Mike McInnerney
Mike McInnerney
Routes and Branches
28 August – 18 September 2010
This show has finished.
Unsold work still available through Kestle Barton.
Mike McInnerney paints live in Helford
Mike McInnerney is out and about in the Helford and Frenchman’s Creek area, painting in (almost) all weathers. He has a pop up tent as an instant outdoor studio for bad days but, whatever the weather, he aims to capture the essence of a tree, one that has really caught his imagination, in one session of intensive work in gouache. It is a way of working that is fraught with difficulties, from the prevalence of midges, to the sudden downpours we can expect in Cornwall. And even on dryish days Cornish woods have a damp atmosphere making getting the paint to dry another problem.
McInnerney has painted trees and woodland paths directly from nature for the past two years, working in a portrait format as a way of emphasising the individual nature of each tree. Work begins and finishes on site and is usually completed in a morning or afternoon.
Mike painting in the woods by Kestle Barton
Routes and Branches is an exhibition that embraces this ongoing live performance element of McInnerney’s approach. The paintings form a series that began in July and will extend through to the end of the exhibition as part of Mike McInnerney’s Artist in Residency at Kestle Barton. Over several visits to Kestle Barton, McInnerney compiles his portraits of trees within a five-mile radius, each portrait viewed together as an extended family of forestry. At the time the exhibition opens on the Bank Holiday weekend of late August, two-thirds of the work will be completed and displayed on the walls. The remaining works will be represented in the gallery by empty frames.
At certain times during the exhibition visitors will be directed to McInnerney’s chosen painting spot for the day, so that if desired they may meet the artist and watch him working. In this way McInnerney will endeavor to complete his portraiture profile of the neighbouring trees surrounding Kestle Barton. At the end of each day, a chosen painting will be instantly framed and installed in the exhibition. The remaining works of the day will be mounted and displayed in a browser. All the works in the exhibition will be for sale.
Scroll down for a view of the works currently on show:
Manaccan Footpath 05/07/10
Monday July 5 2010 Manaccan footpath. 16 ° C. Sun and cloud. Tree rooted in steep bank.
Gouache on paper
59 x 42 cm
SOLD
Kestle Footpath 06/07/10
Tuesday July 6 2010 Kestle path. 17 º C. Mostly cloudy.
Gouache on paper
59 x 42 cm
AVAILABLE
Manaccan Footpath 06/07/10
Tuesday July 6 2010 Manaccan footpath. 17 ° C. mostly cloudy. Tree rooted in steep bank.
Gouache on paper
59 x 42 cm
AVAILABLE
Frenchman’s Creek 07/07/10
Wednesday July 7 2010 Frenchman’s Creek. 18 degrees C. Sunny intervals.
Gouache on paper
59 x 42 cm
SOLD
Frenchman’s Creek am 09/07/10
Friday July 9 2010 Frenchman’s Creek am. 17 ° C. Grey and damp conditions. Painting started on the previous day after failed picture in the morning and completed this morning in very damp atmosphere.
Gouache on paper
59 x 42 cm
SOLD
Frenchman’s Creek pm 09/07/10
Friday July 9 2010 Frenchman’s Creek pm. 17 ° C. Grey sky with light mizzle. Very damp conditions, painting would not dry.
Gouache on paper
59 x 42 cm
SOLD
Frenchman’s Creek 19/07/10
Monday July 19 10 Frenchman’s Creek. 17 º C. Sun and cloud, occasional shower. Set up the tent as a temporary refuge from the rain. A number of German voices on the path today and a surprise encounter with an old friend who has a place in Gillan Cove.
Gouache on paper
59 x 42 cm
AVAILABLE
Kestle Path am 21/07/10
Wednesday July 21 2010 Kestle path am. 16 degrees C. Some sun. some cloud. Threat of afternoon rain. Tuesday was a complete washout so went to Homebase and purchased a portable Gazebo. Out at 5.30 this morning planting the homebase gazebo in wild woods. I am sure now I am in some kind of Werner Hertzog film, obsessed with beating the rain.
Gouache on paper
59 x 42 cm
SOLD
Kestle Path pm 21/07/10
Wednesday July 21 2010 Kestle path pm. 16 º C. Rain this afternoon so retreated to Gazebo to produce image of the tree on the high bank of the Kestle path.
