CREATING ART IN LOCKDOWN

Having managed to run face-to-face, socially-distanced, masked, sanitised, tracked-and-traced classes in the autumn (without any infections arising), it came as a blow to realise that this just wasn’t going to happen in the recent winter course. With rising infections and government lockdowns, there was nothing else for it but to head for the laptop and adapt lessons for online teaching.

Although I have been running private art groups for around 30 years, both here in Northern Ireland and previously in Germany, this has been my greatest challenge. Just when I thought I had earned my wings and could conduct an art course fairly competently, a global pandemic happened! So I delved into my archives (thankfully I had kept notes of lessons throughout the years – slightly disorganised but legible!), collated them and set to work. After many frustrating hours of grappling with PowerPoint, PDF files, demonstration videos, Zoom class meetings and individual video calls, we made it through the course. When I say “we” I mean, of course, myself and my students who were magnificent – logging in each week, trying the zoom password a thousand times until they succeeded, leading me through their house on video calls to view their work and never giving up the faith – I love you all!

The theme of this course was “Reflections” which could either be taken literally or metaphorically (or not used at all!) and the main technique was mixed media, from simple combinations of materials to collage, mono prints, transfer prints, assemblage…

I have put together a selection of just some of the work produced over the past 12 weeks.

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Oonagh Catchpole “Donegal Schoolhouse” mixed media; “Donegal Farm” mixed media; “Reflections on the Lagan” mixed media

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Janet Clarke “Reed Beds” acrylic; “Autumn Grasses” grasses and oil paint; “North Antrim Coast” oil and grasses; Ink on photographs printed on matt photographic paper

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Helen McKelvey “Autumn Seedheads” mixed media on rough watercolour paper; “Killian, Near Malin, Co Donegal” oil on canvas; “Honesty” mixed media on rough watercolour paper (Photo credit The Garden magazine RHS)

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Shirley McDonald “David Bailey” transfer print, acrylic and ink; Trace mono prints; “Glasses” acrylic on board

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Patricia Burgess Mixed media on canvas; “Remembering Ardglass” mixed media; “The Room” Inks on canvas (work in progress)

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Libby Pallin “Botanical Gardens, Melbourne” oil on canvas; “Reflections on Mount Stewart Lake” oil on board

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Marie Murray “In Deep I” oil on canvas; “In Deep II” oil on canvas; “Picnic with Pierre” mixed media on paper

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Heather Hughes “Early Evening, Victoria Park” acrylic and pastel; “Sunflowers” pencil drawing and acrylic; “Victoria Falls” acrylic, charcoal and pastel

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  Site seeing in Las Palmas

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Eilish Smith “Siteseeing in Las Palmas” monochrome collaged painted paper; “Kitchen Sink Chaos” mixed media; “Snakes and Ladders” mixed media using masks

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Anne Polland “Mary Anne McCracken, anti-slavery activist” mixed media; “Stile at Ballystokes, near Saul” oil grisaille on textured board; “Emilia, Lockdown Schoolgirl” oil on canvas

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Joan Magee “Geranium in a Pot” (inspired by Henri Matisse); “Potted Gerbera for Mum” oil and acrylic; “Splash of Colourful Tulips” oil and acrylic

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Margaret Finlay “Roberta” collage; “My Garden” oil on board; Acrylic transfer print

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Roberta Lindsay “Skid Row” acrylic transfer, pen on canvas pad; “Twin Brothers” acrylic on canvas board; “The Yard” acrylic on canvas board

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Caroline Twemlow Acrylic, wax crayon, collage; acrylic and collage; acrylic transfer, acrylic, ink

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Bernie O’Hare “Galway Hookers” oil on canvas (after a painting by Ivan Sutton); “Tra na Rossan ” oil on canvas (from photo by Rita Wilson)

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Rosalind McConaghy Acrylic transfer and watercolour; mono print and soft pastel; mono print

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Karen Hamilton “Disappearing Footprints” hand appliqué; “Tree” mono print and soft pastel; “Tree” watercolour, mono print and machine stitching; “Covid, covid Reflections” charcoal; “Oyster” watercolour

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Julia Simms “Family Ties” mixed media; “Ballyholme Beach” monoprint; Abstract, mixed media; “Reflections of a Wet Dusk”, Ballyholme soft pastels; “Heirlooms, a Reflection” oil on canvas

