I perpetually learn through practice and will often set parameters for each new body of work. Each unique choice is carefully considered; the scale, materials, level of detail and duration that each piece will take to be ‘finished.’ I recognise the value in, and allow myself to work intuitively. This piece uses conté crayon and emulsion paint on canvas, compulsively layered to create results that are both complex and delicate. The image exists as a liminal topography of dreamlike lands.
This ‘difficult’ work was one of those that I gave up on and turned around to face the wall for about a month. When I came to look at it again I found I was more favourably disposed to it. The central image is a battleship. The dinosaur skulls were added later.
I’m pleased to have reached my 100th blog post. Here is another large scale drawing from a long time ago. Layers of compressed charcoal build up the tones. I washed over them with a brush, which formed the drips. the perspective is off but the piece was more concerned with creating an atmosphere. It’s based on the Belfast Telegraph building on York Street.
Here is one of a series of large scale images of Belfast buildings I made using compressed charcoal on cardboard around 2001. An art college tutor interpreted them as being akin to Western sets, appearing somehow hollow and unpopulated. This piece is around 6×5 foot in size.
My friend just pointed outed that the title refers to a line from “on your own again” by Scott Walker, from the incredible Scott 4 album. The haunting lyrics must have been floating round in my head when I titled this piece.
This is the last in the recent series of drawings from around 2001 that I have decided to post. It is a view of the old part of Belmont primary school in Belfast that I attended in the 1980s. It’s drawn from a photograph of the building in strong sunlight. The shadows and darkness have been exaggerated in my usual way, so that it appears quite oppressive and prison like.
Here is another work from 2001, drawn from a photograph of what remains of Downhill House in county Derry. I used grey paper which shows through in the mid-tones, the light and dark tones were added. The photograph showed more of the now roofless building , I honed in on these handsome bay windows.
More information about the history of the building can be found here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downhill_House
This piece is from 2001, simplified from a photograph taken looking up at Saint Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast. I was working quickly using various shades of compressed charcoal. Although the drawing has it’s faults, I think it does project a certain energy. It’s good to look over old work from time to time.
This piece was inspired looking at an earlier one: https://johnmacormacart.wordpress.com/2011/04/16/smoke-rising-in-the-distance-mixed-media-on-card-2009/. The resource card it is made on is of little value. I find this frees me up, I become less precious. The red flag shape appears over and over in works around this time. The line at the top resembles the curvature of an imagined mountain.
John Macormac 