NOTE: The page below is as it appeared during the planning of the tour. The only changes being made to it since the completion of the trip are the additions of links to each of the completed commissioned paintings.
[Update: Commissions from the road are €150 for a 40cm x 30cm painting. Smaller and cheaper commissions may be possible based on what materials I have and my route – contact me on Twitter or FaceBook to find out. ]
To help finance the trip, and for people who aren’t in a position to host me but would like a painting out of the trip, I’m offering 10 spots for where I will cycle to any spot of your choosing on the island to paint the scene of your choice in return for €75 paid before the trip commences.
The paintings will be on canvas, 40cm x 30cm (16″ x 12″), and €75 is less than half-price of what I would normally charge for a commission of that size.
This might be a good way for you to ask me to paint a picture of your grandparents’ home, or that village that nobody ever paints. It also might be your only chance to get me to paint a particular scene as I might not otherwise be in the chosen area ever again.
UPDATE: All 10 spots are now filled. I may offer other commissions from the road, but they wouldn’t be at the same price as that was a very special one to thank people for helping to fund the trip.
- Dunluce Castle / Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Antrim
- St Declan’s Hermitage, Ardmore, Waterford
- Long Walk or the Mutton Island lighthouse, Galway
- Loch Con Aortha, Cill Chiaráin, Conamara, Gaillimh
- Ballycotton Island & Lighthouse or Lough Aderra, Cork
- Something unexpected, in a part of the country that nobody else requested
- Glenasmole Valley, Dublin
- The Wonderful Barn, Leixlip, Kildare
- Cobh, Cork
- Newry, Down
Commissions (Gold Stars)
Commissions, in the form of gold stars, are placed on the map of hosts as they are agreed.
Shipping would be €11 if posted from the road though, depending on location of the scene commissioned to paint, it may be possible to carry back to Dublin and handover at my studio or in town.
The financing I’m referring to for the trip includes the cost of a tablet (my existing laptop, as well as being too heavy, is physically falling apart after almost 4 years getting bounced around on a bicycle), a portable power charger, a data plan, kevlar tyres, a bicycle service, and dry bags.
Should I happen to receive sponsorship for the trip to cover the costs of these necessities I will still be doing the agreed commissions as I’ll still have rent on my studio to pay while I’m doing the tour – and anyway a big part of this idea is to shake things up by having people other than me determine the route.
I’ll commission one please, of Dunluce Castle or Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, whichever captures your fancy more (they are both beside each other!)
Elly, that’ll work. Thanks.
We’ll commission you painting Hore Abbey in Cashel if you also let us photograph you at work with the Rock in the background of the shot. Hore Abbey is the across the road from the house. We have beds for free.
Bernie, you can definitely do that. If I’m staying in one of those beds for free then there’s no need to pay me for the commission though as you get the painting as well as me, in return for it.
If you don’t object, we would prefer to change the medium to pen on paper and have you sketch a line drawing of Hore Abbey, then hand it over to our three-year-old to complete. She needs practise colouring inside lines (e.g., http://www.flickr.com/photos/irisheyes/5302751795/ )
Bernie, I’d be more than happy to. I should probably add though that I tend to encourage children to not keep their colouring to inside the lines – but that’s your department so I can keep quiet on that.
Eolai, as our time zones do not cross in east Cork i would like to commission one of your splendiferous paintings. Your choice; Ballycotton Island & Lighthouse or if this is too far off the track try Lough Aderra http://www.eastcorktourism.com/eco%20trail.htm (#1 of the Lakes) near Midleton.
Anto – sounds good to me (the choices that is, not the unfortunate missing time zone cross). Thank you very much; I’ll add you to the list.
Eolai, if possible I’d like to commission a painting of your choosing to fill any gap in your schedule which represents a point in your trip where you came across something wonderful in an unusual or unlikely location.
Perhaps something unexpected, in a part of the country that nobody else requested ?
No pressure !
Geoff – plenty of options there, I imagine. That’s certainly possible. I just need to work out how to represent it on the map! While I mull on that I’ll add you to the list. Thanks.
Wonderful idea – as I’m in dublin, can’t offer accommodation, but I would like to commission a painting – always wanted one of Glenasmole – it’s v. easy to access on the bike, as it’s at the start of the “new” Dublin Way mountain route. Leave it up to you as to what specific aspect – but there’s plenty of sheep, trees, stones, gates, water and crows – mythology too…
No hurry – whenever suits – though would like a bigger canvas (will pay!)
Deirdre – that’s a great spot, thanks. I just need to think about it as it’s in Dublin where the trip starts so would radically change the 1st or 2nd day which I’ve already locked down. But I might do it anyway, or since it’s so accessible I might try and include it in my training – which would also make a bigger canvas no problem.
One way or the other I’ll do it though. I’m excited just thinking about it as it’s so long since I’ve been that way. (I lived in Firhouse for a couple of years and regularly used to cycle into the mountains from there). Let me mull on it.
That’s great you can get to the Black Arch on the Antrim coast. Any view or angle that speaks to you.