News in Jan 2019

Just completed two portraits of the talented Danish golfer Lasse Jensen.
Great to see that Padraig Harrington has been made the 2020 Ryder Cup Captain. Well deserved. I was thrilled to work with Padraig last year. The final Charity auction funds raised for our globe was just below 5000 euros. Many thanks & Congrats to Padraig, his management and everybody at GOAL.ie.

I'm taking a well earned rest to pick up some rays in Asia. Hope to paint a few & report back. Back in a couple of weeks. I'll see you all at the Northern Ireland Open in the Summer. If you require a portrait please be sure to leave a message on my contact page.
​It just remains for me to wish you all a safe and happy 2019.
Mark

#golf #newyear2019 #jan2019 #golfart #paintings #gallery
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#GOALWhatonEarth #CharityAuction 

I was going to paint a U.S. & a European team canvas but the last time I did there was little interest. People forget quickly after the event. How fickle we are. So, to get more mileage out of individual portraits. In this case, I will paint selected players that I haven't painted before the first being Jon Rahm. No! I hear you cry you painted him placed incorrectly in rank on a watercolour in 2017. 1. already explained that & 2. I haven't painted a full 'swing portrait' in acrylics on canvas. So, here is the first in the series, Mr Rahm (I, for one am looking forward to his Ryder Cup debut). Contact me for price. Prints will be in the usual place.
Oh! Just another quick heads up. I retain the copyright on all of my work unless licensed to another party. That means no uses, publishing, printing of the work without permissions.
Even if you buy a portrait. I still retain the rights. This is normal for all artists, musicians etc. As the kids say ... Lateah......

#JonRahm #Golf #Golfart #RyderCup

Great week. Here is the final sketch at 18. Put the flag in later. Thanks to everyone at Galgorm Castle and the Media guys. Now on to the studio version...... See you next year.

It has been a very enjoyable time at Galgorm Castle during this year's Northern Ireland Open presented by Modest! Golf & Ulster Bank. I spent the week painting a variety of acrylic sketches on canvas. It was quite a changeable week in terms of weather and I got caught with wet paint and runny graphite at various times, messy. Still, I am pleased with the results and following the tournament I'll start to paint the final view of the 18th on Sunday with the eventual winner prominent. As I write this I'm looking out of the Media Centre and seeing brighter skies. Time to sign off and get on with the final sketch down by the 18th. I'll post the result later.
​ Mark

Started at 8 and the heavens opened at 9 . I used the rain to create an impression of the main grandstand at 18. In the afternoon I painted an acrylic sketch of the 15th until the rain returned.

Travel, Check in, Sort out painting gear, Course, Meetings, Photo course and areas, Check Exhibition in Player's Lounge and Coporate Hospitality, Painting touch up. Hotel, Bath, Movie, Crash.

Mmmm  much as I'd like to take him to the 'Modest Northern Ireland Open 2018', I don't think he'd enjoy it. Bless him.

One word to describe it. OBSCENE
A guy on 200,00 a week! wants a wage rise of 100,000 a week and the kids in shanty towns still drink dirty water and don't eat. I thought when I went to anti Nazi festivals in the 70s that we would have sorted out the whole thing long ago..... Anyone with personal earnings of over 5 million a year should be required to put the  excess into the World Fund For The Poor. It is the only way to rid this planet of poverty. We obviously can't rely on individuals to do right.

​Mr Angry

Well, packed me sox . Didn't bother to wash em (not really). 
I'm really looking forward to my third N I Open as Artist in Residence. What does that mean? Good question.
It means that....
Through thick and thin, Droughts & Hurricanes, wayward pro am golf balls with no "FOUR!" attached, Nial Horan fans, Weekend painters, uncle tom, cobley and all, he ,the artist, perseveres. Also, when the brilliant golfers of the European Challenge Tour and advertised food, music & fun times at Galgorm Castle are all over for another year... the poor starving artist will still have to toil away in his shack like hovel to produce a landscape capturing the final moments..... through all this, It's a hard gig but someone has to do it, after all this, spare a thought for the poor starving artist on the 18th Sunday afternoon, checking if he has enough schrapnel for the bus ride to the airport. Maybe hand him money and small gifts (credit cards accepted) and sweets to help him on his journey. Notes preferred. Praise him and tell him that you love his work, you might just get a smile, or it could be gas. An artist's work is never done. As  an American lady once said  about Van Gogh's sunflowers "Oh, you can see how he suffered" (LOL)
but it's so true. We suffer for our art..... "make that out to cash will you". That my friends is an Artist in Residence's lot. (sigh) Be kind. See you there......
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