New Studio!

Last week I moved into a new studio, the New Art Studios, Mary's Abbey, Dublin. This is the second move in 6 months, but the last studio was really not inspiring me! Rather than forcing myself into the studio every morning, when the opportunity to move came my way- I grabbed it. The new studio is fantastic, with great facilities, great location, and supported by the Arts Council. I'm delighted with the new space, may it be blessed with productivity!!

http://www.newartstudio.org/

Inspiration?

Recently, I partook in a workshop in Firestation Studios, Dublin. A question was put to all participants; who's work are we inspired by?
Rothko, Rothko and more Rothko... He's my painting guru.

My second piece I thought of for the workshop was Matisse's 'The Red Studio' painting. I was thinking about it in relation to my 'Blue Studio Project Berlin', where I developed a series of photographs of an installation that I lived in for two months.

'Self Portrait After I Said Yes'

'Self Portrait After I Said Yes', 92 x 71cm, Oil on Linen, 2012. 

Documentation of the process of painting a self portrait from life, using only a mirror. Quite possibly the most difficult painting I've attempted! I started the painting 6th February and finished it 13th July 2012. It took the full 6 months on a residency in the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin. Thankfully it's a luxurious studio which allowed for long hours!!!

Shimmering Synthetic Appearances; I Want To Put You Back In

Exhibition of recent work at Queen Street Studios Gallery Belfast
http://www.queenstreetstudios.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=78

Ostrich Feather in Blue Light, Oil on Linen, 2011

Opens tonight 19th January, 6pm- 9pm
Artist Talk at 5pm...

Continues till 18th Feb 2012

INVITATION: Open Studio 3rd December 2011

            Open Studio at 7 Henrietta Street, Dublin 1.
            3 December. 12-6pm

After 3 years in this studio I'm moving out, so to acknowledge my time here and the work produced I'd like to invite you to come see the beautiful space and my work.
At the moment I'm working towards a exhibition in Queen Street Studios Belfast in January, so there's plenty of work on the go! Please see below for further details of exhibition...

The building is AMAZING, so bring along anyone interested in Architecture, History and Art... The building and street has a long tradition with artists, No.7 is now home to 9 artist studios, I'll confirm other names if they want to open their doors too...


I hope you can make it,
Thanks
Allyson







Shimmering Synthetic Appearances; I Want To Put You Back In
7 Henrietta Street           3rd December 2011                                                                                            Queen Street Studios    19th January- 18th February 2012
                                                                                                              

Rothko revered the communicative abilities of Art and the shared space between the Artist and Audience.‘I want to put you back in’ is a quote that relates to his practice and the impact of the spacial environment he created.

Keehan’s research into Rothko, Phenomenology and Painting Environments has brought her to this two part exhibition. The first part is an introduction to the process of the ‘Blue’ paintings by inviting people into her studio in an Open Studio, 3 December 2011. This, the primary environment of the paintings, is unfinished and a little crude. The audience witness the Blue Lighting, the ‘tent’ set-up under which the work is produced, as well as seeing the basic painting techniques used.

The second part of the exhibition is at Queen Street Studios. Here the ‘Blue Paintings’ are exhibited in a bright, clean gallery space. Removed from the components of their production, the paintings create their own blue impact and generate a submersion into the painting environment.

The two venues of the exhibition are in two separate cities, enforcing their divided stages. This is a step further from Keehan’s ‘Blue Studio Project’ exhibition in Berlin 2010, where both studio and gallery were in the same building though staged six months apart.

I Want To Put You Back In, also refers to the placement of objects in the Still Life and the objectless Still Life. The satin backdrop is the principle object in the paintings, followed by the Blue Light. After that tangible objects are placed in and around the picture plane to further emphasize composition and textures. The sparseness of objects in this manner, moves the work towards minimalism and the experimental abilities of realism.

Process of 'White Satin in Blue Light' Oil on Canvas 2010

White Satin in Blue Light- in progress

A sneak preview of one of the works in progress for my forthcoming exhibition in The Alley Arts Centre February 2010, 'White satin in Blue Light'. I'm painting under a 'tent' construction in my studio, with the canvas perpendicular to the draped satin on the wall. Hopefully the videos help make the process clearer!

lovely sunny autumn day in the studio... 29th oct 09

New Photos from my Studio- Sept 09

Breda's Fur in Blue Light in the Hall

Anne's Wedding Dress on the Stairs

Looking in the door of the studio

In the door of the studio

Anne's Wedding Dress in Hall