All Forms Are Unstable

Over the past month I have concentrated on sharing images and ideas around my abstract works. Throughout that time I have been working solely on my representational paintings.

I choose many of my still life subjects for their inherent formal and abstract qualities. This image of a work in process may best represent that idea for you. 

A decaying wall of peeling paint lends itself to be explored in a considered formal manner which of course involves getting the drawing right so as to describe the illusion of three dimensional space accurately on a two dimensional surface, following the fall of shadow and carefully rendering where and how the peeling paint cracks, splits and rolls.

At the same time this subject lends itself to an abstract application and exploration, where the substance of paint itself is being utilised in the building and reductive passages within the picture plain.

Painting for me is an abstract endeavour from concept to completion and the more an image offers me the chance at describing this sort of fracture while simultaneously expanding my painterly vocabulary, the more gratified and excited I feel to be able to explore and push my visual boundaries.

All Forms Are Unstable, 2016. (work in process)
Private Collection, Boston.
oil on linen,
100 x 70cm

Follow Me!

Since May 1st I've been posting images and writings from my abstract archive on my Instagram and Facebook feed and less often here on my Blog.

Recently I've been encountering some technical issues with 'blogger' that google don't seem to be addressing and am considering winding it down as a platform to post on regularly. We will see!

If you enjoy my updates here and are not connected with me on Instagram and Facebook please look me up and connect there.

Looking forward to keeping in touch.

Yours In Paint,
Richard Hearns

Below image from Crucible opening night at the Burren College of Art.

West Coast Representation in San Francisco

I'm absolutely thrilled to announce that my work is now represented on the west coast of the United States by Lauren J. Ellis, Director and Chris Kelley of CK Contemporary - a leading gallery just off Union Square in San Francisco.

Please visit this beautiful gallery if your in the SF area and share and spread the word with any pals and contacts close by.

- Richard

http://ckcontemporary.com/pages/about
http://ckcontemporary.com/hearns-richard/

Abstrakten, 2016
 oil and mixed media on canvas
- 170x135cm

CK Contemporary, 357 Geary St,  San Francisco, California.

The Market Fair

Boo just arrived home after her third week taking part at the Kinvara Framers Market this season.
This will also be her third year to be part of this and the Ballyvaughan community markets, where she has a her 'Thai Cooking with Boo' market stall alongside an array of other producers and market sellers.

The Market fair has become a great part of our routine over the weekends and gives us a chance to be a part of a greater community and growing food culture in north County Clare.

At the market we can buy locally grown and soured produce supporting the local community, as well as doing some occasional barter - It is the west of Ireland after all! Every week we'd get our free range duck and hen eggs from Jamesie and he in turn gets a great big bowl of Boo's Traditional Thai Curry or some Pad Thai Noodles and possibly some homemade curry pastes to take home. It's a fair deal. You should see the smile on his face - priceless!

Having the market not only contributes goodies to the pantry and fridge but also contributes to the colours around the house during the week as we can buy flowers there too.

Often times as we get home and begin to tidy the produce away I'll find in what we have bought, subjects that I'm interested in painting - this bunch of asparagus being one. The quality and array of colours and textures inherent as well as that formal bunching together by bright blue band just screamed out a challenge to make good on. After fulfilling that roll they went down nicly under an eight ounce Angus steak! Talk about two birds with one stone!

Hope you like it. - Richard

Asparagus and Blue Rubber Band, 2016
oil on panel - 12"x12"
www.richardhearns.com

Jars and Mixing Stick & Spring Newsletter

Thought to post an image of a new large recently completed piece. I had a lot of fun making this painting. The paint encrusted Jars lend themselves so wonderfully to type of painting application I love to currently explore. They present me with a formal and abstract challenge while at the same time being these unusual personal effects. These recent works are successful for me only when they work visually from twelve inches and twelve feet. When you are close 'the fracture' establishes the paintings integrity - the surface quality - when viewed from twelve feet the paintings composition holds it's own establishing a strong design sensibility.

In other news - I'm about to publish my second quarterly 'Spring Newsletter'. This newsletter covers recent international gallery representation,  showcases a selection of images of new works gathered together and gives information on my coming New York City artist in studio residency programme and my solo exhibition which will take place in New York's newest Centre for Thought and Culture in November 2016.

