5-30-24

I've had more than a few people ask me if my paintings and other artwork are genuine and/or handmade.

Answer......

YES. I've also got a few thoughts about that.

My art is one hundred percent the real deal. I never use AI, electronics, graphic manipulation, computer programs or anything artificial in the creative process. I consider that cheating and I'm not a cheater. (If that's your way of creating art, more power to ya!) There's no shortcuts I take.

My process, in a nutshell, is this....

I put down a piece of paper or a canvas on my drafting table (I was lucky enough to snag a huge antique architects table recently)....

I sketch out a very basic shape or outline in pencil on canvas....

Once I'm satisfied with that, I begin painting, keeping it simple at first and doing all the outlines in black. For me, this is where the painting takes on a whole new personality and vibe and the excitement begins! I leave the outlines and whatnot incomplete because once the color begins, things definitely change!

Each piece has a different time frame. My smaller works (8x8, 8x10 etc) take approximately 5-10 hours. My 20x30 and 30x40 works take anywhere between 50-100 hours, spread out over weeks and sometimes months.

I've never been a 'stream of consciousness' artist that puts up a canvas and just goes for it without a plan. Celtic art is mostly about having a plan. I strive for symmetry but not perfection. When you consider that the ancient Celtic artisans achieved what they did using hand tools and their palate was stone, and the detail and symmetry they achieved, there must be a plan!

Lastly, I don't use brushes. I use acrylic paint pens, and here's why.....

The lines and level of detail, for me, simply cannot be done with a brush, no matter what the brush size is. The only bummer with that is the pens run dry a lot quicker than jars of paint so I'm replenishing my supplies almost constantly!

Ya gotta spend it to make it!

Updates on my latest piece will be posted to IG later today.

Cheers!