Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Doodles : Post-it People








Characters that slip
from the pencil tip

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Newest Painting : Limen



This is the latest painting (I think) I've finished.

Entitled Limen it is painted in acrylics on box canvas (maybe a little graphite and shellac ink in there too) and measures 40 x 40 cm. A lot of glazing en route.

As with poems, I find I need to live with / attempt to ignore paintings for a while before deciding if they're actually finished. The temptation to re-visit is always there - to keep working it - sometimes into overworking - and I've slaughtered a fair share of paintings in that way. At least with words you can retain the early drafts. More difficult with paint. But a period of 'living time' generally sorts out whether equilibrium has finally been reached or not.

This one has been lurking in my sitting room for a couple of months - just at the edge of peripheral vision. It's there. Done. Hope you like it. Some more recent paintings here.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Poetry Bus : Early Morning

This week's Poetry Bus driver is Chiccoreal with a prompt to write about the first thing that pops into the head on waking up - so here it is;


Again


Light bleeds along the edge of drawn blinds

Monday and the working week is drizzling to focus

beyond the window raindrops spatter sycamores

like silent neighbours popping corn



Summer shrinks away, this week our second child

is starting secondary school

soon the morning schedule won't accommodate

five minute blinks at sullen numerals


I close my eyes again - a temporary flatline - listen

to the rain shower slide away, down over Sallynoggin to the sea

rinsing early morning swimmers towelling down at Sandycove

freshwater back to salt - an opposite of tears.



© P Nolan 2010

(edited 24.8.10)

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Poetry Bus : Weirdly Visions





This week's poetry bus prompt issued from NanU The Sciencegirl. Her prompt involved taking note of those nuggets of nonsense, blogger's own verification words - a linguistic mystic in its own right, which brought some great responses. So with a tip of the hat to Lear, Carroll, Milligan et al - here's my bus pass;

Odditty

In the still of morning
a-frabing I will go
along the banks of Sumet
down to the frozen shore

to search amidst the gravel
for gleaming diagoo
with rake and sieve and mopokip
my fortune I will gather

my freedom I will purchase
and return to Icitemo
to sip on silk and beermemp
and never more stir.


© P Nolan 2010



Speaking of Edward Lear, I wasn't aware until recently (University of Wikipedia) that he was also quite the accomplished artist and illustrator. His work as 'ornithological draughtsman' was favourably compared with Audubon, and he even briefly gave drawing lessons to Queen Victoria. Which allows me to segue sinuously to the image above, entitled 'Demon', my own 'demonological' contribution to a group exhibition by IGI members, launching this Thursday at the United Arts Club. I'm not sure if any of the illustrators on show have ever given lessons to royalty, but several (or rather, their art) have definitely appeared on stamps.

Your invitation to attend is hereby decreed.