Impressions of Life

'East Pier Light House' Dun Laoire Harbour

This is a few years old. But, i love this area. It has a special relevance and summery feel to it. As a child i remembered all those summers with the family going to Seapoint and here: East Pier Dun Laoire. Spending days upon days watching the yachts and boats coming and going  in and out of the harbour - very therapeutic i only appreciate and know now! Even to this day, i love this place. On a day like in this painting - sunshine and blue skies - it’s heaven!! This painting was based on a sketch some years ago i did there. I only re- painted it again lately - it’s that much an ‘in demand’ scene, and i can surely see why! The light house is the main attraction of course. I still don’t know the name of it to this day….

This painting touches the spot i believe in all the pointers I’ve made above - sunshine, shade and boats, etc. The figure gives depth and reality to the painting . I will do a bigger oil of this scene, or similar very soon as a lot of people in the South Dublin area say it would give more ‘reality’. I want to thank all who enjoyed this painting and previous work - I’m indebted!

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to Nick Fegan Art by Email. This will give you updates by email of my latest paintings. Thanks for visiting!

"St Bridget's Church. Blackrock, Co. Dublin"

I Loved this Presbyterian church located on Carysfort Ave, Blackrock. Co. Dublin. It’s a lovely old church. Probably over 100 years old. This area of Blackrock was predominately a pro area back then. The church is nestled between beautiful old and mature trees, containing: Palms, cypress and oaks. I was drawn to the scene ’cause of the lovely spire protruding over the larger of the trees - making a potentially terrific painting. I don’t normally ‘do’ church scenes, but this one struck me. The dappled shadows added a touch of mystery and serenity to the over all picture.

"The Gazebo. St, Stephen's Green. Co. Dublin"

I was happy with this watercolour - it’s a ‘finished’ painting: meaning, it was done in my studio to a final ‘touch’. I love this scene as it has so much in it - cast shadows, trees, figures, and colours of every hue. What struck me about this painting was the gazebo (The pointed shed type building, far left). It shouts: grandeur of  a typical Victorian English ‘designer garden’. The figures add life and reality to the whole scene, as the shadows do also. Shadows are a vital part to any summer painting, and give a painting true meaning, as much as figures i really think. The touch of blue was added to give much more colour to attract the viewer in.

'The Park, Cabinteely'

This is sort of a ‘new dimension’ to my work: i’ve been painting and sketching for years and never knew exactly why i didn’t bother to draw in my area! I mean a 3/4 mile radius….what a revelation to me. Not only is it exciting and ‘different’, but i’m able to refer back to the places i most admire, or areas of interest. Take the watercolour sketch above - the area: Cabinteely Park is very synonymous to me - i run and walk in the park quite a bit. One day last year i opened my sketch pad and just started to draw a house and field with a beautiful stream in the middle. I haven’t looked back. I feel a deep sense of joy when i did it and look at the finished watercolour, it’s like a reference point, and, i have it in a pad to open and reminisce  to my hearts content. I just love the houses in this painting above; they remind me of a ‘villa’ type house in Spain or France  some what. Just a feel of grace i cannot pinpoint what it IS. Beauty is every where is my point, not just your conventional ‘landscapes with rolling hills and perfect rivers’ - beauty IS in the eye of the beholder.

'Kilmacud Lower Rd, from Stillorgan Car Park'

Now i have to say myself: the car needs to be ’stretched’ a little bit. It’s out of proportion for sure. Guess i need more practice. You see: you need to perfect the area’s you are weak in, to be proficient - same for most things in life really! Stillorgan is without a doubt my absolute favourite village in Dublin. I don’t know why, just is. My Grandfather loved to come here to buy clocks and pocket watches by the dozen in a Jewellers called: ‘Fedderen’s’ - an obsession i guess; many years ago. It probably rubbed off me…lol. This scene is from the ‘overflow’ car park for the Shopping Centre’s main car park  which ironically is nearly always full - recession how are ye!!

'Kerrymount Cornelscourt'

Here is a simple sketch/watercolour done two years ago. I liked the autumnal colours of the trees with their various colours and beauty. This time of year is always exciting and full of falling leaves and debris. This is what strikes me about this painting - a ’sad’ time of year. Only a few months prior, the trees we’re in full bloom and birds leaving their nesting sites, etc. Now it’s all over for another year.

Deansgrange Village

I love loose sketches. This is no exception. What i love about sketches is the ‘purity’ and simplicity of the final product. I can work very easy with sketches, as opposed to photos. Photos are not good (for helping me) to produce a final painting. A photo is ‘flat’ and full of  unwanted material, where as a sketch, you can edit and omit what you want, when you want.

'On the Spot' sketches

I love doing these type of speedy sketches. It gives me an enormous amount of pleasure when i can achieve a figure in the least amount of time - proportionately!  It’s a superb way to gain control of your drawing skills. Some artists would argue that it’s not the same as life drawing: as in, the artist and model in a room - she/he would be mostly naked, this way the artist has to try his/her level best to get the proportions and size correct - not an easy feat let me tell you. My ‘On- the- Spot’  sketches above and below are not too dis-similar to the ‘life drawing’ model in a studio; the skill is still required to get the legs proportionate to the feet lets say, and the shoulders to the head. A lot of amateur artists will put the feet in too small and the neck looking like a tube! So, practice, practice and more practice is what it takes to get this vital skill right, there’s no short cuts.