If you head over to my website (link below) and enter your email address you will be sure to receive these quarterly instalments on my continuing practice.

- Richard

Jars and Mixing Stick, 2016
oil on linen - 100x80cm.
www.richardhearns.com

Orange Squash with Artist's Brush

Orange Squash with Artist's Brush, 2016

oil on panel - 30x30cm

Endeavouring to describe and create the illusion of form in painting never gets boring for me.

It's a sort of 'smart-alec' pursuit, but at the same time I feel it frees me and banishes any anxiety which in turn enables me to create those larger gestures in my abstract paintings. 

As I have said before, and I'm confident many other artist's agree, after some time at the easel painting becomes more and more a sort of alchemy! After all we are transmuting and transforming a viscous raw base element, along with our thoughts and concepts, into something of perceived greater value and beauty. 

In many instances I chose my subject for their inherent formal and perceived abstract qualities - how these objects lead themselves to the act of painting.

- Richard

White Roses

White Roses, 2016
oil on linen - 60x60cm

As I'm writing this short note I'm looking into a space where light flows into the studio through a north facing window. This is a place where I often choose to set up an object(s) to be observed.

In this corner of the studio I've created a large wooden frame, big enough to walk into, where I can control and almost eliminated any reflected light in the space by hanging neutral coloured fabrics, mostly off white duck cotton or grey linen, and observe just one natural light source without too much interference. This soft and almost diffused daylight is in my opinion most captivating in the early morning when it casts a cool and often crisp light followed by deep soft warm shadows. It's then I come into the studio to start my days work.

If you think of the atmosphere in many of Vermeer's interiors - the light streaming in and illuminating the room from the left - the space in many ways is something akin to this.

The painting of these roses where made in this space as were my previous paintings entitled 'Container', 'The Golden Gloves' and The Artist's Boot's. I look forward to share with you more images from this series over the coming year.

- Richard
www.richardhearns.com

The Artist's Boots, 2016.

'Dear Family and Friends, Have a Wonderful Weekend'!

The Artist's Boots, 2016

oil on canvas - 40x40cm

Private Collection, Ireland.

Sunday, March 6, 2016

The Golden Gloves, 2016.

The Golden Gloves, 2016
oil on linen canvas - 80x60cm

In the second of my new works for 2016 I returned to a familiar subject. My Grandfathers boxing gloves, which hang on the wall of my studio, were left to me upon his passing in 1994. 

In August 2014 I created a smaller sketch in oils of this personal and iconic symbol. I hope placing a broken egg shell under the gloves in the original composition would contrast the sometimes violent sport and my gentle Papa while at the same time evoking the idea of the fragility of life and the dreams we create.

These gloves were worn by my grandfather Dick Hearns when boxing for Ireland v USA at Soldier Field, Chicago, in 1933.

Dick fought Max Marek in the light heavyweight division.  Marek had defeated the legendary Joe Louis in the final of the US Amateur Championships that year.  Louis became one of the greatest Heavyweight Champions of the world.

The following is an extract from the report of the match in The Chicago Tribune -

"The 40,000 patrons put up a terrible squawk when the decision was given to Max Marek, veteran Chicago lightheavyweight, over Dick Hearns of Ireland.  This happened to be the bout which clinched the championship for the US and though Phil Collins the referee, decided for Hearns and properly so, the judges gave it to Marek.

Though the decision went to Marek, giving the US a certain victory, the crowd did not take kindly to the decision.  Hearns traded punch for punch with Marek all the way and the margin, if there was one in this bout, might have been given to the Irish lad.  Certainly the crowd seemed to think so, for it seemed as if 40,000 varieties of booing, stamping of feet and plain and ordinary squawking resounded through Soldier Field for a long time making the introduction of the heavyweights who fought in the closing bout an impossibility".

Dick Hearns was my Grandad.

Friday, March 4, 2016

New Works: Container 2016

Container, 2016 
oil on linen canvas - 80x60cm

Just put my signature to this painting which is the first in a series of recently finished representational still life paintings. 

Created in my studio the painting along with several others were began several months ago.

I have much news to share with you about my travels and recent experiences in my practice. But I just want to concentrate on my work for now. 

- Richard