The dark rocks of Ferriter’s cove

The Claddagh

Spanish point

A tribute to all that inspired me to paint ….peruse a passion and chase dreams .

Mike Flannery.

paintings fresh from the sea

    I hope you’ll find some Artwork, to meet your discerning taste.

welcome to the home page of Irish Artist

Seascapes

If you would like to know more about the painting process click.   insight into paintings

For all the benefits of living on the west coast of Ireland, surrounded by stunning scenery …It does however have it’s downsides .Summers akin to nuclear winters, driving rain of biblical proportions and constant wind,  in an ever changing climate . All Art can best be described ….as a reaction, to an emotion . For visiting Artists, attempting to capture the mood of the west coast is normally achieved with a palette consisting of mixed greys . For me possibly due  to a lack of Vitamin D , I opt to paint the coastline in a different manner and attempt to capture sunlight itself . To encapsulate, the  emotion you feel, when the clouds finally part, menace still looms on the distant horizon and finally reveals ….panoramic vistas of breathtaking beauty, that words alone fail to describe . As an Artist  you hope and wish, days like this, will never end . Enjoy .

or if you would like to know more about how I paint  click .            painting step by step

The wild Atlantic way

What was once a just quite country roads, that followed the coastline, became transformed, by clever marketing into the wild Atlantic way . A road journey of 2,500 kilometres, stretching from Kinsale in west Cork to Malin head in Donegal .Overnight It became an international success story, with tourists flocking in their droves  to marvel at it’s beauty . For anyone that’s wishing to complete this journey  … the following paintings offer a glimpse of what’s  in-store.

Monochrome paintings

Ask any Artist what their favourite colour is, and chances are it’s black ….Yet very few Artists use black on their pallet . Once a vital colour on every Artists palette used from tonal under paintings to the rendering of flesh tones in the paintings of the Great Masters . Its downfall came in the early nineteenth century with the arrival of the impressionist movement ”Black is never found in Nature “they exclaimed .! In Nature, black is found everywhere ......especially at night .Wherever light fails to penetrate, darkness takes over . From deep shade, within in a forest setting , or to a group of Goth’s  on a sunny day.... black is everywhere now ! . A few years ago I started experimenting using only black oil paint to understand it’s properties and was amazed at it’s potential for complete paintings .Used thinly enough ,you can retain it’s transparent quality and still expose it’s rich sepia undertones .     

Angling paintings

From the age of six , I’ve  spent countless hours engrossed in pursuit of all fish species, both freshwater and salt .While some Non -Anglers may question it’s purpose, for me it’s about just getting outside and witnessing Nature in all it’s splendour . I feel very fortunate, to have met some great characters over the years, as well as some great friends, who share this same passion . Hours spent walking over rough terrain, in all weathers, in the search for new fishing spots .The constant falls , cuts and bruises, along with near drownings thrown in for good measure …add to the excitement and helps instil life long memories . Angling has afforded me the opportunity of witnessing the sea at it’s most calm, to the violent and awe inspiring .Watching waves glowing green, by waters enriched, with phosphorescent plankton at night . Dwarfed by mighty waves in storm force eleven conditions aboard a small boat in Clew bay or to an amazing display of the Aurora over Galway bay, while night fishing in silver strand .

Figures and people

Galway unplugged oil on canvas

oil on canvas

In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king .

While seascape painting, occupies most of my time .I do however, on occasion like to explore other painting subjects .Like most Artists I enjoy being creatively challenged . Engaging with the learning and relearning process involved in switching between subjects ……but also, partly out of fear of backing myself into a corner and letting the subject matter alone, dictate my painting career .

Ideas for painting often start their lives as a simple vision, or thought process, cluttered in the back of your mind .Over time they de-clutter, in a process that can take weeks or even years and morph into strong visual images …..ready to paint . I’ve often wondered if it was possible to paint a cluttered image and if so, what would it look like ?.

yes…. was the answer ….three hundred hours of painting, later , but a painting I really enjoyed doing . 

