Some recent illustrations painted for one reason or another. Illustration has always been one of my favourite aspects of animation, in particular environment art with an abundance of plants and trees. Here is an assortment of paintings done in Photoshop or Procreate.
This weeks kick about over on Reds Kingdom is the work of celebrated Ukrainian Artist – Maria Prymachenko. I wanted to focus on Primachenko’s bold use of vivid colour from her powerful folk art and painted an abundance of flora with some creatures in situ. I’ve been meaning to give a whirl of painting digitally and resemble watercolour and ink, Primachenko’s imaginative and colourful illustrations were the perfect prompt to give it a go.
The final collection of photography from a visit to Roosters Rest this past March. It is always a joy exploring places like this throughout the seasons to notice how the palette continues to change.
A third collection of lush landscapes captured in the depths of the flora and fauna of the Irish countryside.
A second set of photography taken in Roosters Rest woods when the golden hour sun beamed the sitka spruces and lined the horizon in mellow yellows.
I was able to go back to the homeland this March to see some friends for a drink and a natter after 2 years, as well as return to the forestry that I never get tired of. It was a different atmosphere this time of year compared to the usual crispy frost written landscape with the weather calling for an unusual balmy trek with the sun shining throughout.
Before you embark and get lost among Roosters Rest Woods, where a lot of photography has been taken such as here, here and here, you first have to climb the picturesque trail that wraps its way up a steep hill. The hill overlooking the neighbouring fields and farms like patchwork not visible in these photos. On the decline, before the tunnel of trees you are greeted with the curious bleating of sheep as they watch in amusement as I jump over fences and gates to disappear amongst the sitka spruces. It was a typical rainy day in Ireland when these photos were taken, not the fun kind of rain that it is a joy to watch where it bounces off everything but the misty kind where it clings to your clothes and saturates everything, and on this day – my camera lens. Although I do like this kind of mist as it adds to the effect of diffusing the scenery, blurring the boundaries of distance and softening the silhouettes of those pesky sheep.
The transformative words of Gaston Bachelard is this weeks Kick About over on Red’s Kingdom.
If our last Kick-About together introduced all of us to subjects far-removed from our daily lives and wonderfully esoteric, this week’s prompt, courtesy of Gaston Bachelard, returns us to more familiar spaces, as we explore together what makes from a house a home, and between us producing new works in a short time.
The Kick-About #46 ‘Not An Inert Box’ — Red’s Kingdom
A few final eerie photographs from back in December when the fog was so dense it made this usually busy park feel completely barren. As I was walking through the quietened park in the early hours of the morning, I happened across a broken tree branch that still had its leaves left, I liked the way the full leaves looked against the looming wispy trees in the distance – as if they’ve been submerged to some sort of chemical within the mist that strips them bare.
A different set of photos from a different forestry shrouded with flora back in rural Ireland. Even in the depths of winter these woods were flooded with green, I would love to return here in the summer to really see the it in full bloom! As I trekked further into the woods I found my absolute dream house – a log cabin nestled and shielded by the trees, oh the envy…
Gentle Giant 