Brian Gallagher's Interpretation of Flora Mitchell's Vanishing Dublin

Past Dublin Painting and Sketching Club member Flora Mitchell (1890 - 1973) was an American-born Irish artist.  Dublin architecture was a mainstay of her work.

For this exhibition I decided to link to her as the work I am currently interested in producing happens to mirror many of her concerns and subject matter.

Her work focused on the disappearing built environment of Dublin.

A look at her long out of print book, Vanishing Dublin -1966, will testify to this. The National Gallery of Ireland also have a good collection of her work.

I am interested in the built environment, especially that which is often dismissed as irrelevant and overlooked by many.

We pass it everyday and pay it no heed, and it has been easy over the years for developers to wipe it away.

I hope to draw attention to it in my scraperboards.

A Step-by-Step Look at the Scraperboard Process

Recently I was commissioned to do a scraperboard for a client in England. The subject was Low Newton, an old 17th century fishing village in Northumbria that is partly cared for by the National Trust. I took some shots as the image progressed to show my working methods. I work in Scraperboard/Scratchboard from black to white. I scrape away the black surface using a variety of scalpels, engravers, multiple etchers combs, twisted wire tools and assorted craft knives that I have collected over the years. I’ve a couple of favourites I do 70% of the work in. 

I keep an oiled carborundum stone beside me at all times and sharpen the tools regularly as I go along. The stone is as smooth as marble and gives a razor sharp finish to the blades. The sharper the tool the crisper the line and the easier it is to work the medium. 

Generally I clear larger light areas first such as skies or bright rooftops and gables of buildings. Then I’ll move on to mid tones and smaller details. I move freely across the surface working around different parts of the picture. There is a tipping point when it all begins to come together and that is the most satisfying moment of creating the piece. Then it’s a few touches to balance tones etc 

Artists I have been influenced by include, Peter Reddick, Eric Ravilious, Eric Gill and of course from the Northumbria region himself…. Thomas Bewick 

Brian Gallagher Brian has been a full time Artist & Illustrator since graduating in 1989. He was especially drawn to using linocut and then scraperboard through the tutoring of wood engraver Peter Reddick at Art College in Bristol. His work is figurative, graphic and based on drawing. Painting and drawing from life and the model is a core activity. The scraperboard process he practices is the reverse from usual mark making. He begins with a black board and gradually removes parts of it’s thin dark surface to reveal the white china clay beneath. His illustration work has appeared in many areas including Advertising, Design, Editorial and Book Publishing. He runs the weekly Thursday Life Drawing Group at The United Arts Club, Dublin. Member of The United Arts Club Member and past committee member of the Illustrators Guild of Ireland (IGI) Recent Solo shows: The Signal Arts Centre, Bray 2010 The Law Library, Dublin 2009 The Crow Gallery, Dublin 2008 Recent Group shows: Royal Hibernian Academy- Selected 2010- Selected 2008 Royal Ulster Academy- Selected 2010- Selected 2007 Kontrastprogramm- Cartoonmuseum Basel, Switzerland 2010 Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast-2008 Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland - A Nation's Obsession 2007 Brian Gallagher can be contacted here or through his website www.bdgart.com