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