Sheer Joy

Sheer Joy
Oil on Canvas
Approximately 400 x 550 mm (the piece is in Barcelona in Spain and not able to be measured right now)

Time for a change in the flow of paintings on this blog! And this one sure is different ... although the image doesn't depict the colours as they truly are. It seems that there are sweeping strokes of black - no black at all in this painting - it's purple. And the reds are a darker red in the image than in reality. When the painting gets back to my studio some time in the next year, I'll try and take another digital image of it and get the colours right. Adn the texure. It's full of texture.

I love abstract - and this one is called 'Sheer Joy' because that's actually what I feel when I'm doing abstracts. I love the rebellious feeling of freedom that comes with it; the unpredictable movements, tools and media used to put the paint on; the wild choice of which colour to use next...and will it be challenging enough? Abstracts must always challenge and elicit a feeling of excitement for me, otherwise they get painted over.

So as I send the last blog for 2006 and welcome 2007 with a splash of abstract, what you can't see (luckily) is that I have paint all over my hands and on my nose and cheek. I'm having an abstract day and am in seventh heaven - a grand way to spend the last weekend of the year.

May I wish you all a Happy New Year with everything that you wish for being within easy reach in 2007! You've got to reach for it though because it sure doesn't fall into your lap!

www.lyndacookson.com

The Essence of Majesty

The Essence of Majesty
Oil on linen covered board
445 x 605 mm unframed
Framed in triple with thin gold, slightly off-white and wide gold frame
Price : 1000.00 Euro
Presently being exhibited at Lavelle Gallery in Clifden, Co Galway, Ireland (but easily accessible if necessary)

I thought this looked like a crisp and cool painting suitable for a cold Christmas weekend (which doesn't promise any snow for me sadly). I painted this after the style of Ireland's prominent 90 year old artist, Louis le Brocquy, whose work I really admire. The choice of subject, the swan, came naturally after a 10 day exhibiton at The Fisheries Tower in Galway. The tower stands right on the river as it meets the sea in Galway Bay and it's where the largest swan colony in Europe lives and paddles.
The bird life on that estuary is incredible - if I knew the names of all the sea and water birds there I would list them ... but I'm a bit of an ignoramous when it comes to remembering names of things and spend more time remembering the essence of them in shape and colour than their name.

I hope to be painting more in this style but need to find the peace of mind in which to do it - I find it more difficult to paint 'less being more' than my usual splashes of colour. When I do manage to crack it, it gives me a different kind of pleasure in achievement than the excitement I feel with more colourful pieces.

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and an exciting and prosperous 2007!
Lynda

El Caballo Frison

El Caballo Frison
Oil on linen covered board
445 x 605 mm unframed
Framed in triple with thin gold, slightly off-white and wide gold frame
Price : PRESENTLY NOT FOR SALE

This is the painting which is going to give me the collywobbles until May 2007! It is the second in the horse series, less free-spirited than 'Cool Canter' but nevertheless another favourite of mine. And it's the painting which was selected for auction at the May 2007 sale of Christies of London - hence the collywobbles until then!! It's hugely possible that the piece won't sell at the auction because I'm not a known name, but you gotta start somewhere ......... so please hold thumbs for me!

There are four or five other horse paintings, some big, some even bigger, and some small, in the pipeline and half painted, but with the interruptions of the last month or so I may divert into another theme for a while before going back to the horses. It's always a mix of feelings at this point - excitement to see what's going to happen when I get into it again, and nerves that I may mess up, so let's just see what happens.

In the meantime, I'll try and keep the images coming on Paintings On Impulse.

Have a wonderful Christmas and everything that you wish for yourself and your families for 2007!

Blue Streak

Blue Streak
Acrylic on linen-covered board
Framed in triple - inner thin gold, white, and outer blue
Unframed size : 305 x 325 mm
Price : Euro295.00 (excluding postage and packaging)

The background of this painting is pure white {not evident in the photograph} with a slight texture to it. Sadly, the photograph makes it look flat.

'Blue Streak' was painted for the Art Ireland exhibition in Dublin a month ago. There are hundreds of artists who participate in this exhibition, each one having a different success rate than everyone else, and I was given the opportunity to submit two paintings to the 'Nine Moons' group stand (thank you Deborah!).

It's not a big painting, just the right size to either be included with a group of paintings on a large wall, or to have a corner or smallish wall of it's own. I think you'll enjoy the unexpected colours which make up this little horse and the sense of movement and pent-up energy which 'Blue Streak' emits.

If not sold, he will be joining others on exhibition at Anton's Cafe in Galway in March 2007. My stocks of paintings are rather low at the moment, so I'm almost tempted to hide him (a la 'Cool Canter') until then.

I started fiddling with my paints today, so hopefully tomorrow is a turps 'n paint day .....

Cool Canter

Cool Canter
Oil on Linen Board
Framed in triple with thin gold, slightly off-white and wide gold frame
Size : 445 x 605 mm (unframed)
Price : 1000.00 Euro SOLD through Bold Art Gallery in Galway

I'm both happy and sad to say that 'Cool Canter' has sold. Always happy to sell but not always so happy to say goodbye to a painting I really relate to! 'Cool Canter' was the first in the Horse Series and just rolled off the brushes. I hid it at home for a month or two before deciding it had better get out there to join the Christmas exhibitions, and now it's gone.

Life has been so busy these past few weeks with a visit to the UK and various writing and interviewing deadlines to be met. Hopefully in the week before Christmas I can light the fire, set out the paints and pick up the brushes again. It always takes me a few hours to get back into it - I fiddle with paints, prepare a few canvases and generally look at and feel the work already done, so that I can get in touch with it all again and put the brain power on hold and the heart power in gear.

Next painting coming soon .... probably this coming weekend, so watch this space .....