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Barbara Carlisle “Cumbrian Waterfall” oil on canvas; “Boathouse Reflection, Hillsborough; mixed media “Decades of Troubles” mixed media

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Katherine Nixon “Skins” oil on gesso panel; “Wrapped” oil on gesso panel

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Floresca Karanasou “Dutch Masters” soft pastels, (photo credit Sarah Raven autumn 2020 catalogue); “Lunar Annua” soft pastels (photo credit The Garden magazine Sept 2020)

Days of Isolation

We all have our favourite rooms where we can sit and relax . My sister Geraldine’s bolthole, where she can escape the humdrum chores of everyday life, is her summer house. Set in an oasis of a garden, with lovingly tended vegetable patches, fruit trees, a birch grove, a herb garden and even a labyrinth, this is where she and her husband Alan, the Potter, spend a great part of their summer days. This painting is as much a portrait of the summer house as it is of Geraldine. Here are all the bits and pieces which formerly adorned the main home but, having served their purpose, are loved too much to be thrown out and end up forming an eclectic collection of their family’s history.  Painted before lockdown started here in March this year it nevertheless shows how she spent those never-ending months of isolation.

Geraldine in the Summer house Oil on Linen 100 x 100 cms

Exhibited by the Royal Ulster Academy 139th Annual Exhibition http://www.royalulsteracademy.org

Jackson’s Painting Prize 2020 longlist

A Postcard from Donegal August 2019

During this summer’s Donegal Sketching Holiday I gave each participant a sheet of a postcard-sized watercolour  pad.  The image they painted or drew had to reflect the pretty village of Kilcar where we were sketching at the time and, of course, they didn’t disappoint…..

But let’s go back to the first morning in Rosbeg. We started off making marks as we walked – a great way of sharpening the observational skills and becoming familiar with your surroundings

Placing yourself in front of a panoramic view can be daunting as to where to start so I handed each person a  piece of drawing paper, 45cms square, which I had folded and pressed together to form a “pad” approx 15 cms sq. The first drawing/painting within this square was to be of the middle-distance. They were then to fold out the side “wings” and draw/paint whatever was on either side of their original square – ditto for the top and bottom “wings” (are you still with me?). This was aimed to sharpen spatial awareness and also to explore compositional aspects of the scene. 

If I were to say the weather was perfect, I would be lying, there were a lot of showers but it was warm enough and the clouds were dramatic and painterly ( we Irish know how to spin a weather story!). However, by the time we got to Maghera on Monday afternoon the rain had set in so sketching time and the outlook were limited. Rossy still managed to get down some quick watercolour marks of the “Granny” (Pass) before it disappeared!

These were a couple I did the week before when I was out scouting for locations – maybe next year we’ll make it ……

Never to be defeated by rain or wind, we stopped, on the way home, at Killybegs Harbour and sketched from the shelter of our cars

Tuesday morning was ceramics time and the potter, Alan Snape, had another brilliant project planned and what could be more fitting for Donegal….

..than a flock of sheep?

We spent Tuesday afternoon at Kilcar. I’ve already shown the postcards so here are some of the rest

One of my favourite places in Donegal is the beautiful, deserted village of An Port. The first time I visited here (around 30 years ago) it seemed like the end of the world – empty – wild – elemental. This year we arrived down to find half a dozen cars, 3 camper vans and two coaches full of Spanish walkers! I suppose it was only a matter of time before the rest of the world caught on to the magic of Donegal and in particular these hidden gems. The Wild Atlantic Way has helped put the Atlantic coast on the tourist map and it is certainly good for the local economy. The Spanish walkers eventually made their way across the mountain path towards Glencolumbcille where the coaches would be waiting for them, leaving us to our sketching…..

Rossy McConaghy watercolour; acrylics

Roberta Lindsay watercolour pens; mixed media

Patricia Wilson watercolour; oil pastels

Pamela Greene watercolour; pastels

Oonagh Catchpole watercolour; pastels; watercolour pens

Margaret Finlay pastels

Helen Mckelvey watercolour

Geraldine Snape frottage; assemblage

Rosie McClelland oil pastel; oil pastel on acrylic monoprint

Another fun-filled and productive workshop comes to an end. My thanks to everyone who took part, to the potter, Alan Snape and my helper, sister and fellow artist Gerry Snape. Thank you Donegal for your hospitality especially Ethna from Inishduff B & B who, quite frankly, spoils her guests, the Tara Hotel, Killybegs and the Rusty Mackerel, Teelin where we had fabulous meals.

