On Unintentional Masterpieces

Dear readers, I doodle and draw and scribble everywhere. I do it mindfully and mindlessly. I do it in company and alone. Sometimes, I end up with something rather nice. In many ways, this is a serendipitous delight.

However, it does come with its problems. Above you will see a doodle from a train journey and a work surface respectively. The difficulties arise in that I feel a strange sense of bitterness that some of the pieces I work so hard at lack the lustre that my unintended masterpieces so effortlessly sport.

It's also hard to sell something or submit it to a gallery if the back of it contains my bank details...

A possible solution would be to doodle only on canvas or to use blank canvas as a work surface. Doodling on canvas on public transport might even attract attention. I do enjoy attention.

I shall report back...


www.emerahern.com

The Painted Sentence

Dear readers, I have embarked upon an exciting new project! Over in the wildest recesses of Instagram, another artist gives me a sentence, and I turn in into a masterpiece (or a doodle, at least).

It's challenging, strange and an awful lot of fun. They're going on sale soon and 20% will go to Jigsaw as always. (€148 donated by Emer's Happy Paintings so far.)

We would both really appreciate any new followers. The Painted Sentence, our doggy and I thank you in advance!

So Many Ideas

When I sit into my little old car in the morning and trek half way across the lovely island of Ireland to my workplace, I think. There's so much to see between Galway and the midlands that it all blends a bit. There are roads, fields, industrial estates, farms, people, animals and my thoughts. Melding many of the above into a painting proves a rewarding and ever-changing exercise.

I scrap the ideas that don't compel me or those that won't say what I want them to. I run with all the rest. I'm left with patterns, concepts and pictures - more thoughts and ideas than I could ever hope to put on paper or canvas.

And then I paint. As previously discussed on this blog, the art often takes on a life of its own. And this leads to more ideas and plans. And I'll never paint them all. But I'll keep going, and everyone around me in real life and Internet life will hear or read all about it!

With peace, love and many thanks for listening,
Emer

Facebook Competition

 So, I have decided to set up a competition on my Facebook page. 

People respond to the event with three things they care about, feel strongly about or enjoy. I pick the most interesting combination and use it to make some delightful artistic creation. Said creation will be gifted upon the person who submitted the winning combination. In addition, I will donate 20 Euro to Jigsaw Galway.

So far, I'm having great fun. A few compelling submissions have cropped up. As I have previously admitted, I love the attention. The challenge of incorporating 3 potentially entirely unrelated things could prove beautifully surrealistic! And as always, I am fascinated by people and their interests.

Any new entries would be very much appreciated. And if you pop along and like the Facebook page, I'll be your best friend forever!

Happy Saturday!
Emer

Exhibitions and Feedback

So I'm rather new to sharing my art with the public. I've just had 3 paintings accepted for an exhibition at the Leitrim Sculpture Centre. And I'm submitting for a few more.

The attention-seeker not-so-deep within me is loving this. My equally internally prominent
sensitive artist is a ball of nerves. But I'm addicted to it now and not about to stop any time soon.

Thankfully, I can laugh at myself. Oftentimes, I really, really need to laugh at myself. So if I'm laughed out of every gallery I walk into, I think I'll survive. I still hope that doesn't happen, though.

A lovely Twitter follower described my work as moving, so that made my day. On the other limb,  a relative has told me that some of my work looks like I drew it with my left foot. But I'm sure he meant it lovingly...

On that note, if you wish to see a combination of moving work and some left-foot pieces, please do come and follow me on Facebook.

Warmest regards and a happy Saturday to all,
Emer

A Frosted Mistake

Once upon a time, I got out a 16x12 inch canvas and all my oil painting implements and started to create. And as I progressed, I became less and less satisfied. So I decided to paint over it and start again.

Painting over it, I realised something. The covering layer pleased me. It revealed soothing glimpses of mild colour and would dry to the texture of a fancy cake. I decorated the bottom corner and couldn't bring myself to paint any more.

My feelings towards it are mixed. On one hand, I'm pleased with the final product. On the other, it feels a tad like I stopped before I was finished. On my third (and most reflective) hand, I'm deeply aware of the fact that something less pleasant lies beneath.

This work means a lot to me. It truly captures the essence of trying to forget the past and right our wrongs. Much like a cake, it is heavy and sweet.

It is my frosted mistake.



P.S. Online shop now active at http://www.emerahern.com/429298325/category/819271/online-store

Happy Paintings

As you may know, I sell as "Emer's Happy Paintings". People have asked me if this is supposed to be ironic or if I have a very disturbed idea of happiness. The answer to both of these is a decidedly firm "no".

