"CONNEMARA PONY" - New Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Connemara Pony"

Oil on Canvas

18" x 24"

I'm posting one of the last paintings I've done from my trip to Ireland last year, the "Connemara Pony". Funny thing is, we didn't really see as many Connemara ponies in Connemara as we thought we would. Well, here's one that we did see!

I've read a lot of debate lately about the virtues of painting en plein air or even alla prima versus painting from a photographic reference as to how it relates to success in a painting that is filled with passion from the artist's soul. Personally, I think much of this debate is without much merit on either side of the argument. 

I once was told by a good friend (who happens to paint a lot of paintings en plein air as well as a lot of paintings in the studio from his plein air references) that he did not want to be known as a good plein air painter. Neither did he want to be known as a good studio painter - he simply wanted to be a good painter.

I do think the painter, in order to produce great work, must paint with passion and must endeavor to lay a bit of his soul down on the canvas, but I don't think that is accomplished by painting en plein air any more than it is from painting in the studio with or without photo reference. I think rather, it is accomplished by the painter's topophilia, that is, love of place. Or perhaps if not painting landscapes per se, I could say, subject-philia, love of the subject. The painter must be passionate about his subject and this involves a degree of first-hand knowledge of this subject. Whether you travel to a place and paint en plein air versus travelling there and taking a photo from which you paint later is not of so much consequence as whether you were struck by something there that stirred your soul to the point that you want to invest a little of it laying it down on a canvas for the world to share!

"STONE BRIDGE" - New, original oil painting by Mike Callahan

"Stone Bridge"

18" x 24"

Oil on Canvas

This is perhaps one of the most magical spots we visited in Ireland this past summer (though there are many)!  This stone bridge crosses a small tributary of the Owenmore River in Ballynahinch.  Just an awesome place to visit!

"CAED MILE FAILTE" - New Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Caed Mile Failte"

20" x 16"

Oil on Canvas

The red door in Ireland means "welcome" and typifies the Irish spirit.  We saw red doors all over the emerald isle when we travelled the country this past summer.  The title of this painting literally means "one hundred thousand welcomes" in Gaelic. This particular door was one of the many we saw in the section of Dublin with the Georgian architecture...simply amazing!

"THE OWENMORE RIVER - BALLYNAHINCH" New, Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"The Owenmore River - Ballynahinch"

Oil on Canvas

24" x 30"

I just finished this one from my Ireland series. It's of the Owenmore River in Ballynahinch, Connemara. I was fortunate to complete a plein air study of this when we were there this past July. This is truly a magical place! Painting so much green is a huge departure for me, but I'm really enjoying it and hope you enjoy seeing this work too!

"OLD DUBLINERS" New, Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Old Dubliners"

Oil on Canvas

18" x 24"

Here's my latest painting, just finished! These three guys were playing in a pub called O'Donahue's in Dublin. There's an Irish band called the Young Dubliners, and obviously these guys aren't them, but I thought it would be fun tongue-in-cheek to call them the Old Dubliners.

"BODHRAN PLAYER" New, Original Drawing by Mike Callahan

"Bodhran Player"
16" x 12"
Charcoal

Here's a charcoal drawing of a bodhran player we watched and listened to in a pub in Dublin earlier this summer. I love the sound of that drum! I also love to draw especially in charcoal from time to time. It's a great discipline and I believe it really does help you to be a better painter.

"HOME BY THE BAY" New, Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Home By The Bay"

18" x 24"

Oil on Canvas

Have you begun to wonder if I had dropped off the face of the earth? I apologize for the long break in communication; I have not in fact dropped the face of the earth, but my wife and I did take a vacation recently to a very beautiful and inspiring part of it! We spent several weeks in Ireland. I had the opportunity to paint a bit, but it wasn't really a painting trip per se. We ended up taking nearly 1200 photos there and many of those are going to end up as paintings. Here's the first one! It's fresh off the easel...as a matter of fact I just finished it a few hours ago!_I'll be launching into this new series right away and I've put up a new category on the website for it... I will however, also continue intermittently with more paintings from Tahoe, the Sierra and the West as I have been.