Blue Lough

The Mournes have posed for many artists; alluring in the sunshine but no less enthralling obscured by mist, swept by gales, rain soaked or weighed down by snow; countless canvasses depict the moods of this restless muse, not to mention books, calendars and postcards. Awareness of all these amazing images can make a trip to the mountains armed with only paper and paint, a daunting prospect. Fresh compositions are not hard to find but its a challenge to reinterpret a view previously painted by the likes of Tom Carr, Percy French or John Luke. The poet John Hewitt gives an account of a sketching trip in the Mournes in the company of John Luke. Luke had received a commission to paint the Blue Lough above Annalong, spurred on by a run of dry days I set out to retrace their steps. The tall Luke quickly outpaced his friends and completed his initial sketches and colour notes prior to their arrival. One of his companions thought the scene was totally lacking in interest. He would have been even less impressed had he been in my company; leaving the car at the Carrick Little car park I too lost little time reaching the lough but along the way witnessed the seasons change by the hour from autumn to winter and back again. Sitting near the waters edge, I chilled quickly as a freezing wind blew across the surface of the Lough. My chosen viewpoint owes as much to sheltering from the blustery conditions as it does to aesthetics. Why bother sketching here at all when a few photographs could act as a reference. The wind ripping at the paper ensured that my sketch would not be much to look at, however studio paintings need this reference. Outdoor work may occasionally lack technical virtuosity but the sense of a moment captured is often unavoidable, a quality that is difficult to portray in the warmth of the studio and impossible without having first visited the scene and spent time working through various compositions, noting the colours and experiencing the weather conditions. Shivering and sneezing from the founder I got doesn't help either.

In the footsteps of John Luke
The Mournes have posed for many artists; alluring in the sunshine but no less enthralling obscured by mist, swept by gales, rain soaked or weighed down by snow; countless canvasses depict the moods of this restless muse, not to mention books, calendars and postcards. Awareness of all these amazing images can make a trip to the mountains armed with only paper and paint, a daunting prospect. Fresh compositions are not hard to find but its a challenge to reinterpret a view previously painted by the likes of Tom Carr, Percy French or John Luke. The poet John Hewitt gives an account of a sketching trip in the Mournes in the company of John Luke. Luke had received a commission to paint the Blue Lough above Annalong, spurred on by a run of dry days I set out to retrace their steps. The tall Luke quickly outpaced his friends and completed his initial sketches and colour notes prior to their arrival. One of his companions thought the scene was totally lacking in interest. He would have been even less impressed had he been in my company; leaving the car at the Carrick Little car park I too lost little time reaching the lough but along the way witnessed the seasons change by the hour from autumn to winter and back again. Sitting near the waters edge, I chilled quickly as a freezing wind blew across the surface of the Lough. My chosen viewpoint owes as much to sheltering from the blustery conditions as it does to aesthetics. Why bother sketching here at all when a few photographs could act as a reference. The wind ripping at the paper ensured that my sketch would not be much to look at, however studio paintings need this reference. Outdoor work may occasionally lack technical virtuosity but the sense of a moment captured is often unavoidable, a quality that is difficult to portray in the warmth of the studio and impossible without having first visited the scene and spent time working through various compositions, noting the colours and experiencing the weather conditions. Shivering and sneezing from the founder I got doesn't help either.

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