PAGAZINE

Here is a compilation of  different wall of fame and few ideas for framing the portrait with one line. Theses are artistic views but the composition of portrait are from my art Collectors…

From a FC BARCA Fan !

A Guitar Hero wall of Fame

Woman wall of Fame

Theses last few weeks were dedicated to high production of portraits and starting to sale them on ebay. I unfortunately don’t have time to update all the portraits done, but it will come soon.

However, have i a map of were my art collectors are. I’ll update it as soon as i get a new happy owner of  one of my paintings. View the collectors map online !

“The skater”

Stop motion animation, using one line.

Je vous présente une petite vidéo réalisée avec mon fidèle appareil photo juste en prenant des photos et en les collant les unes à la suite des autres  (technique appelée “stop motion”). J’ai utilisé un cœur pour cette première vidéo qui a bien duré une heure, une main sur le style et l’autre sur le déclencheur de l’appareil photo.  Une bonne heure de travail et 1800 photos concentrées en 3 minutes 40….

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Here is a little video shot with my “still the same digital camera” with taking pictures one by one and stitching them together (so called “stop motion” technic). I’ve drawn a heart for this first video wich have been lasting a big hour, a hand grabbing the pen and the other hand pressing the trigger of the digital camera. One hour later and 1800 pix later, here is the final cut of 3min 40 seconds….

Je prépare une série de petits formats en utilisant des sujets aussi divers que variés.  J’ai travaillé sur les tailles suivante 10 x 10, 15 x 15cm, 20 x 20cm et 30 x 30cm. L’exercice de style me permet de travailler mes personnages intégrés aux dessins. J’en profite aussi pour travailler les fonds colorés des dessins avec l’utilisation de bombes de couleurs.

Les dessins sont disponibles dans la galerie ici : Petits formats.

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I’m currently working on a serie based on small scale artworks, using very different themes and inspiration. I’m working on the following sizes :  10 x 10, 15 x 15cm, 20 x 20cm et 30 x 30cm. Working on theses make me work on the integrated figures and silhouettes integrated on the line. I’m also working on the backgrounds with using sparypaint.

The pictures are availalble in the following gallery : Small scales Artworks.

Je fini de préparer le portrait de Shakira, afin qu’il soit disponible pour le concert de la diva mercredi prochain a Barcelone. J’irais aux abords de la salle de concert pour performer et proposer une serie limitée de posters à la vente, je vous dirais comment cela s’est passé.

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I’m currently finishing the one-line portrait of Shakira. She will be in Barcelona next wednesday for a big concert. I will go around the concert venue and perform on the upcoming artist, i will also propose the poster of the Diva on sale. I’ll keep you in touch how the whole thing’have been going.

Today, i will take you for a ride and go for a journey in my studio. thoses who never met me in the streets don’t really know how i’m working so i’ll make a description to show you how it sounds like (I’ll post some picture as soon as i get them).

the visit starts here :

the studio is usually set up in a crowded street, so there are some noises and people going around. I’m on the ground with my paintings and work bending on my knees while drawing my pictures.

This is not a very confortable place but the point is to open the doors of my office to the world : i work and i’m exhibiting at the same time, and people know where to go if they want to talk to me or whatever.

An other view of the street performance is ability to speak directly and answer to all what is said about it : i know exactly what they think about it, if the performance is good or not, who thay would like to see in the next one and so on…

The money Box.

Just beside the paintings is placed the so called “Money Box”‘, nicely customised with a big “thnaks” mark on it. This little box is dedicated to receive all the loose change the people wants to give me. They sometimes give it to me in my hand but they like to put something in the box just for the fun.

Why is there a “Money Box”?

The performance is based on the principle of “Busking” : if there is something to see in the street, that you would like to encourage, like the still human statue or singer : give a little tip and this will goes on and on. In my situation, people don’t place tip in the box to see me moving my arm, but to see more of what i am doing in the streets. They sometimes ask me how much i’ll charge for the painting or if i do some posters, and this is another way to support the artist.

I could not put the box, but the weird thing is that everyone ask me what i am doing, who pays for that or the meaning of this. Sometimes, people don’t see the box and insist to give me some coin in my hand, so this is why i did put the box.

What’s in the box ?…well there is money……. how much ? Well, we will say that the tip is not a regular income : it depends on the country, it depends on the weather, the hour of the day, the pitch where i’m painting, etc.

Some regular things : this is better on a week end compare to the start of the week, The more people walk in the street, the more is there in the box (but overbusy streets and concurrence is not good for the tip). and finally if nobody steals my box during the day, i get in the 2 figures ti, and some good performers can get the 3 figures tip, but i’m still not at this stage. With the money, i pay my material fees, but that’s all i can do with it.

The differents part of the studio :

Canvas and me. The studio is mainly filled by unstretched painted canvas i can roll once finished. The canvas is ducktaped on the pavement et the portraits are facing the public. I’m situated directly on the opposite side so should i work upside down. i generally put something on the ground to ease my knees, and while bending over the canvas, i draw my line and try to loop the loop.

My tools.

To draw the line, i don’t really need big stuff, just some ink from india and a stick of wood that i’m sharpening everytime it need to be. Close to the painting, heavily clampe to a wood board is there my pot of ink wich refills every 10cm. It happends sometimes to go out with a strong gusty wind wich made my pot of ink flying away, so here is the board to keep it steadily on the ground.

For the stick of wood, i get what i have around, using at first an old brush with the metallic part removed, or a branch from a nuttree. I did try different pens but the ink wasn’t good enough for the painting, excpet for the indina ink pen, that i had to try next time.

