Dublinman Gallery
Our first holiday in 1963 was spent at a little place called Castlegregory in the South west corner of Ireland. The view is on a penninsula called The Maharees, so called by people who arrived there having sailed from Morroco many centuries ago. I was fascinated by the long stretches of stone walls which divided the fields hence the long narrow painting.
I had done these two drawings before I left Glasgow and they were the last two which were done using using my Flomaster pen. I didn't have them framed till I came to Dublin and they have been hanging on many walls since that time . They were drawn on paper which has faded and the petrol based glue hasn't helped either but I quite enjoy the fact that, like good wine, they seem to me, to improve with age.
I found a piece of folded cardboard one day and started to dabble with it. It began to take on the appearance of a landscape which in turn developed into the finished picture which I called Castles in Spain.
Someone obviously saw the same castles in the picture as I did for it sold in the next year's Royal Hibernian Academy exhibition. Unfortunately the reflections in the situation couldn't be avoided but I felt it was worth showing.
I had bought a book before I left Glasgow, called Circus. No words, just great black and white photographs. I always promised myself I would do a series of circus paintings. Sadly, these were never completed , however I think I managed to capture the true circus atmosphere in both of these drawings which were copied directly from that book a couple of years later.
Not to be out done by our friends over at St. James's Gate Brewery, I decided to have a go at making my own beer. It was awful stuff because it was never left long enough before being quaffed by our thirsty impatient friends but I was quite pleased with my alternative label which, when wrapped round the correct shaped bottle, could almost fool all of the people some of the time --- except for the taste of course.
With our move to Ireland came a bag of old wooden sewing bobbins which were kept lying around gathering dust. Most of them sadly ended up on a bonfire. The remainder however, I rescued to create this abstract which was named ''Bob bob bobbin'along.' It might just bobalong to the right buyer yet. (see sales page)
I had taken a picture of the Nuclear Submarine base at Faslane while on holiday in Dunoon and eventually used it, and my memory, to paint this scene in the seventies.
Holy Loch Monsters
We took a trip back to Scotland in 1974. With three kids in tow it was difficult to get any paintings completed but here are a few 'quickies' in felt pen from that whirlwind tour.
Stack Polly
Blue peaks Torridon
Loch Ness from Crinan
Macduff
Pittenweem and the Isle of May