'The Beggar' Dun Laoire

Here we have some more spontaneous thumbnails. What attracted me here was the man or beggar leaning against a wall with a paper cup clasped in his hand, a blanket over him. It was absolutely freezing out side. I really felt so sorry for ‘em. I immediately took out my sketch pad and went to work. I needed to work fast, he was gone after i’d finished the sketch - five minutes!  The others were done after the man/beggar had left. PS: If you study the guy to the far right, look closely - his head is too small in comparison  to his body proportions…(we all make mistakes)

'House on Clonkeen Road'

Here is an example of very loose and speedy watercolour sketch. Done in about 15 minutes or so…including the pencil work. I like this one - there’s total freshness and clarity to it. The tree in particular is bold and ‘in your face’, so to speak. I’m delighted with the foliage of the tree. The lightness of the leaves is subtle as i wanted the viewer not to be too confused looking at too much at once.

'Figure Sketches' Blackrock

This is an example of my figure sketches. I don’t think i have many of this type of work: figurative sketches. I wanted to hight light them, as I’m forever putting up watercolours and oil paintings. Looseness in figure sketches is vital, especially if you are doing them on the spot: looking at your subject, you have to have extreme concentration, even if it’s only for a minute - this is the time some of the above took. They’re called: linear, or thumbnail sketches - loose and fast. It captures the ‘moment in time’.

Here is one of my pencil sketches. You will see the difference in this and a watercolour - I’m a genius, eh? On a more serious note: I think pencil sketches are natural and ‘naked’. You see ‘warts ‘n all’ with sketches. Drawing is a must for any perspective water painter, or any type of painter for that matter. You NEED to be able to draw confidently, just like a draughtsman can produce pencil lines for a building to be. Drawing when your out and about is really a fundamental aspect of any artist in my opinion - a sketchbook in your pocket is so essential, as this inspires you to get that landscape down on paper and it’s remembered on a pad when you get into the studio - the watercolour enhances this mood even better.

'Carrickmines Car Park'

Below is a ‘very loose’ watercolour. I’d say done in literately in minutes. Time was my enemy as per usual - our inclement winters can be not just snow,…(it’s now the ‘norm it seems in winter)..but, rain and more rain. Watercolour and rain don’t mix - like oil and water i suppose. You can see the sky on the over the Leopardstown race track was very threatening and rain was imminent and close - speed again was of the essence. I love this scenario, as it puts my mind in over drive to do it quickly. I always feel, watercolour is best this way - spontaneous and direct.

'Leopardstown Race Course'

My Sketch Books

Here is my various sketch books, all coming in various thickness and weight, etc. I use these out doors a lot. They look new - rest assured, these are mangy & grubby inside. The hard back (right side) is useful if leaning it on a steering wheel as a support.

Watercolour Palette & Paint Tubes etc.

Here is an example of my Watercolour palette. It’s a Windsor & Newton make, a very good and thrust worthy brand. I have it many years now and it’s terrific! Very versatile and robust. The palette is made from tin and coated with an enamel substance which enables it to keep from rusting, etc. It holds many ‘pan’s of colour, which i can top up with the tubes that are here in the image above. The foreground brush is a ‘rigger’ brush - used for lines and tree branches, etc.

Watercolour Brushes

Above is my various brushes, some i have for the last ten years. The bottom brush is synthetic/sable mix - i can’t afford one of this size in a kolinsky sable make - €200! They are magical and very versatile brushes, no doubt, any watercolour artist will tell you this. However, the synthetic/sable mix is a great and complimentary substitution to a real Kolinsky brush - which are a dream come true to use, i guess you get what you pay for. Maybe I’ll treat myself one day soon!

'Seapoint from Dun Laoire Harbour'

Here we have a very loose sketch/watercolour that was literately done in about ten minutes give or take. No messing about, just about concentrating on the job in hand - the subject. This one was all about tone and harmony - effect in a word. Simplicity is the key to painting, nothing else matters…to me anyhow. I think i wanted to put this image in just to show these two examples…(including the image below). if i had done the cloud formation in more detail i would confuse the viewer - there’s enough going on in the middle-ground to look at, it goes for the water also in the fore-ground.

'The Ice Box' West Pier Dun laoire

As above, this was done in a ‘heart beat’. When you are working quickly and totally focused on the job in hand, it can be better than spending hours upon hours working in the studio with no time constraints or pressure. Working quickly makes you concentrate and make mistakes! This is how we all learn. Mistakes show us our selves in the raw..so to speak. In painting in particular, i feel it shows us all how we get from A to B through the work in progress - like these two examples above. The colour and blotched and un tidy - this is ‘plein air’ painting in it’s ‘naked’ form. It’s a spirituality to me. Loosing my sketch books is like cutting my arms off - I’m lost.

'Canal at Sallins'

This was a very loosely based watercolour that was never turned to a ‘finished’ watercolour painting. Not sure really why. I loved the boldness of the colour  as it was done in a flash  to be honest. The sun was literally blazing down in midday, so, this is a watercolourist’s dream - fast drying!  The cast shadows drew me in totally here, that’s why i painted it. Kildare is a truly beautiful part of the country - flat and rich land, admired my artists and photographers a like.

'Yachts Moored at Dun Laoghaire'

Very similar as above - simplicity and speed. Watercolour is so beautiful when it’s NOT overdone. Experience and age teach you these qualities. When i was in my twenties i was always  trying too much to be ‘me’ - not copying, but, looking at artists that inspired me to paint to my best. Little did i know, i was actually copying and not been myself. It took all those years to find a ‘balance’ of  happiness within myself and my work. I don’t need to look at books now when painting to inspire me. I found an ‘internal map’ and i can guide myself  through instinctively. I believe, when you paint from out doors - you will learn quickly to find your niche - this way, you will NOT need art  classes or courses - paint what you see, and follow your instincts!