Until next year……….

 

Donegal Sketching Holiday 2018

An Port Ghost Village

An Port is a favourite destination of mine and we visited it this year on the second day of our workshop. Port has a very special atmosphere. It is said that the whole village was abandoned at the time of the famine in the middle of the 19c leaving the houses to fall into ruin. It must have been a very hard existence – what appears picturesque to those visitors who make their way down and leave again, the reality was in fact a harsh existence.

On the first morning we spent an hour on Fintra Beach before moving on to St John’s Point. At Fintra our first exercise was to walk and make marks as we go, seaweed, stones, footmarks, pawmarks, feathers, waves – anything that took our eye. These sketches ended up as scribbles in most cases but served the purpose of honing hand-eye coordination.

St John’s Point

Ceramic Workshop

On the final morning we had a ceramic tutorial from the potter Alan Snape. At the start of the holiday he had asked everyone to think of five or six motives for a mini frieze. Always daunting at first the final results were awesome to the delight and surprise of all the novice ceramicists!

Muckross Head

Our final destination was at the stunning Muckross Head with wind and waves and foam – an inspiration for any artist of paint or words.

Thank you to all who took part – to the tutors, the companions, the helpers. Thank you for all your work – sketches , paintings, poems and most of all – thank you for the craic!

 

Life drawing

It’s been too long since I posted anything on my blog so here are a few sketches from today’s life drawing workshop. You can see more of my work on Instagram @rosiemcclellandart or on my website http://www.rosiemcclelland.co.uk

60 minute oil sketch 24 in x 18 in

2 minute gestural poses pen drawings

Charcoal on cartridge paper

Mixed Media – acrylic, charcoal, conté, oil pastel

Mixed Media – conté crayon and oil paint on canvas block

Donegal Sketching Holiday 2017

The weather gods were kind this year although if I were one to bite my nails they would be down to the quick! For painters it was perfect – windy, cloudy and sunny all in one Donegal day. Motifs are always plentiful, satisfying every taste whether landscape, water, fishing ropes, scudding clouds, busy, colourful, towns or sweeping mountain passes.

 

Below is a slideshow of some of the work produced

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                                          This year we had a guest tutor, the ceramic artist Alan Snape, who gave a masterclass in modelling in clay. Results were stunning as you can see…

All over for another year. My thanks to Alan Snape, the Potter, for his excellent tuition, to Gerry (Mrs Potter and my big sis) for her help making thousands of sandwiches and gallons of coffee and tea and of course to all those who took part for your work, the laughs, the wine and the company!

Life drawing Saturdays

A selection of  life drawings from recent life workshops

90 minute Oil sketch on canvas block

constantly moving series conté crayon on A2 cartridge paper

10 minute gestural sketch conté crayon on cartridge paper

90 minute oil sketch on canvas pad

40 minute charcoal drawings on A2 cartridge paper

30 minute mixed media sketches

Charcoal on cartridge paper

First life drawing session 2017

30 minute charcoal sketch on full size Arches hot pressed paper

2 minute gestural sketches conté crayon

40 min Charcoal sketch on A2 cartridge paper

50 minute oil sketch on canvas pad

50 minute oil sketch on canvas pad

Faultlines and Fractures

Through the media of paint, glass and photography Rosie McClelland and Pamela Greene each explore the complex issue of identity. Recognising that identity has may facets and is subject to reinvention, their work explores the relationships we form with certain people, landscapes or objects and why these draw us close on emotional, spiritual or physical levels that we do not always understand. Drawn to the imperfections in the human condition and in nature, McClelland’s and Greene’s work recognises that it is in connecting with these fault lines that we find our DNA

‘Little Blue’ oil on linen 50 x 40cm Rosie McClelland

The condition of self is transitory, never fixed. Our position within society, family and workplace can change radically throughout our lives. It is with this in mind that I approach my work which is first and foremost intimate and reflective, a personal response to my subject matter.

My chosen method of working is figurative, weaving underlying abstract forms into reality and, in the process, hopefully creating a sense of presence – a vibration. The study of the human body, an ongoing fascination throughout my life, returns time and again as does the art of still life which is about much more than the objects it portrays and more often than not represents human relationships. Another repeating motif is the tethered boat, so long a symbol of the spiritual, at times swaying on choppy seas, times on still waters portraying a reflection of the self.

