Jacqueline Byrne Art

Jonny and Sara

Jonny was an influential person in my youth. The father of two friends from school, he was a colourful and unique dad. He loved to paint and write poetry and went to every gig his son and daughter played. (They’re still musicians.)His paintings were all over the family home and he had an amazing record collection. He made nettle tea for us and taught me to smoke a pipe. So many stories, scrapes and adventures. Much loved, he passed away during lockdown.

This is the beginning, an under painting in Indian Red of Jonny in a typical pose for him. He loved to take photos and be photographed and documented life in that way.

Sara is a friend, mother , teacher, wife and maker of beautiful socks. Her husband commissioned me to paint her portrait as a gift. Brave man. Thankfully it worked out fine and she likes it. The image I worked from was meant to be for a passport photo . The landscape is imagined but has a Wiltshire flavour. I like the honesty of the expression, there’s no artifice.

I love the challenge of a portrait. It’s what I began my journey into art with. No one told me it was supposed to be difficult so I had ignorance and naivety on my side. I became a little obsessed and couldn’t look at a face without imagining in detail how I would render it in paint. Disconcerting for the person who’s face I was scrutinising no doubt, but it made me aware of the process of learning to look and see that I was undergoing. More marked perhaps in the case of portrait painting as there is a part of the brain dedicated to facial recognition. Apparently in portrait painters this brain area is larger, presumably made so by the act of painting faces.

I made a decision to share my shop at the Tithe Barn Workshops. I put the word out locally and Jerry of Sterling wood Designs responded by popping in to the shop and now he’s here, making jewellery using recycled silver, freshwater pearls and sustainable wood. He also turns wood , producing amazing pens, vessels, and many other beautiful items.

His work sits very comfortably alongside mine as well as the other natural products I stock.

Sharing my space has many benefits; a better work life balance for me (Felix and I have just converted a 10 year old van into a camper. A long held dream for me. ) and of course lowering my outgoings, but also it makes the shop/gallery a more interesting and rich experience for you. Plus’s the ultimate bonus, Freddy the Welsh terrier! I love dogs, and so do you apparently judging by the response to Freddy so far.

This is one of my latest drawings of what I can only assume is an oak, in a delightful field in Great Chalfield. It stands as part of an avenue of sturdy mature oaks that punctuate the grass in a strait line from one gate to the next. It’s a 25 minuet walk from my home. I discovered it in high summer when the air was full of insects and the cool shade of the trees made a dappled, fairy tail tunnel into another world. I went back in late Autumn to catch the trees without their clothes on. A Tree Creeper, seemingly oblivious to me was industriously hunting the crevices for a meal. On another walk there, just before the gate to the field, I came face to face with a muntjac deer crossing the road, he and I both pedestrians for a moment, both heading into different fields. Other walks in that direction have resulted in encounters with a young grass snake, a beautiful brown hare and a kingfisher. All practically on my door step and there for all to see if you know how to look.

This fellow is on the cover of the brochure for this years Cloth Road Art Trail.  The Corner Gallery where I make and sell my work is participating from the 5th to the 13th of May. We hope to get lots of visitors through the door and it’s a great opportunity to see and purchase fresh work made especially for the event.  There are three artists at two venues down at the Tithe Barn Workshops so it really is worth a visit if you find yourself on the Art Trail.

These two drawings are based on photos by Andrew Denley of a family of Barn Owls raised this year.

‘Let it Rain Mice’                                                                   ‘Stand Off’

This chirpy chap is drawn from a photo by Andrew Denley.

Available as a card from lovefromtheartist and from me at my open studio in Bradford on Avon. Please contact me about the original.