Hunched over the easel as ever. Doing a big landscape of Belfast. Work in progress. Inspired if not prompted by the great @colin_davidson_artist. I was struck by a post he made a while back talking about his annual tradition stretching back years of painting his beloved Belfast. The vista and muddy muse (a well?) he returns to time after time. His paintings of Belfast are varied but always awesome. The scale and complexity of a high up view of Belfast is incredible and, for the artist, a little terrifying. But Colin sets the standard. Other greats like @francismccrory have tackled our city with graceful panache. Inspired by these local lads I struck up the courage to take on, in Louis MacNeice’s words, the “river-straddling, hill-rimmed town... veneered with the grime of Glasgow… a city built on mud’. And yes, the yellow and endlessly cliché “gantries” are included. Hopefully you like. #belfast #BelfastArt #BelfastArtist #belfastLandscape #arts #artist #belfastArts #NorthernIreland #NorthernIrelandArtist #NorthernIrelandArts #NIarts #NIart #ireland #irishArt #IrishArtist #IrishArts #belfastcity #belfastphotographer #artStudio #ArtistStudio #artistsoninstagram #artoftheday #artwork #artofinstagram (at Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK) https://www.instagram.com/p/CK3tGBsBmNf/?igshid=h5o9od25zs1o

Goes without saying, it’s been an insane 11 months for us all. Artists follow solitary lives, so I’ve been fortunate to pursue my vocation without the upending change, heartache and loss others have had to endure and even suffer. I spent these lockdown months hunkered down in the studio, hunched at the easel for hour after hour, day after day, week after week. Like an athlete going to training camp and hiding from public glare, I wanted to withdraw and simply put in the reps, graft and hard work. I’m not sure people will have noticed, but I chose to massively curtail how I shared my art, my space and my process. By coincidence (or perhaps subconsciously prompted by the pandemic), at the same time a virus changed the world I decided to change and totally review and revise my way and approach to painting. At the same time I was also very fortunate to gain a new and much larger studio space. Something I’m very proud of, but have never shared online. I shared little because I was unsure the change was right. To those close to me who new about this change, I called this my “lockdown experiment”. With the coming of the new year I have gained a lot of confidence and clarity. For a few weeks I stood at a crossroad. Unsure whether to continue in my old vein, or to fully commit to the new path and share this with the world. I only committed to painting full time in autumn 2016. I’ve grown and learnt a lot, from a caricature street artist and evolving to a fine artist who can now spend real time on my craft. From spending minutes on rapid fire art when I first started, I want to truly commit to producing high end desirable art. Today I’m sharing a photo of me in my new space surrounded by some of my latest work. This is just the first step. I am really looking forward to sharing with my friends and followers the fruit of these months of solitary labour. There’s a big surprise to be announced. Something I think people will really like. #belfast #belfastArtist #belfastArts #NorthernIreland #Ireland #NorthernIrishArtist #IrishArt #IrishArtist #IrishArts #BelfastArt #ArtistStudio #artist #IrelandArtist (at Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKTwdRzhLCN/?igshid=h70aov8oib5z

Belfast in abstract. Acrylic on canvas, 90 x 60 cm. #belfast #belfastArtist #belfastArts #Irishartist #irishart #northernIreland #northernIrish #NorthernIrelandArt #NorthernIrishArt #arts #drinkart #belfastcity #belfastireland #belfastblogger #belfastpride #irelandArt #irelandArtist #irelandtravel #irelandtourism #tourismireland #buyIrish #buyIrishArt #ArtIreland (at Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHK7iJPhmJ3/?igshid=qb53xargk1yz

Drawing the Lord Lieutenant of Belfast - @chrissuitorggg. #belfast #belfastArtist #belfastArts #Irishartist #irishart #northernIreland #northernIrish #NorthernIrelandArt #NorthernIrishArt #arts #drinkart #belfastcity #belfastireland #belfastblogger #belfastpride #irelandArt #irelandArtist #irelandtravel #irelandtourism #tourismireland #buyIrish #buyIrishArt #ArtIreland #chrisSuitor #SuitorBros (at Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK) https://www.instagram.com/p/CG9uqPeB0LM/?igshid=138y24ryg9bkd

Acrylic study of @95watermill. #watermill #95watermill #belfast #belfastArtist #belfastArts #Irishartist #irishart #northernIreland #northernIrish #NorthernIrelandArt #NorthernIrishArt #arts #drinkart #belfastcity #belfastireland #belfastblogger #belfastpride #irelandArt #irelandArtist #irelandtravel #irelandtourism #tourismireland #buyIrish #buyIrishArt #ArtIreland (at Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGpyvARBcC0/?igshid=ccvnz7e4e5ns

A view of Belfast. Acrylic on canvas. 110 x 80cm. #belfast #belfastArtist #belfastArts #Irishartist #irishart #northernIreland #northernIrish #NorthernIrelandArt #NorthernIrishArt #arts #drinkart #belfastcity #belfastireland #belfastblogger #belfastpride #irelandArt #irelandArtist #irelandtravel #irelandtourism #tourismireland #buyIrish #buyIrishArt #ArtIreland (at Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGk2KSABA50/?igshid=1ppqx46nl18mt