Gouache on paper
59 x 42 cm
AVAILABLE
Kestle Path 22/07/10
Thursday July 22 2010 Kestle path. 17 º C. Mix of rain and sun. Worked under the Gazebo planted on Wednesday.
Gouache on paper
59 x 42 cm
SOLD
Manaccan Footpath (A1) 28/07/10
Wednesday July 28 2010 Manaccan footpath. 17 º C. Mostly cloudy but some sunshine. Decided to produce an A1 picture. Also started another picture in the afternoon at the bridge over the stream but gave up as it became too dark by 5pm.
Gouache on paper
59.5 x 84 cm
SOLD
Mannacan Footpath am 29/07/10
Thursday July 29 2010 Manaccan footpath am 17 º C. Sunny with cloud.
Gouache on paper
59 x 42 cm
SOLD
Manaccan Footpath pm 29/07/10
Thursday July 29 2010 Manaccan footpath pm 17 º C. Sunny with cloud. Completed picture of bridge started on the previous day. Gouache on paper
59 x 42 cm
SOLD
Kestle Footpath 30/07/10
Friday July 30 2010 Kestle path 17 º C. Overcast and dark in the woods. Being unable to read tonal values in the gloom I painted a very livid green version of lichen on tree.
Gouache on paper
59 x 42 cm
SOLD
Frenchman’s Creek 05/08/10
Thursday August 5 2010 Frenchman’s Creek 17 º C. Dry with cloud and some sunshine.
Gouache on paper
59 x 42 cm
SOLD
Frenchman’s Creek 23/08/10
Monday August 23 2010 Frenchman’s Creek. 17 º C. General sunshine with very sudden and surprising showers. Just enough time to put up the umbrella.
Gouache on paper
59.5 x 84 cm
SOLD
Path to Orchard Lane 24/08/10
Tuesday August 24 2010 Path to Orchard Lane. 19 º C. Warm day, cloud and sunshine. Managed to bring some blue sky into the portraits
Gouache on paper
59 x 42 cm
SOLD
Path to Penarvon Cove 26/08/10
Thursday August 26 2010
Path to Penarvon Cove. 15º, overcast, threat of rain. Tried to relocate gazebo, walked all morning but nowhere to place it. Took the chance and painted with no protection. Started raining at 5pm.
Gouache on paper
59.5 x 42 cm
AVAILABLE
Monterey Pines in Helford 30/08/10
Monday August 30. Monteray Pines in Helford. 19º C Lovely sunny Bank Holiday Monday in Helford Harbour.
Gouache on paper
59 x 42 cm
AVAILABLE
Bridge over Frenchman’s Creek 31/08/10
Bridge over Frenchman’s Creek. 19ºC mainly sunny.
Gouache on paper
59 x 42 cm
SOLD
Frenchman’s Creek (A1) 02/09/10
Thursday September 2 2010. Frenchman’s Creek. 17ºC overcast.
Gouache on paper
84 x 59.5 cm
AVAILABLE
Frenchman’s Pill (A1) 04/09/10
Saturday 4 September 2010. Frenchman’s Pill. 16ºC overcast with light rain.
Gouache on paper
84 x 59.5 cm
AVAILABLE
Frenchman’s Pill 06/09/10
Monday 6 September 2010. Frenchman’s Pill 16° C. Very wet conditions. Set up the gazebo for painting on Monday afternoon. Several downpours. Sun came out at 5pm.
Gouache on paper
59 x 42 cm
AVAILABLE
Frenchman’s Pill 07/09/10
Tuesday 7 September 2010. Frenchman’s Pill 17° C. Raining in the morning. Set up at 9am with groundsheet as temporary roof. Weather improved though very damp. Painting would not dry.
Gouache on paper
59 x 42 cm
AVAILABLE
Frenchman’s Pill 08/09/10
Wednesday 8 September 2010. Frenchman’s Pill 18° C. A good sunny morning to complete picture from yesterday evening.
Gouache on paper
59 x 42 cm
AVAILABLE
Return to Kestle 08/09/10
Wednesday 8 September 2010. Return to Kestle 18° C. A sunny finale.
Gouache on paper
59 x 42 cm
AVAILABLE