Introduction:

"This blog is not necessarily for lovers of art, it includes a variety of topics and whatever. I'm a painter who likes to know what's really going on in the world today. So you might find anything from Shamrocks to Salmiakki mentioned here on my blog. There will of course be some boring, factual and informational posts, but I'll keep them to a minimum, I promise!

And I might get a bit nostalgic now and then.

So you have been warned!"


- Alan Hogan



Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Summer in Dublin, again!


Over the past few years I have often heard Irish people talk and reminisce about the warm summers of the mid-1970's and early 1980's. I often rambled on about it myself sometimes.
Well, after this summer of 2013 I reckon all that might quiet down a little. Last month was one of the warmest Julys in recorded history of Irish weather and I had the luck to be on holidays right there when it all happened. I want to post a few photos on my blog here for my own record and also just to show the world that Ireland can be a wonderful place when she gets some sunshine! (okay, it can be a pretty good place without the sun too!)
I went on a little roadtrip from Dublin to the west coast of Ireland with some friends from Finland. It was really great to show my home country at it's best and I think the Finns enjoyed it. Also it was their first ever visit to Ireland, so a bit extra-special! I don't like to do on-the-spot travel blogs as I am usually too busy enjoying myself to start typing. But over the next few entries in my blog I will post some photos of the places I visited, including County Galway, County Clare, the Aran Islands, Kilkenny City and firstly my hometown Dublin. 




Lambay island, off the coast of Dublin.






Coastal rocks near Malahide in County Dublin






View over Dublin from Deer Park Golf club in Howth, County Dublin.






View of lighthouse from Howth summit in County Dublin.






View of Dublin Bay from Howth summit.






Dublin Bay on a sunny day in July.







After arrival in Dublin, it was off to John Kavanagh's pub also know as the Gravediggers because of it's proximity to the Glasnevin cemetary next door. Here's what was going on at the cemetary gates while I supped on my pint of Guinness. The Ghostbus is doing a tour with shots of alcohol being passed around to it's passengers to keep them awake. (below) 




Gravediggers Ghostbus at Glasnevin cemetary.




While I've been to visit my family back in suburban Dublin on many occasions over the past few years, I reckon it must be over 4 years since I have actually gone into Dublin's city centre. Unfortunately I only spent one day there, but this time as a tourist!






Moore street, Dublin





The famous GPO (General Post Office) and
the infamous Spire on O'Connell St.
 






Interior of the GPO (General Post Office)






Statue of Daniel O'Connell








Trinity College, Dublin







Old parlimentary building, now the Bank of Ireland.








Ron Black's Dawson Lounge: Dublin's smallest pub
Take a look inside on this Norwegian news video below.










Christchurch Cathedral, Dublin






St.Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin







The Church of Guinness, Dublin
... you can almost smell it's goodness!






The gates of heaven





Lost souls follow the signs! 






The Wellington Monument in the Pheonix Park, Dublin.






The Real White House . The President of Ireland's House







Old Jameson whiskey distillery, Dublin.







The Ha'penny Bridge, Dublin






Grounds of Trinity College, Dublin






Viking splash tour, for our scandinavian cousins!






Molly Malone





Wicklow street, Dublin






Georges Street Arcade





Hogan's bar, South Great Georges Street, Dublin






Correct Time at The Long Hall pub on South Great Georges Street






South Great Georges Street, Dublin






Temple Bar area






Oliver St.John Gogarty Pub
Nice pub, but the biggest rip-off in Dublin!






Hard Rock Cafe, Dublin. 
Don't expect to get inside with so many students about!







Deception of the highest level!!!






O'Connell Street by bus






Molly again!






Guinness!!





Arthur Guinness lived here!


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This is part 1 of a set of 'Ireland' travel posts here on my blog. Click on the destinations below to read the rest!




























Thanks for reading my blog and please feel free to share it with any of your friends.

You can receive my blogposts direct to your email or facebook profile by pressing the follow button at NetworkedBlogs  and you are welcome to visit my art page on Facebook by clicking the 'Like' button under my signature below.


- Alan 



                     





Thursday, October 20, 2011

Red Barn Blues!


With the summer a distant memory now, I just wanted to share one of my paintings which reflects summer for me here in Finland. It's a picture of a typical red wooden barn in Finland, with a rapeseed field lingering in front of it. The bright yellow rapeseed fields can be so strong in colour they can only but make you smile!
I usually take a small camera with me whenever I go outside whether in the cities or the countryside. I caught this photograph while passing a field near to village of Ingå in southern Finland. I was in a moving car, so the quality isn't great. But I knew from the moment I seen it that it would make a nice painting.

Here's the original photograph with my painted impression below it. 







'Red Barn' Original acrylic on stretched-canvas 
for sale from artist, size 50cm x 40cm.
Prints available from Imagekind.com, just click on image above.




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Thanks for reading my blog and please feel free to share it with any of your friends.

You can receive my blogposts direct to your email or facebook profile by pressing the follow button at NetworkedBlogs  and you are welcome to visit my art page on Facebook by clicking the 'Like' button under my signature below.


- Alan 



                     





















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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Going to California!



Thanks for dropping by my blog! Nice to have you here again.


There's not much happening around here these days. It's all family occasions and football matches, all happy days of course! ..... even if the mosquitoes are annoying the hell out of me!

I'm also happy about a recent art sale I made. This painting here below called 'Two Black Cats' is leaving home! A sale is a sale as they say, money in the pocket, so one must be happy! YaaBaaDabaDoo indeed!!


 Click to order a Print!




I was a little sad today however as I had to post this little painting off to an art collector in the U.S.A.
It's a painting that I have liked having in my studio and I have always enjoyed watching and listening to reactions from people who come to see it. The Finnish people seem to appreciate it's simplistic and positive message, and more importantly, it appeals to the young and old. It has also been one of my most popular paintings for prints both here in Finland and abroad. Especially so in the United States with print sales in Manhattan Kansas, Austin Texas, and Maspeth New York amongst others. And now the original painting is finally on it's way to San Diego California. I want to thank all of those who purchased prints and a special thanks to the nice lady in California who will receive 'Two Black Cats' in the post shortly. I hope they serve you well! This song is for you and my black cats....







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Thanks for reading my blog and please feel free to share it with any of your friends.

You can receive my blogposts direct to your email or facebook profile by pressing the follow button at NetworkedBlogs  and you are welcome to visit my art page on Facebook by clicking the 'Like' button under my signature below.


- Alan 



                     





















The Art Garage, Finland

The Art Garage, Finland
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