Yes, some of my work is cheerful, but I'm told that much of it tends toward the bleak side. Sometimes this darkness is intentional. Sometimes, it's just my way of expelling stress unto a canvas.

They're "happy paintings" because painting makes me extremely happy. And because 20% of profits go to Jigsaw Galway, a youth mental health charity. So while my business name may not be particularly clever or funny, it describes what I do. I hope some of the "happy" will rub off on others along the way.

Find more on my site.

Finishing Touches

So I take my brush and paint and canvas and all my other tools and paint something charming. Occasionally, the final details are exactly what my work doesn't need.

Back when I started painting in earnest, I didn't have any idea when to say "when". Between the elaboration here and the embellishment there, many of my works ended up leaning roughly in the direction of ruin. This was especially disappointing when I had felt so close to creating something I could be proud of. And when I used acrylics and couldn't undo what I had done quite so easily as with oils.

At first, I stopped adding in my final details altogether. A lot of my art ended up with a distinctly unfinished quality. These days I try everything from sleeping on it to adding in minor touches before deciding how much finishing is needed.

I haven't quite perfected it yet, but things would be terribly boring if I had!

Chirp!

So I have just discovered the joys of Twitter. Having never understood the whole thing really, I've been bitten by the bug. Or perhaps pecked by the bird. The standard of work on there by other artists is humbling, to say the least, and the instant gratification of the response time is going to my head a little. It's a tad dizzying to get followers in Italy when you're living comfortably on the Aul Sod.

So to shamelessly self-promote, please please pretty please come follow me on Twitter. I'll be your best friend.

"On Writer's Block"

As a painter and writer, I have experienced my fair share (and more!) of writer's/painter's block. Using a bit of acrylic paint and canvas, I decided to transcend the very concept of writer's block itself by making it the subject of my work. This is guaranteed to make me feel creative and empowered (until the next bout of block strikes with a fiery vengeance).

Painting is My Muse

Painting without inspiration was something I used to avoid. I genuinely believed that I needed to feel like painting in order to paint. I slowly came to the realisation that this wasn't truly the case. After all, I doctor even on days where I'm not at my most doctorly!

I started out by doodling with my paints in front of the television. I found that painting, in and of itself, made me feel more creative and that some of my best work has come out of this habit. It's also enjoyable, therapeutic and something I never regret. I'm a firm believer that every painting is a stepping stone, so even my absolute scribbles will lead to better things.

As such, I paint every day, rain or shine, however I feel. Painting, in and of itself, is my muse.

When my paintings take on a life of their own

So I took out a nice blank canvas, poured some acrylics on a palette and got painting. I started out with a plan to make a kind and lonely farmer tending his land. Somewhere along the line, his sky turned a shocking shade of magenta, his fields turned into aquamarine mountains and the farmer himself morphed into a dancing bride...

I have tried to stick to my plans, but my art really loses something in that process. It's almost like trying to breathe life into something that's long gone. If I could capture that in a painting, I'd be one happy woman, but thus far it eludes me.

So far, I just look forward to 'meeting' my paintings as they come from the end of my brush/cocktail stick/butter knife.

Colourblind

Dear readers, it only came to my attention in recent years that I am mildly red/green colourblind. I discovered this in medical school when I was asked to demonstrate use of the Ishihara tests. I couldn't read a thing! In spite of this, I paint. A lot.

I'd love to see what everyone else sees in my artwork. Through my eyes, the colours are pretty good.

Either way, it hasn't stopped me yet!

"Jemima in a Field"

"Jemima in a Field" is an oil painting on deep-edged canvas. I'm told that it appears as though Jemima was placed in a field by an external force. Readers, I can only assure you that Jemima walked there of her own volition (even if there were other places she'd rather have been)! This piece is mainly about quiet contemplation.

"Someday"

"Someday" is one of my oils. I painted it on paper without any liquin (not a fan of liquin anyway). Believe it or not, this was my third draft. I wanted to simultaneously capture the despair of a difficult situation and the hope that things might not always be that way. The window is small and high up, but the guy is tall and skinny, so he'll get there eventually!

I paint...

Hello, dear people of the internet. My name is Emer Ahern, an Irish painter. In my spare time, I also work as a doctor (which I love). I've always been fond of creating things and enjoyed the artwork of others.  Whether I'm painting or writing, feeling wonderful or dreadful, I tend to just lash my thoughts and emotions at the page.

I never really shared my works with anyone until recently and feedback has been mixed. The strength of some of the positive comments, though, has really touched me and I've felt encouraged and inspired to get the stuff out there.

What I make tends to be on the abstract side of things, and it'll never be "fine art" as such, but I've been told it's interesting...

So I'm going to use this blog to discuss the paintings and possibly to rant once in a while! My work can be viewed at www.emerahern.com.