A Day reflecting on my current work

I had a serious look at my current work this evening before leaving my studio.
I have lost my Colour! My work is dull, bland and bleak- I don't have the vibrancy I should have. I am either painting in a style that doesn't suit me, or I am painting the wrong subjects. It may be the fact that I am feeling down, and need to be more cheerful, but my current work is not what I want to show or do.

...I'm back to square one!!

under seige in Marlay ??

I went to my studio on Saturday and felt like I was under seige. Entrance to my doorway was half blocked by the 'Farmers Market' stalls in the courtyard, so much so I couldn't even put out my sign. There were two 'Artists' selling paintings from stalls in the courtyard...something we were promised wouldn't happen, and were told was a "one-off" the last time it did... Why do I pay rent rates and insurance on an OPEN studio, when no-one can get access to it? Why do 'Artists' appear at the food market outside our studios come Christmas? (the only time we are likely to make any money) and why do our landlords, Dunloaghaire Rathdown County Council not give a damn? The same reason that our Courtyard is being let go to rack and ruin, no longer do we have a Cafe, now we just have rats brought in by waste from the food markets that is not cleaned up after. The yard is used as a car-park during the week, but it's O.K. there are no longer any Kids running around because there is no coffee shop for their Mums, and it's no longer a pleasant place to sit and chat while the kids can play in relative safety...too many cars and vans driving in and out. The flower tubs have been removed, to block off access to the park by the new car-park and not replaced. Most of the picnic tables have gone elsewhere so it's easier for the cars to get in and out. The Markets give an income while hiding the fact that the courtyard, once a pleasant place to be, is fast becoming an eyesore, unkempt and miserable by degrees. It is bad enough that I have a 'Tip' outside my back window, now the front windows (When you can see out of them due to the amount of muck thrown up by the traffic from the hardcore pot hole filling) are looking out on a dirty hardcore car-park or my door is hemmed in by Market Stalls. I haven't bothered returning since, I'm too annoyed.
I'm so angry I can't work. After my trip I was looking forward to starting with renewed vigor, that has gone now. I despair. I am seriously considering finding a new studio at this stage. The attitude to us is a disgrace: Like it or lump it, be grateful for what you get, you get too much anyway... I've been waiting 3 years to have my name added to the list of Units... the name up is 8 years out of date! We were promised work on the courtyard numerous times..we've given up waiting. We co-operated with a 'report' commissioned on the units and there condition, plus reccomendations as to the way forward in the courtyard this spring, were told we could see a copy of it..no chance!. It seems to have been buried or dis-appeared somewhere down the black hole of 'in the near future'. The near future never arrives..it's like tommorrow...it never comes.
....enough for now I'm getting depressed further while ranting.............

I'm back from Florence

I have returned from the Florence Biennale, I did not stay for the full 10 days but came home earlier as Planned...I'm all cultured out! The combination of Contemporary art and the renaisscance art and architecture that pervade Florence/Firenze has me worn out!! I'll post some pics when I get them developed...yes I used cellulose not chip...
I have to say I enjoyed the experience except for problems with someone behind my 'stand' going too high and making my area look worse than a bazaar X rubbish tip, and it took two days to have it sorted even though the regulations clearly stated you can't go above the 2.5 meters.
One or two Artists were a bit upset at the lack of visitors/buyers, but to be honest I think they thought it was an Art market which it clearly was not going to be. As a meeting place for Artists from around the world it was great, Gallery owner/curator participation was a bit scarce though. All in all I feel it was slightly poor value due to a need for more advertising of the Biennale. The work on view was generally quite good, though a few poor/ lacking works were there, but I feel that will always happen in large shows like this (760+ Artists). I made a few contacts and friends from around the world though, and, I saw what Artists are seeking and doing from other cultures etc. which can only benefit my own work. I can't say I will go back again 4,000 euro in total costs (registration, shipping, flights, hotel etc.) is a bit high, but if I got full instead of partial funding I would definitely consider it.

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.