But could the same logic of painting a cluttered visual image be applied to a subject matter you disliked and that didn’t even interest you ?

Yes again ….this time seven months of painting later .In a fitting tribute to the lying sociopaths that brought a Nation to it’s knees, sold off our assets to the lowest bidder and enslaved future generations into a life of poverty  ….all to pay,  for the greed, of a few .

A disclaimer painted on the bottom left, reads as follows…..

This painting may contain scenes which some viewers might find disturbing, offensive, outrageous, outlandish or true . Similar to a pre-election manifesto, this work is largely based on fiction and loosely depicts real events that never actually happened . Any resemblance to anyone, living, dead or otherwise is purely coincidental . Enjoy.

About

Referring to oneself in the third person is often said to be the first sign of insanity …not sure if that includes writing, but here it goes

                      Mike was born in Galway city in 1971 . A city lying on the shores of Galway bay,                                 steeped in maritime history and culture . Situated  on the banks of the river Corrib ,                                 nestled between the Connemara mountains to the west and the Clare hills to the south .                                Two important key elements, have played  a vital role in his life, one is a passion for                                Angling and the Great outdoors, the other  is a love of Art .                                The wild rugged Atlantic coastline with it’s myriad of bays, inlets and tidal lagoons were                                all there to be explored. Time spent watching large unhindered waves pound ashore,                                eroding and reshaping the coastline has offered Mike, a life-time worth  of inspiration .                               His paintings are the the result of a desire to combine his passions and continue to                               explore the beauty and solitude found in Nature .Hours spent walking over rough                               terrain, armed with a sketch book and fishing rod, seeking out the hidden gems, of this                               wonderful coastline.                               Self taught as an Artist, Mike found the freedom to experiment without any inhibitions                               or boundaries beneficial .Over the years, Mike has experimented with many different                               media, which include wood , metal, stone, watercolour, gouache ,acrylic, pastels and                               graphite before switching to oil paint in 2001 .                               He aims to capture on canvas the relentless movement and energy of the sea, and                               document his passions and life, through his Art.                              His work can be found in both private and public collections including the O.P.W and                              Galway city museum .

Contact

Some say, you would probably have better luck, trying to contact the dead . However feel free to try me at +353 (086 )3097383 Email : mikeflanneryart@gmail.com commissions can be discussed . Studio visits can be arranged .    

Alternatively, you can contact me through the Kenny gallery. The Kenny Gallery Liosbán retail park Galway Ireland The Kenny gallery

Links

Jane Reeves Artist

Some links to websites of other Artists and Art websites, which may interest you .

• creates beautiful floral and architectural oil paintings .                                                                                                                                                                    • creates stunning raku ceramics of faces ,fish and figures . • Bog oak sculptures with a narrative to tell . • A comprehensive website, dedicated to the Art of marine             and seascape painting • An amazing photographer from Galway city                                                                                              

Mark Conlon

Advice for purchasing           paintings

For anyone interested in investing in Art, but uncertain of where to start …..here’s some tips to help you navigate you way .  

Apologies for going off on a tangent, but Artists often do .

I hope this advice helps you to make wise decisions when buying art .