Woven into this process is the acceptance of faults, fractures and imperfections as it is only through a holistic view of reality that the truth and the real self are revealed.                   Rosie McClelland

Iceland Series ‘Frozen Sea’ dia 30cm depth 18cm Pamela Greene

Through the media of kiln-formed glass, photography and poetry I explore my primary interest, identity.   I am particularly drawn to the identity of landscape and why many of us make emotional or spiritual or physical connection with wild and inhospitable places whose beauty is often savage and transient.

My current work focuses on the landscapes of Iceland and Ireland, sustained sources of inspiration.   For my ‘Iceland’ series I chose to work with glass for its versatility: its ability – like ice – to transmit and reflect light, its reaction to fire, and, like the landscape of Iceland, its strength and vulnerability.  These properties make it the perfect medium to try to reflect the spirit of a landscape whose identity is shaped by ice and fire.

My glasswork is supported by photographs of Donegal, a landscape similar to that of Iceland.  In these I have sought to capture the essence of a fractured and fragmented landscape where it sometimes seems that the identity and history of our ancestors can be read in the faces and fault lines of the rock formations.

Working with glass and photography has enabled me to explore how landscape, actual and remembered, shapes our sense of who we are and where we come from.                            Pamela Greene

 

 

Charcoal on watercolour paper Rosie McClelland

 On Saturday 12 Nov 2016 10am – 4pm, I shall be tutoring a life drawing workshop in the Island Arts Centre, Lisburn. Please contact the Island for details

 

 

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Donegal Sketching August 2016

Another long overdue blog!

Monday August 8  – The deserted fishing village of Port was our first venue. A windswept but sunny day creating a continually changing light show….

       Tuesday August 9     Assaranca Waterfall and Ardara Town

 

Wednesday August 10 – A wet day so drawing exercises inside the cottage using Donegal’s wild flowers

‘Losing control’- Sketching with charcoal taped onto the end of a paintbrush                   (left to right Margaret F, Kay McC, Karen W, Gavin H)

‘Large and Small Scale’ – drawing with a paintbrush and black ink on scrolled paper, pen and ink on small scale card. (left Kay McC, right Pamela G)

Subtraction drawings with charcoal and putty rubber.(left Pamela G, right Gavin H)

Brambles (Margaret)

Thank you to all who took part!

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September Life drawing workshop

Conté crayons on toned paper 65cm x 55cm 60mins

Conté and charcoal on A2 cartridge paper 30 mins

Pen and wash in A4 sketch book 15 mins

Charcoal on A1 watercolour paper 30 mins

Drawing in the City

                                                       Pen and wash Rosie McClelland

This year, in May, I undertook a new, exciting venture. In conjunction with my talented daughter  Jessie ( www.jessicaweberphotography.com ) I led a tutored sketching/photography break in Berlin.

With a small, select group we took in the sights of that fascinating city, visiting locations such as the Eastside Gallery (old Berlin wall), the historical Oberbaumbrucke  to the beautiful Museuminsel, Gendarmenmarkt, Berlinerdom amongst many others,  sketching and taking photos on the way.

Included during the week were gallery visits, most noteworthy of which this year for me was the Erwin Wurm exhibition at the Berlinische Galerie.

Below are a few examples of work undertaken during the course but, for a fuller picture, head over to the Drawing in the City website www.drawinginthecity.com and have a peek.

Our next Berlin sketching break is May 2017

May Life Drawing

Conté crayon and collage on A2 cartridge paper 20  mins

I loved this pose would be a good study for a San Sebastian painting!

Oil pastels and collage on A2 cartridge paper 30 mins

No quick gestural poses this session 2 x 15 min poses charcoal on cartridge paper

Head studies. Oil on canvas sheets

April Life drawing

Oil sketch on board 20 x 24in 60 mins

2 minute gestural sketches conté crayon

Charcoal and conté crayon on cartridge paper seated pose 30 mins

Charcoal and conté on cartridge paper 45 minutes

Saturday Life Drawing

Oil sketch 60 mins 70cm x 56cm

Gestural sketches 2 minutes conte crayon on A2 cartridge paper

Oil sketch 60 minutes 70cm x 48cm