Art Blog — Martin Finnin

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Patinir's Clouds

Patinir's Clouds

I found this image in a German art magazine and was captured by the movement in it. The narrative is about a saint on a journey. Sitting here in the studio, a year into the pandemic, I realise that the idea of travelling has become so alien to me. Ironic, considering that Christopher is the patron saint of travellers. I made a promise to myself to go and find this Patinir painting in the flesh when all this Covid is over. What’s happening in the painting is just as interesting. Patinir’s treatment of the …

Taking A Line For A Walk

Taking A Line For A Walk

It’s a day for ducks. The rain is lashing down outside while I’m trying some thin line drawings on canvas. I have been thinking of introducing thin lines for a while, and my sketchbooks are filled with drawings in this vein.

The drawings just have to manage to jump from sketchbook to canvas now. Even if they make it across, I will probably rub the lines out or paint over them in the coming days; who knows...

Studio Vlog | Paintings Locked Me Out

Studio Vlog | Paintings Locked Me Out

The oil paintings locked me out, and I couldn’t paint, but luckily my wax for the bronze sculpture saved me. I like working in wax. It’s a great medium that allows you to get lost in the process. I also began painting into these tiny etching prints with acrylic and ink. The line drawing in these is very different from painting in oil. I think the time spent working on the etchings loosened me up enough to return to the oils on canvas, and you can see how I am finding my way back to them towards the end of the video. I am enjoying painting in oils, but the paintings I am working on at the end of …

Studio Vlog | High Flyer

Studio Vlog | High Flyer

This is the studio story of two dark oil paintings as they try to resolve being invaded by a flying beast with a Cupid on its back. Sometimes being in an artist studio is like a day at the races. You need to take a chance. This vlog is about taming the beast and facing fears while dreaming of adventure—thoughts prevalent in the past months of 2020 and now 2021. In my work, they have surfaced with this Cupid creature on a flying …

A Little Escape

A Little Escape

There is a painting I have been working on for over a year now. It’s the blue one on the left with a boat of floating sculptures in the centre of it. It’s still nowhere near finished, and I will probably end up having to paint over it. A few days ago, I took a break from it by starting a batch of small canvases with this wash of orange oil paint. They are a nice distraction and a great way to experiment with new shapes without gambling a mature canvas. After a few days, they were dry enough, and I paint some sky blue…