Winter is on it's way.

The forecast is for high winds and snow showers, moving down from the North....
I don't remember snow in November for at least 10 years, we usually get a little in January but not before Christmas.
I was up North, in Co. Down again yesterday, I took a few reference photo's but it was very misty for most of the day. The misty look creates an air of mystery though so the photos might be interesting when I get them developed. The drive from Newry around the coast and between the Mourne Mts. is beautiful and I keep intending to go on the other side around by the Cooley mountains but never seem to have the time.........
I reworked part of my last two paintings in the studio today, adding a glaze to the tree line in both of them, I warmed up the woods in the view from Tara, and cooled the trees in the painting of Croagh Patrick, and decided they both worked. It is one week and counting until Florence, so I can't really do much of anything at the moment other than try to collect a few euros somewhere... The Craft fair was not worth my time & effort as usual, but I need to take part as one of the 'courtyarders' although I am not a craftworker as such and most visitors are looking for small craft items as gifts etc. it is an opportunity to promote our open studios to the public.
I am going to try and work out a few ideas over the next week so as to be ready for work when I get back from Italy, but thats another days scribble.

A Painting I'm enjoying...

At last! I am working on a landscape and I am enjoying it, not struggling to motivate myself or pushing myself to paint. I'm not 100% sure of where it will lead yet but I'm reasonably happy with it and more importantly I have enjoyed painting it. We have had a few brisk November days, Hard frost at night followed by calm sunny days. The winds we had for a few weeks have stripped most of the trees, leaving just a hint of the autumnal colours behind against the dark wood. With the frost only just arrived the grass is still green and lush in the fields, not yet turned brown with a combination of mud and withered wild flowers. This against a backdrop of misty light in the low angled November sun gives a pleasing view. The painting is a view across the valley (N3 Dublin-Navan road) from the Hill of Tara in Meath, looking Northwards to the Hill of Skryne where St. Patrick supposedly lit his fire when bringing Christianity to the pagan Irish. Tara was the seat of the Ard-Ri or High Kings of Ireland. The mound in the foreground represents Cormac's Rath, one of the surviving earthen ring-forts on the site. (The painting is not quite as the eye would see it though) I included this to help create the mystical feel that the painting has developed, working with the light and subject to create a sense of history in the painting. The tower on the hill-top is an old medieval castle/tower in the village of Skryne, which, surprisingly enought is on the top of the hill. I spent a few years living in this area and caught the school bus just down the road at Ross Cross, a crossroads between Skryne and Tara/Dunsany where we lived.

size 22inches by 16 inches Oil on gallery wrap canvas

This painting will be for sale (It's not dry yet!) email me mailto:info@artbygreglong.com to enquire about the purchase. I will probably be listing it on my website later as it needs updating badly! I haven't been able to create enough work to update it in the last 20 months due to my ill health and subsequent slow start, but I will get moving on it soon. In the meantime feel free to enquire...... to buy is the sincerest form of flattery

Ready for Florence

The courier came to collect my work for the Florence Biennale today.... I had to phone up the Irish shipper yesterday to ask when and if they were going to collect them. I think they had forgotten, The paintings should have been in the Florence wharehouse today...

I leave for Florence on the 2nd of December, and I am staying until the 9th. I didn't feel there was any point in staying longer as if I don't make the contacts in the first few days I don't think I will for the last few days.......and expense has to be taken into account, my work and contact details will still be on view anyway. Work in the studio is at a standstill....whats new??
We have a Craft Fair in the main House in Marlay park this week-end so I'm working away on that for the next couple of days..
I may even make a few euro if I'm lucky, though Craft fairs don't really suit my work for sales purposes but I look on it as a showcase for my studio next door.

update on the work in progress

I have done a bit more to the painting of Croagh Patrick

I'm not sure I'm happy with it, more work is needed, but I'm lost, it is not exactly what I intended.

A quick preview.

I'm off to Athlone for the weekend, here is the painting so far.

No painting photo yet,

I am not ready toinflict it even as a work in progress yet.
I'm off to Athlone for a long weekend tomorrow so see you all on Sunday night or Monday.

A landscape painting in progress.

I have started work on a landscape painting. It is to be of Croagh Patrick in mayo again (the mountain has Character with a capital C). I enjoy painting this subject. I'm not sure how it will progress, but I decided to start it and hope for the best. With a little luck it may just kick start a creative streak.
I will try to upload a pic of the painting in progress during the week but at the moment it is only sketched in. I spent time composing the landscape and have blocked in but I'm not ready to go just yet.....still thinking.


I have packed up my work for the Florence Biennale (Dec. 3rd) so it is ready for collection by the shipper. With that done I can relax for a few more weeks, before organising myself to travel.

the paintings I am sending are two Portugeese works, baragem & blue trees, and a triptych from Marlay Park ponds.