taste the culinary delights.  I played my role through “observation” only!

Spiders - Roasted n Toasted!

Crickets 'n all !

Suckling Pig

Crystallsing the palm sugar

The palm tree is very interesting because of how useful it is.  Every part of the tree  has a purpose,  even the roots of the tree play their part.  In this photograph, the girl is cooking the sap from the palm tree and stirring it until it crystallizes.  It is then wrapped in palm leaves and sold for cooking purposes.  This is a high quality 100% natural food product.

We also tasted some palm sugar wine and needless to say, it was delicious.

Check back soon to see my next posting on Asian charm and my next painting.

Market Day in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Where in the World is Hannah?

Hannah strolls the beach with  Muffy.  The evening light casts long shadows and reflections while a pink and purple hue invades the landscape.  The world is at her feet,  full of hopes, dreams and possibilities!

My inspiration for this painting happened when earlier in the year we visited Spanish Point.

Spanish Point is located on the west coast of county Clare Ireland.  It takes it’s name  from the unfortunate Spanish who died  in 1588, when many ships of the Spanish Armada were wrecked during stormy weather.   It is more renowned today as being one of the best surfing sites on the west coast of Ireland.

I used handmade paper from South India 320 gsm with watercolour and ink.

The People’s Art will take place once again this weekend from Friday 19th to Sunday 21st August  around  St. Stephens Green, Dublin.

This exhibition is  organised by Dublin City Council, the Office of Public Works (OPW)  and a voluntary group of organisers.  This is a super event and really adds to the ambiance of the city, so why not drop by, see some wonderful paintings and maybe purchase a truly unique gift for a special occasion or that someone special.

The dates for this years exhibitions are:

•  6th – 8th May 2011
• 24th – 26th June 2011
• 19th – 21st August 2011
• 23rd – 25th September 2011