Conor O'Brien

Time-lapse: The Cliffs of Slieve League

A time lapse video of the painting process of ‘The Cliffs of Slieve League’, a commissioned oil painting of a mountain on the Atlantic coast of County Donegal, Ireland. It has some of the highest sea cliffs in Ireland, and is almost three times higher than the cliffs of Moher in County Clare, despite being less famous. In this painting we see the warm glow of the setting sun shimmering against the water and the cliffs of Slieve League.

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Video: Unnoticed


A video of my latest photography series ‘Unnoticed’:

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Unnoticed

Untitled 1, Unnoticed

Delving deep into the city of Belfast at night, I navigated through the industrial, commercial and residential areas, and found myself drawn to those dark and often disquieting spaces now illuminated by domestic lights, street lamps and neon signs. While aesthetically alluring, these unnoticed areas of the urban landscape, where light and darkness collide, can suggest a sense of social isolation in the city.

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Time Lapse: Sunset at Mount Errigal

I’m very excited to share with you my first ever time lapse video, showing the painting process of ‘Sunset at Mount Errigal’, a commissioned oil painting of one of Ireland’s most iconic mountains, Errigal in County Donegal.

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Commission: Sunset at Mount Errigal

Sunset at Mount Errigal

A commissioned oil painting of one of Ireland’s most iconic mountains, Errigal in County Donegal. It is the tallest peak of the Derryveagh Mountains and is also the most southern, steepest and highest of the mountain chain, called the “Seven Sisters” by locals. Errigal is well known for the shimmering glow of its quartzite in the setting sun, as seen here during an Autumn sunset illuminating the mountain.

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New Artwork: Iceland

View of Reykjavik from Perlan, Iceland

ICELAND

Photographs from my short trip to Iceland, exploring the world’s northernmost capital city of Reykjavik, from the colourful houses and the vibrant old harbour, to the lively Tjornin lake and landmark Hallgrimskirkja church. Venturing beyond the city, we embarked on the Golden Circle tour, stopping at the historic Thingvellir National Park, the geysirs and hot springs at Haukadalu geothermal fields, and one of Iceland’s iconic waterfalls, Gullfoss. We finished our trip with a last chance hunt for the Northern Lights during another cloudy night, followed by a relaxing morning in the warm soothing waters of the Blue Lagoon.

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WIP: Mount Errigal, County Donegal

WIP 3 - Mount Errigal

Over the past few weekends, I have been working on my latest commission – a painting of Mount Errigal, County Donegal, for my Uncle. While driving to and from his holiday home in Donegal, he enjoys the scenic views of the mountain and its surrounding landscape.

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Commission: Denny and the Boys

Denny and the Boys drawing

A commissioned portrait of a man called Denny with his three sons. The drawing was done for Denny’s wife, who I work for, as her gift to him for Christmas. I combined several photographs of Denny and the boys into one image to draw from. I used graphite pencils on bristol board paper to create a smooth, realistic drawing.

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Commission: Christmas Cards

christmas cards

The three Christmas cards are commissions I’ve done for my uncle over the past few years. I photographed the religious scenes from stained glass windows in the Church of Saint John the Baptist, in Moy, and then recreated them using watercolour paints and graphite pencil. The first card (left) was completed in 2010, and it depicts ‘The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple’. The second card (middle) was completed in 2015, and it depicts ‘The Nativity’. The third card (right) was completed in 2016, and it depicts ‘The Flight into Egypt’.

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Commission: Johnnie

Johnnie drawing

A commissioned portrait of a man called Johnnie. The drawing was done for Johnnie’s granddaughter, who was in my primary school class for seven years. She chose an endearing photograph of Johnnie, which captures the personality that his family know him for. I used graphite pencils on bristol board paper to create a smooth, realistic drawing.

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