• Artists create Art for everyone to enjoy…. not  exclusively, for people that are held in high public esteem,               the affluent or members of the tweed brigade . • There is no difference between, good and bad Art…..only, opinions to the contrary .   • Taste in Art is subjective, ….much like ones taste in music …. not everyone listens to classical , likes rock or               understands free jazz . • Wealth,  alone cannot buy good taste .Galleries and Art institutions, exist to validate taste….. God forbid,               should their clientèle,  get this wrong . • The more established the gallery the more chance that validation, holds weight . • If you are made feel inferior or unwelcome, when visiting an Art gallery …make straight, for the door .              These Galleries don’t deserve your custom . • Exhibition openings are usually timed towards weekends, when people are more relaxed …the more relaxed               you are, the more chance, you’ll spend ! • Always buy art you can afford, never borrow . • Cheese, crackers and wine are there, for a reason ….go easy, on the wine . • Celebrity openings are a marketing ploy, used to further enhance the validation, that this work is worth buying,               stay strong minded, and don’t get sucked in . • If you happen to fall in love with an Art work .Ask can it be put on hold, if not …go for coffee, think it through,              sleep on it …before returning . • If you don’t know which painting to buy …think, which one, would I steal .? • Galleries, can offer easy payment terms, credit , the possibility of putting a painting on hold, and an opportunity               to trail paintings for a few weeks . Just Ask . • Galleries can offer discounts, just ask, politely . • Auctions rely on frenzied panic, and if you don’t buy quick ….. it’s gone . • Always buy signed works…never buy unsigned work or Art that’s attributed to a certain Artist . • Price is what someone is willing to pay …whether that’s a car, a cabbage or a painting . • Value , is in the painting itself and what it means to you, and is, not connected, in any way to the price tag itself . • Exhibitions ,news paper articles , awards etc. …. add to the value, but can also increase the price . • Most consumer goods depreciate in value, over  time ….however Art usually increases with time. But be aware,               that this not always, a given . • Don’t buy a painting to match the colour scheme of the curtains or sofa…..these colours will change with time . • Beware of sales pitch, How this Art work ….Relates to the cosmos …etc. • Always set a budget, especially at Art Auctions and be mindful of the fact, the the hammer price, doesn’t include              commission fees . • Don’t engage in a biding war at Auction, as the other party may have an infinite budget . • Research the Artist ….if they no longer paint, then the paintings might be worthless . • Using the internet, as a research tool is OK , but be aware, different browsers, show different search results . • Avoid top ten best Artists type websites, as the Author might have vested interests . • Try to meet with the Artist if possible .Expect them to be different, even socially awkward …….but not rude or               obnoxious . • Behaviour of an Artist, both past and present, can have a positive or negative impact on future prices . • Quality of Art, is better in recessionary times ….when Artist struggle to meet consumer demands …..quality              suffers . • Artist often rely on a per inch pricing structure , bigger the painting …the pricer it gets . • Artists sell to galleries at wholesale ….The galleries, charge retail ….Art shouldn’t be any cheaper, direct from              the Artist . • Be cautious if purchasing unseen paintings, through websites or over the phone, as the correct viewing distance,               can vary, according to painting style .    

Ever wondered why one painting may cost millions and yet another pittance ?….The answer is simply down to marketing and branding ….the essence of how the Art world works . Other factors do come into play such as supply, demand, fame,rarity, provenance …etc.

Insight into paintings

The turquoise door technique

Exploitation by the down industry, which lead to the extinction of the Great Auk, also took it’s toll on other sea birds …Gannets were next, by the 1820’s the population of gannets, breading on the little Skellig, had dropped to twenty breading pairs . Emergency laws were passed to ensure it’s survival . A technique used for catching them involved towing an old door behind a boat, with fish nailed to it .Gannets would see this feast and on diving from a height……break their necks in the process . Their feathers used for pillows and duvet’s, it’s meat eaten and it’s oil used for cooking . As this painting, is on a large canvas at over seven foot .I decided to try change the laws of linear perspective …so while it can be viewed form the centre of the painting …it’s best viewed from left to right .

sunshine and optimism amidst the Anthropomorphic rocks of Dunworley bay

Last cast, Owenahincha

To this day I’m still amazed, as to how I spend hours fishing with a lad, not fifty yards  away and never spotted him until it was time to pack up . I quickly rummaged through my pockets and found the remains of a Bic Biro and sketched his outline and noted down some base colours .

Sometimes it’s fun to experiment with tone, rather than colour .Working with a limited pallet, can fast track your knowledge of pigments overnight .