If the rain comes, i had to pack up everything in less than one minute, so i try to keep my material light and easy to pack up. I did try several times the irish weather emergencies and i finally found a very “fast-pack-kit”.

Street’s charms :

Being in the street is great, you are working in the great outdoor, you see peoples giong by, but when it’s about to work, several factors had to be taken into account : be aware of several things :

• changing weather : when using ink outdoor, it’s a bit like doing watercolor outdoor : some rain and the work is wasted.You should be very aware of the climate variation and watch for the coming clouds and other fluids risks.

• Feets and cycles : the studio may be well visible, there are alwas somebody, someone going or cycling very near without paying attention. I saw many of theses juming elegantly over the canvas or breaking hard two inches far away from the border of the painting (there are few shoe prints on the border of my paintings to testify what i’m saying).  Be aware of groups of youg people who generaly don’t hesitate to get very very close to you.

• Wonders of nature : the dust, coming from nowhere and finally landing on your painting, autumn leaves (summer leaves in ireland), crisps bag, still burning cigarettes’s ends (ask oscar wilde) and some pigeon’s ejections (ask phil lynnot), etc

• Envy : I allready have been robed once my money box. This guy was just wandering around and have been waiting for the best moment to steel my box.”Drugs sucks”, is all what i had to say. You can met also some buskers who pretend to own your place (unless they get a licence, it’s ok)…. but there are so much nice people around so it kept the whole thing well balanced.

Advertisement Kit

I did work a lot on this aspect at first with measuring the advertisement efficiency with the piggybox content.
I found out that some elements could catch the eyes of the passers-by in 3 seconds. This could explain easily
the painting in ten seconds :

• First effect : Ther isa little cartel at the bottom of the painting saying “the line starts here”. Then they start to follow the line and discover the first characters, the second one and realize that the whole thing is composed of one single line.

• Second effect : I did frame few area in the allready finished pictures (with soft sticky tape). In theses araes are drawn highlights of the caracter life. The audience understand then that the line is not just about squiggle but about shapes and stories to be discovered.

• Third effect : I write the name of the caracter at the bottom of the painting, and a who he/she was. (thoses who usually bet about the character discover after if they are right or wrong),

• Last effect : There is a little thing on the picture which said that the painitng is available on poster. They then ask me to see it and the price.

Meeting the audience :

The point is that i’m working in the streets, directly on the pavement and the comments are quiet straight forward.
I invite thoses interrested to my next exhibition, give some informations to thoses interrested by painting or commission, well i’m doing all the jobs
linked to the art business (compulsory step when you’re a struggling artist), and this is the main difference between working indoor and outdoor…

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I am currently working in the streets of Barcelona, this picture show my models for the next months of work. I’m also open for any suggestion for the next artworks.

These are unique pieces, but posters of theses will be available to buy in the street or through my website.

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Je travaille actuellement dans les rues de Barcelone et voici un appercu de mes prochaines oeuvres que je vais réaliser, je suis bien sur ouvert à toute proposition ou suggestion pour les prochains portraits.

Ces oeuvres sont unique : vous ne les trouverez nul par ailleurs. elles sont en vente sur mon site internet, ainsi que les posters des œuvres.

One way ticket from Dublin to Barcelona : I am now in spain (Catalunya exactly), where i’ll be found soon on the spanish pavement, drawing some catalan and spanish stuff.

the previous weeks and month were dedicated to transportation, moving, holidays and so on, but i’ll be soon back to street art…

I’m currently working on the crafting of posters and etchings of my paintings, this is not easy but i’m sure i’ll find my way out.

I still have to update my website with the previous artworks done in Dublin, and will move forward the spanish and barcelone events based stuff.

See you soon in barcelona !

The show is for tomorrow and so much things to do before !

I still have one painting not finished, plenty of people to invite to the show and had to hang up the paintings. So if the weather is with me theses following days, i may complete all of them.

I will be in baggot theses next few days for live advertising with finishing my last portrait for the show and will give away the flyers to the interrested audience.

This afternoon, i will bring the painting to the showroom, i have brought some extra paintings never shown before, wich are the first of the continuous line serie. I also will bring my car park with me and this will be on display during the exhibition.

If i forgot to send you an invitation, the show is free and is tomorrow tusesday 13th evening between 6pm and 9pm at the CFCP, 15 pembroke street lower (basement of the building).

I’ll go do some painting now ….

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LE show est pour demain et j’ai pas mal de choses à faire encore :

Une peinture à terminer et qui doit être sur les murs pour mardi soir, j’ai encore pas mal d’invitations à distribuer et l’accrochage des toiles à faire aussi. Donc si le temps est avec moi je réussirais peut être a terminer tout ca pour demain soir.

Je serais dans Baggot street ces trois prochains jours pendant l’heure de la pause déjeuner, pour peindre dans la rue et distribuer des flyers pour les personnes intéressées.

Cet aprés midi, j’irais apporter les toiles à la salle d’expo, j’en ai profitté pour ammener quelques peintures supplementaires qui ne sont jamais sorties de la maison et jamais photographiées : les premières peintures de cette serie. J’emmenerais aussi mon “CARPARK”, mon installation maquette qui sera visible pendant l’expositiion.

Si j’ai oublié de vous envoyer une invitation, je vous informe qu’il y a une expo mardi soir 13 juillet et que c’est libre d’entrée. C’est entre 18h et 21h au CFCP, 15 pembroke street lower (sous sol du batiment).

Aller, sur ce, je vais aller peindre un peu….