artwork

Never Forget

I am the first artist-in-residence at the Doucet-Hennessy house in Bathurst, New Brunswick. My new exhibit opens to the public on Wednesday, July 3

By the way, I strongly identify as Irish. Yes, technically I am Canadian and one might suppose that today I would be celebrating Canada Day. However, for reasons I’ll not go into at present, I prefer to celebrate the Heritage passed down to by my ancestors, the Hennessys and O’Tooles among others.

The Don’t Forget You’re Irish art exhibit opens to the public July 3. Drop by Tuesday to Saturday for a cup of tea and a chat at the historic Doucet-Hennessy House in Bathurst, New Brunswick. If you play Celtic or Acadian music or any sort of traditional folk music, we hope to have informal music sessions on Saturdays from 2-4. Bring along your acoustic instrument and join us. Music workshops are in the planning for September.

This exhibit is open to the public from July 3 – 28 in Bathurst, New Brunswick. More about the exhibit in this press release: https://surmonbabillard.com/art-exhibit-dont-forget-youre-irish-doucet-hennessy-house/”>Irish Canadian family settled on Bay of Chaleur in Canada.

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Green White Orange work in Progress

June 24, 2013
Today I ponder painting … My painting … The orange green and white painting I had hoped to finish and post today.

Work in progress … That’s what it is … Work in progress … Good name for an artpiece that gets stuck somewhere between the “so inspired” and “don’t quite get it” stage … that space where the little voice begins to niggle and you wonder whether this one is any good … Whatever “good” means.

Good enough? For what? Compared to what?

Cups and saucers

Cups and saucers

That the expression “oh you are so talented” might make an artist squirm isn’t unusual and the squirming does not necessarily mean the artist is modest and awkward about accepting compliments.

Talented is simply not the best word to use.

Why? Because an artist’s work is just that … Work! That the artist might actually enjoy the work is something else.

So much of art is really about seeing and working … Stepping back and looking again … perhaps from a new angle … trying to communicate what is seen … Reworking the art … re-aligning an image over and over both in the mind and on the canvas.

I am doing just that sort of reworking on the painting I started last week, the one I thought I could quickly finish in a day. A new week has begun and I am still struggling … Ahh … work in progress … Now there is a useful expression.

Now if I can just learn to accept my limitations … Learn to overlook the implication of “talent contest” every time I hear the word “talent” and be brave enough to paint my own unique vision … Well like the song goes,
“Everything is gonna be alright”.

Meanwhile here is my green and white and orange work in progress …