Siobhan O' Hehir: June Blog - One chapter ends and another begins...

June ..thought it would never come and now it's nearly over! Such is the nature of time.
Many good days out bouldering and climbing. Remarkably the weather has been pretty good..especially in the first few days of the month.

The class of 2013 (2nd year group) A lovely bunch!

All finished at college too, the students show went up and came down in what felt like a flash. It was good this year with a wide variety of media and ideas all coming to fruition after what for many has been a rewarding journey. With the long summer break about to begin I have a few journeys both physical and otherwise to go on myself. Time to stop musing and start making!

What with college and climbing I've had a lull in the studio so it was good to get back in there this week and start this painting (below).I have been planning this in my head for days now. It seemed to take shape pretty rapidly, and with that some creeping feelings of doubt.... I always feel a little anxious when a painting goes smoothly in the first session...that feeling of it's too good to be true and it's bound to turn messy soon echo in my head.
Ridiculous thoughts that I would advise any artist to banish from their thoughts and just get on with it. I'm trying hard to be in the moment with this one, and be mindful, and just enjoy the process without being too self conscious and precious.

Work in progress 2@ 80x80 cm

That troublesome painting mentioned in my April blog was still causing trouble up until a week ago. It now has been transformed into some quite different.Below are a couple of details....a change of palette and the abandonment of the track for the second time leaves me feeling that there is the likely chance that it may be complete.

Funny how some paintings hang around for months seeking attention and demanding more time to be spent on them while others appear and happily seem to amuse themselves and then vanish from your thoughts quietly like a well mannered child! Not sure which ones I get on better with ?

detail

Detail from 100x100cm

Beautifully scented gorse at Kyloe

Looking into the sun , Kyloe

My roller love from last month didn't go as smoothly as anticipated. Yes those lovely Japanese papers arrived but I haven't managed to do one successful mono print yet. The texture is different and I think an oil based ink would be more preferable then the water based one I was using on the cheap tissue.

Mono printing is such a fleeting and intense technique. Get it right and you almost don't even know it's happened get it wrong well it's laboured and stodgy. Must stop trying so hard!

Onward now with the hope that I will get some serious work done in the next few weeks. Stumbling on the double canvas idea has made me think about future paintings and I'm excited about the possibility of working on a landscape format without having to abandon the square. Nothing new here but I haven't worked like this for very long time and had forgotten the freedom and possibilities inherent in this format.
Whilst working I have been thinking of those familiar views in Northumberland..... peaty low summits, boulder strewn crags, wandering sheep and all under a huge brooding sky...good thoughts.

The Lakes are a different prospect in terms of landscape. That's for later, it all needs time to sink in and become etched in your mind and to somehow become part of you .... a quiet and lengthily familiarisation.