The Materials Technology (Wood) Room

IMG 4148 pt


Oil on Gesso Panel

30 x 79 inches (77 x 200 cm)


Left to right:

Lauris Millar, Nicole McGearty, Danielle Dillon, Majid Omera, Noel O’Neill, Anthony Fennelly, Jack Hickey, James McGrath, Shane Monaghan, Shane Byrne, Raitan (Rai) Razmias, Ross Nolan, Hugo Hughes Doherty, Brigena Flynn Wall, Philipp Heim, Geonwoo Choi


When the weather was bad and I couldn't do the panorama I'd come inside to where I had another easel set up in the Woodwork Room. I was just feeling my way in to the commission at this point with only a vague idea of what I was about really. However I decided to do a big painting on the basis of "no guts, no glory". So I charged ahead. I tried the same head turn perspective as I was using outside on the panorama. 

In the end I don't think it is as effective here, it has a slightly destabilizing effect. However I had to work it through to see. I had people pose for me when I saw them take up an interesting position, so Hugo, standing by the window, or the boy turning around 

to look behind him, just happened to do that on a 

particular day and I'd quickly sketch them in and then ask them to pose for me for as long as it took to finish them - a day or two. All in all this painting took about a month to complete.


All text and images © Blaise Smith 2020