Home of Kevin McSherry Artist

Offer Care & Feeding of Your Sketchbook

Kevo — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:13:36 +0000

Just in. Blurb.com have a special offer on all books this month: You can save $10 on my excellent inspirational book; ‘The Care & Feeding of Your Sketchbook’, with the promo code SAVE10 at checkout before February 27, 2012. It’s a real book made of paper and everything…Order online and the book is sent by courier.

List of Art Workshops 2012

Kevo — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:11:10 +0000

Here’s the full list of art one day workshops for 2012. You can also see the list, with links to pages for each individual workshop here. Workshops on: drawing,acrylics painting, oils painting including oils glazing and alla prima. Workshops are limited to 15 students only. Join my Facebook page here for more direct updates and information as it becomes available.

A Real Book with Paper and Everything…

Kevo — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:02:58 +0000

Yes, The Care & Feeding of Your Sketchbook is a real book made of paper: all you have to do is call it into existence here. It won’t disappear in a puff of failed logic when the battery runs out. The ‘whole damn system’ won’t go down. It’s cross-platform; Mac, Windows and cat’s whisker radio set users will get exactly the same functions. Just don’t drop it in the bath. Here are a couple of photos to prove it…

Book: The Care & Feeding of Your Sketchbook

Kevo — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:38:03 +0000

I’m like a dog with two tails today; my new book, ‘The Care & Feeding of Your Sketchbook’ is ready and available right now directly from this web site. I received my own copy this afternoon and I’m panting with pleasure!

It was after polling my students during my art classes and drawing workshops to see if they kept pet sketchbooks that I discovered that very often, they remain unused, neglected and folorn. Often, those on the journey to becoming an artist need an inspirational bone; some kind of reference to spur them on. So here it is: Forty pages of tips and inspiring quotes from great artists, all illustrated with sketches and ideas from my own sketchbooks. You can gambol through the first fifteen pages using the widget below.

Remember: a sketchbook is not just for Christmas. Give your sketchbook a good home; feed it well and excercise every day. It won’t bite you…
Kevin

The Care & Feeding of your Sketchbook by Kevin McSherry in association with ArtclassesIreland.com

Oil Painting Classes Start Next Week, 17th, 19th

Kevo — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:55:59 +0000

It’s back to school! A new 6 week term of morning and evening art classes will begin on Tuesday 17 and Thursday 19 January in Terenure in the South Dublin area. Places available. Please call on 086 247 0737 For more info, see the web site: www.artclassesireland.com and join Ireland’s friendliest art class now!

These exclusive lessons provides students with the best of painting tuition, clearly and simply imparted to novice and intermediate alike. These small workshops are held in the warm and friendly environment of my studio and everyone gets maximum attention. Over the 6 weeks, students will be encouraged and nurtured in a convivial atmosphere; so don’t be daunted!

Still Life Painting: [Adults: All levels] Students will learn and practice drawing technique, preparation of canvases, technique, composition, colour-mixing and brushwork.

Tuesday mornings: 10:00am – 12:30pm Fee: €175 per 6 week course 2 places FULL

~~Tuesday evenings: 7:00pm – 9:30pm Fee: €175 per 6 week course~~ FULL

Thursday mornings: 10:00am – 12:30pm Fee: €175 per 6 week course 2 places

~~Thursday evenings: 7:00pm – 9:30pm Fee: €175 per 6 week course~~ FULL

If the class is full or you can’t commit to a 6 week course, Why not try a one day workshop? Click here.

Address: The Studio, 17 Aideen Avenue, Terenure. Dublin 6W. See map below

Telephone: 086 247 0737

Email: art@mcsherry.ie

View Art Classes Ireland in a larger map

Fire Revolution Competition Video

Kevo — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:09:36 +0000

I only came across this video of the Revolution competition at FIRE.ie today while scouting around their web site. The competition winner was announced in December last: Steve Simpson. Old news, perhaps; but a good video all the same. Enjoy.

2012 Drawing Workshop

Kevo — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:06:14 +0000

The first workshop of 2012 will be the popular and fun ‘Drawing Lots’ one day session of drawing on Saturday January 28th. There’ll be plenty of tea and coffee to buoy up the senses, and a live model for the last 1.5 hours.

Once again, the workshop will be in Rathgar, in the warm and inviting Methodist Church Hall in Brighton Road from 10am -4.30pm. You can see much more information and sign up by clicking on this link and choosing the date that suits you.

I look forward to seeing you there…Kevin

Otherwise, you can see the complete list of 2012 workshops on THIS page.

A Portrait about the Piper

Kevo — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:16:20 +0000

Last Monday, I presented this portrait, commissioned by his partner and colleagues, to Noel to celebrate his retirement. Before painting, I interviewed his partner and she suggested some of the items to include. It had to be the pipes, of course -Noel is a senior member of Na Píobairí Uilleann but he also has a love of travel; hence the globe. He also has strong political convictions.

The pipes are a beautiful C set that had to be smuggled out of his house while he was still at work in order to be arranged in composition with the other items and photographed.

In the background, you can see a poster that Noel acquired in Russia, that commemorates the Aurora, a cruiser whose crew played a central role in the October Revolution, 1917.

These are some items from Noel’s home that reveal some of his interests. As for Noel, he told me his plan for retirement: Every day is going to be Saturday. Lucky him…

Oils on gessoed panel, 14″ x 11″

You can buy a voucher for a portrait such as this one here.

Revolution at FIRE

Kevo — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:56:12 +0000

Friday evening sees the revealing of the winner of the illustration competition at FIRE, the Dublin archival reproduction house and Copper House Gallery off Synge Street. Shown is my contribution to the event, themed, ‘Revolution’. There will be limited edition prints available at FIRE. Even though the decision has probably already been made by the judges, wish me luck!

The Copper House,
Synge Street,
Dublin 8, Ireland.

T: +353 1 478 4088
F: +353 1 478 0241
E: hello@fire.ie

Acrylics. 100cm x 50cm

Below is the invitation to the unveiling and opening.

Portraits About You: You Gifted Individual

Kevo — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 16:54:58 +0000

This time of year, I’m always asked to do likeness portraits of people but I often wonder where they’re going to hang them or how the portraitee will receive their own image -no matter how accurate the representation. I think making gifts of portraits to people who are not necessarily obliged to have them done, like presidents or deans, can often be fraught with stress. Getting the subject to sit for the artist takes away the surprise and busy people often can’t make the time to sit for the artist anyway. Photographs provided as reference can be unusable due to either quality or expression or even that people don’t know where to hang a painting of themselves in their homes. I always propose a solution such as this ‘Portrait about Jenny’ as a way to make a highly personal and unique gift for a loved one or other Very Important Person. The recipient need know nothing of the painting until it’s presented. The portrait is painted as a classical still life and contains the elements of the subject’s life that interest them the most. A Portrait About You. To read more, click on this link.

Now we’re definitely in the run-up to Christmas, I’m going to be putting the finishing touches on several of these again. It’s always good to hear about the reactions of the receivers after the fact. Jenny loved her portrait and that really makes these projects for me.