Progress on Ailee

I'm liking this portrait better and better. Yesterday I worked on it during two broadcast sessions, one of which I recorded. This evening I watched bad TV and painted by myself. Not my favorite way. Sniff.

It was good being back in the gallery again today.

Painting Online Twice Today

I’m home again and want to work on my commissions that were on hold during my trip to the Emerald Isle. So today I’m going to paint twice, neither one at my regular time. I’ll be on at noon (Texas/Central time) for a couple of hours, and then again at 8 p.m. for another two.
So what if my house is piled up and my suitcases are still unpacked and my lawn is dying from the 100+ degree prolonged heat wave we’ve been having? I miss you guys and want to PAINT!
I hope you’ll have some time to join me…
www.ustream.tv/channel/susancarlin

One more travel post- from my day in Dublin

What a wonderful day I had exploring Dublin today! I was delighted by the great hanging baskets of flowers EVERYWHERE.

I spent happy hours in the National Gallery being introduced to Irish painters I'd never heard of, but who left me excited and inspired. I also sat in on a lecture on Harry Clarke's illustrations of Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tales. National Gallery-

Dublin is a cosmopolitan city- the tour buses had narrative recordings in any of 10 languages, the National Gallery's brochures were in at least eight. It was packed with people, even on a Sunday. I got all the way to the door of the Trinity College Library where the Book of Kells is displayed, and because of the crowd, decided I'd learn about it online so that I could get on to the National Gallery. I also visited the Hugh Lane (Dublin municipal) Art Gallery. Wonderful!

One of the many statues in the city-

Noisy, bustling and very different from the rural and small-town Ireland I'd visited all week-

My view from the top of the double-decker bus-

I had dinner tonight outside at a sweet restaurant call The Farm, that serves all healthy, locally grown foods. My waiter, Marian, and I got along like a house afire and I've promised to paint him sometime from the photos I took of him.

It was a perfect 68 degree day and only began to lightly mist as I was waiting for my ride back to the hotel. I've got a 5:30 a.m. wake up call, so I'd better get some sleep, as it's almost 1 a.m. now.

As wonderful as this trip has been, I'm ready to get back to family and friends in Texas.

Sweet dreams, Ya'll!

Susan

Travel to Dublin

Last night all the artists, Robert Liberace and his family, and Limepark's John and Melanie Ward went to dinner in Ballycastle for one last hoorah. It was good getting to know a couple of the other artists better. I hope I'll cross paths with some of them again someday.

This morning before John drove me to my bus stop, I took a short walk the other direction on the road Limepark is on. Everywhere I looked was beautiful.

I took three buses from Limepark in Northern Ireland to Dublin. I'm impressed with how big and clean and on-schedule the buses were on the way up and back.

Bus station in Ballymena. I don't remember any hanging baskets of flowers at any Greyhound station I ever saw, do you?

Shooting photos from the bus window, I came across two men in kilts.

I'm in Dublin now and will spend tomorrow (Sunday) sightseeing, then will fly back to San Antonio Monday morning. I want to visit the National Gallery for the paintings, Trinity College to see the Book of Kells, walk around the Temple Bar district, and Stephen's Green. Morgan wants a red T-shirt from Ireland, so I'll be keeping a lookout for that.

I really liked having you keep me company on my visit to Ireland. So many of you have sent emails in response to my posts- Thank you! I hope you forgive me for not replying- just know they meant a lot!

I'll be returning to sending my art newsletters every 2-4 weeks again, but you can always check in on what I'm painting by visiting my blog- http://susansartjournal.blogspot.com If you want to get an email letting you know when I'm planning to paint online, enter your email address in the top subscription on my blog's sidebar. I'd love to have you there.

Hugs from Dublin,

Susan

Winding down

(Please don't copy or use my images, ok? Thanks!)

We visited this small coastal village called Cushendall yesterday afternoon. I had a glass of Guiness with some of the other artists at a little pub there.

Cushendall boats.

After the great sea bass dinner at the Central Bar Restaurant in Ballycastle. The other smiling faces are Jane Scobey and Annie Compton.

Traditional Irish music at O'Connor's Pub in Ballycastle. I got a couple of little movies of this. I'll try to post them later.

This is Duncan, our model Wednesday and Thursday mornings. I learned a LOT painting this- first a grisaille painting underneath, then oiling the next day and applying color. It felt similar to applying pastels, in a way- scumbling color in.

This was on a twilight walk I took Wednesday evening near Limepark.

Cute, no?

Limepark on the way "home." No sidewalks, and often no shoulder on the roads, means that one hops into a hedge when cars pass by. Very exciting!

It's time for lunch and we're being served Irish lamb stew and always there's been a wonderful dessert. I'll check in again perhaps once more when I'm in Dublin. I take a bus down tomorrow and spend Saturday and Sunday night there, then fly home Monday morning. I know FOR SURE I'll come back to Ireland. It's been magical and beautiful and good for my soul.