Illustration Friday

It has been a while since I took part in "Illustration Friday" but this weeks title is "Faded" which suits my work well as most of my landscapes are hidden behind a shroud of mist, thus looking somewhat faded!

This painting is oil on linen titled "Another Quiet Place"

Eigse, Carlow.

I was delighted to be selected for the Open Submission, Civilizing the Wilderness in VISUAL  for Carlow Arts Festival Eigse 2012, it opens next weekend see full details here.

Turkish Delights

I was in Istanbul for a few days last week. It is an interesting and vibrant city. We spent our time in Sultanahmet the old part of the city. We stayed in Levni Hotel which I would recommend highly. It was an oasis in a chaotic city where we had free afternoon tea every day and an incredible breakfast. It was within walking distance of the main attractions and we even had a Hamam (Turkish Bath) in their spa. Here are some of the highlights.

A mouth watering display of Turkish Delight in the Spice Bazaar, Many of the streets around this Bazaar were closed off as they were shooting a James Bond movie "Sky Fall", I can't wait to see it as I will recognize the scenes now. Below was one area that was closed, even the pigeon's were curious.

A skyline view from Haghia Sophia with the minarets of The Blue Mosque in the distance.

Ciragan Palace below was fully restored in 1990 after being destroyed by fire in 1910.

Superb Iznik tiles in the Crown Princes Apartments within the Harem at Topkapi Palace.

Detail from Bagdad Pravillion at Topkapi Palace. 

And then there was shopping, What holiday would be complete without it? except I was not much taken with their style see bed below

outside the Bazaars they group the same type of shops together, Every shop on this street only sold headscarves, being a predominantly Muslim city head scarves are an important fashion item.

The bargaining system seemed to be only one way, It was o.k. if the stall holder was doing the deal but negotiations quickly ended if you offered them too little!

But the Grand Bazaar had beautiful painted vaults, the crowds were unbelievable, and the the shopkeepers are relentless in their efforts to make a sale! Which for me is a real deterrent, it took all the fun out of window shopping.

Istanbul has a wealth of culture and history. It is a city that joins Europe with Asia and that uniqueness I enjoyed the most. 

The Turkish people are so friendly and helpful and there is so much to see and do. We could have spent much longer than the few days we had. I would highly recommend it for a city break.

Small House and Stone Wall

Busy Times
I have been so busy so I have been neglecting the Blog. Last week I was in Ennis and spotted this tiny house, I think it will make a good subject for a painting. And look at this beautiful stone wall, It reminds me of  a chunky knitted scarf stretched out on the horizon!

The Western Greenway

If you are visiting the West of Ireland this summer then this is a "must do"
The Great Western Greenway is a the longest off -road cycle and walking route (77km) in the country. It goes from Westport to Achill. Built mostly on top of a old railway line which was closed in 1937. I cycled part of it the other day from Newport to Mulranny. We rented bikes from Dave at  Clew Bay Bike Hire and not only did I get a bike that almost free wheeled all the way but they also come and collect you at the other end so you don't have to cycle back. In fact nothing was too difficult for them, (booking is advised).
What I enjoyed most about it was the fact that we were up close to the landscape, car free and safe, It's an easy cycle even for the unpracticed and the views are stunning especially as you approach Mulranny and the Atlantic.
We had a lovely lunch in The Hotel Newport before departure and I believe Nevins is good too.

 This old railway building in Mulranny is about to be restored so that will be a nice addition to the route.

I did a small ink and oil painting of Mulranny a couple of years ago, you can see it Here

A Letter a Week

I am really enjoying this project. Check out all the work Here. These are my March letters and my alphabet so far.

And all the letters so far

An Early Summer

We have had the most unseasonably weather for the past week with sunny warm days and blue skies. I may be biased but with fair weather there are few places quiet as beautiful as the west of Ireland. Here are some photos to prove my point. I took these at Lough Corrib on the road between Cong and Maam last week.

The lake was so calm. Don't you just wish you were here.