It's been ages since I did a blog but throughout the last year I have been busy painting and thought I would put a few of my latest paintings on my news blog along with some helpful painting tips. 
  I usually paint most of my landscape paintings in oils but recently I have been trying some in watercolours and found I really enjoy it once I get my head round the different process to oil painting. Watercolours are not quite so forgiving as oils and mistakes are not as easily corrected but I am discovering loads of techniques by experimenting. These two watercolours sold almost straight away so I was absolutely thrilled, so encouraging! I have also included two images of stages of painting the second watercolour to show how I built up the painting.

  Like so many artists I usually have several paintings on the go at once and this oil painting below is just one of three oils I am currently working on. In these two images I am painting in some fine detail on a waterfall. It can be quite tricky sometimes when doing detail work to keep one's hand steady so the second image shows how you can use a mahl stick to rest and steady your hand.

 Hope this is helpful, you can find more painting techniques in my book 'Scattered with light, painting the beauty of nature' available on my on line shopping page.
​Sarah

 This is a portrait I have just finished, it's an oil painting on linen canvas,16" x 20", the subject in this case was my husband and he decided that he wanted a portrait painted from a photograph from a few years ago that he liked, rather than sitting for one now and I was only too happy to work this way from a photograph. The image has to be a good one though to enable the detail to be there when I enlarge it.
 I was pleased with the result as I felt it captured the mood we wanted just right, a portrait like this is something that one can really enjoy and a unique family heirloom.

 By popular demand I have published a new limited edition print - 'Foxes in the snow' in an edition of 200 prints, each signed and numbered by me as usual and available for purchase on my online shopping page. I painted this scene a couple of years ago during a really cold winter, fortunately I can see my gates from the warmth of my studio! it's business as usual for my online sales, with quick delivery straight to your door. unfortunately all the summer events I normally attend were cancelled so this at present is the best way to buy my prints,artist's book and cards.
 

 During the lockdown as well as working away in my studio with all the nice weather we have had in Ireland my garden has become my outdoor studio. this is especially good for my watercolour bird studies but it's also been so relaxing working in the dappled shade of my old apple trees with the sound of the bird song and insects buzzing. This painting below of great tits is just one I've completed recently.

  I now am on instagram-@sarahcornerartist as well as linkedin and some of my original paintings and limited edition prints are now available at Art click Ireland online store  

  Normally at this time of year I would be running two weekly art classes in County Tipperary, which sadly I have had to cancel due to the restrictions for covid 19 virus as it's better to be safe than sorry, however being stuck at home as many of us are can be the perfect opportunity to paint. With this in mind I put together a magazine style newsletter full of painting tips and ideas, which I have emailed to all my students and of course we can all keep in contact this way so I can continue to give them all painting advice. There is plenty of inspiration for paintings to be found in our own gardens or a still life indoors which can be of just ordinary every day objects.
  Most of my original paintings are sold through Kilcock art gallery in county Kildare and the gallery has also temporarily closed for the protection of staff and clients, however the gallery has a lovely easy to navigate website which has many examples of my work and is well worth looking at. I still have one outlet left however and that is my online shopping page on my website where I can sell my limited edition prints and my artists book. The book entitled 'Scattered with Light' painting the beauty of nature, is ideal for lovers of both nature and art and invaluable to aspiring artists. With full colour images of my paintings it takes the reader through the journey of how the paintings were created, with some step by step photographs and detailed practical advice to show in depth the whole painting process. See below some pages from the book, click on the link to my online shopping page or use the drop down menu

  I am please to announce the details of my forthcoming solo exhibition of paintings at Kilcock art gallery, county Kildare, Ireland. The opening preview is on the 19th October 2019, 3 til 5pm
 The exhibition will run until November 16th but if anyone would like an invitation to the opening preview please contact me via my website's contact page or contact Kilcock gallery, all are welcome and there is a brochure about the paintings with the postal invitation or one can have an email version if preferred or simply come along on the day!
 In this collection of paintings celebrating the beauty of nature I have some works in which natures art of camouflage is explored and I thought I would just say a few words about this. Many birds that I paint are brightly coloured and obviously want to stand out, but at times some are safer if they blend in to their habitat. see these examples below.
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'Juvenile Peregrine Falcons'
 One can see that the birds plumage is good camouflage in this mountain setting and I used the same palette of colours for all, making sure that the birds were still clearly visible by careful use of light in the painting.

 This bank holiday Monday I will have a stand at the wonderful Tinahely Agricultural show in County Wicklow (the Wicklow County show). My stall will be in the craft village marquee. This is one of the few shows in Ireland that has a marque dedicated to crafts and all exhibitors are vetted and therefore the standard is high and well worth a visit if you are at the show which is a fabulous agricultural show, one of the best in my opinion without being too vast that one can't get round it all! I will have all my limited edition  prints at special show prices and my artist's book- 'Scattered with light, painting the beauty of nature' which is proving very popular. I have some new greetings card designs to add to my already quite large selection, you can see these below. this will be my last summer show this year as I am busy painting away in my studio working towards my forthcoming solo exhibition at Kilcock art gallery in county Kildare which is due to open on October 19th. 
  If anyone is near the village of Bansha in County Tipperary in August there is an exhibition of paintings in Templeniery church of paintings by the art group I tutor there (plus a couple of my paintings). The standard is high and worth a visit.