Reverberating sounds of thunder through limestone pavements

The karst limestone region of the burren in county Clare is littered with sea caves .Deep below the rock, hidden from view, water travels through these cave systems .The loud audible crash of a wave is followed by a distant rumble of thunder, twenty seconds later . I have to admit that on occasion, hearing this…. thinking ….the glorious sunshine, was about to come to an abrupt end .

This is a painting of the stunning west Cork coastline .The large winter storms which batter the coast, can have a profound effect on reshaping our beaches .Sometimes it can also revel hidden gems Stripped of sand, the rocks behind were a myriad of caves .Towards the sea giant slabs of rock, towered from above .Ghostly faces began to emerge, like sleeping giants carved in stone, watching my every move . By the following summer, all the sand had returned and my stone friends, only visible, by the tops of their heads .The caves had all but vanished and all that remained,… was a distant memory .

A brief overview into some paintings ….every picture paints a thousand words, they say …but I’ll try keep it short .

Evening light at Spanish point

Artists try to replicate Nature as best as possible, using pigments instead of light . This is quite a difficult challenge,as light is pure but pigments contain impurities . Mixing two primary colours together, produces a secondary colour . Any child knows that mixing, blue and yellow …makes green . Always up for a challenge, I embarked on a major conquest to discredit children worldwide, debunk their illogical theories for once and for all …and disprove this myth . The challenge for this painting was to try replicate what I’ve witnessed in Nature and blend blue into yellow .A seamless transition from blue into yellow without physically mixing or optically mixing green …..is possible …but to be fair to the children … it’s difficult .   

The west of Ireland is renowned for it’s unpredictable weather .Four seasons in one day, not a problem .Travelling the Dingle peninsula, two up on a motorcycle, on a  warm calm peaceful morning .We encountered some light drizzle, on the approach into Dingle village . Little did we know the weather was about to unleash hell . Drizzle, was replaced by torrents of rain, the wind reached storm force and whipped the seas below, into foam .Visibility dropped to yards ,gulls and gannets lined the tops of the stone walls …too weather beaten to remain, at sea . Too far gone to turn back and with nowhere to shelter we continued .The wind took us, wherever  it wanted and at times very close to the cliff edge . Soaked wet and freezing cold, the depths of misery an despair….suddenly out of the gloom, a road side sign for a café …utopia …shelter at last .We had every intention of staying all day …..till closing time, if needs be . Two cups of coffee later while looking out of a large seaward facing window, facing towards the beach at Ferriter’s cove,a speck of blue appeared in the distant skyline …surely not ?.Within ten minutes the wind dropped, the rain cleared and the sun came out to play . We quickly made our way, down to the beach below, surrounded by clouds of vapour, from our sodden cloths …being baked dry, by the scorching sun .A few graphite sketches, jotting down various local colours, eventually led to this painting ….to this day, it remains one of my favourite paintings as it’s exactly how I remember,  this day .

The dark rocks of Ferriter’s cove

What is this innately human desire to create Art and to leave a mark ?…not sure, but it’s something I’ve been inflicted with since childhood and somehow life’s not complete without it . There are times when Art feels more like a vocation than a career path, times when you question what your doing, why your doing it and for what ?…wondering have I been gifted with a third leg, I never asked for …nor never actually needed ?. Then you suddenly realize that Art is for everyone enjoyment not just yours, it’s part of the fabric of life that permeates through everything and everyone, irrespective of age, race, creed or colour . Far outweighing any monetary rewards from Art , is the rewards of seeing and hearing how people react to my paintings .Emotions can vary wildly depending on subject matter but have ranged from tears of sorrow …to tears of happiness and joy .      Just as an Artist instinctively creates, small, insignificant marks, in a process that eventually makes for a finished painting .It’s the paintings themselves, that can leave mark on the hearts and minds of the viewers, and can also, make their lives complete …. This is what motivates and inspires me to continue, painting . I just thought I’d share some images of paintings in their early stages as it’s something that’s often overlooked when people view completed paintings .

Painting step by step