Cathal Lindsay Artist
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cathal-art.bsky.social
Cathal Lindsay Artist
@cathal-art.bsky.social
51 followers 59 following 46 posts
I'm a Northern Irish artist, based in Sheffield. A member of ArtCan and KIAC.

I mainly create oil paintings. I tend to work in a semi abstract style and more conceptual work.

My current fascination is with hexagons, cyphers and labyrinths.
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cathal-art.bsky.social
Cathal Lindsay Artist @cathal-art.bsky.social · Mar 13
Open Up Sheffield

Lots of participating galleries across Sheffield.

Come visit #KIAC and #Gagegallery

///glue.bound.state
Is the what3words link
I'll be there most days and will be more than happy to chat!
www.kiac-sheffield.org @kiac_studios kiacsheffield@gmail.com KIAC You're Invited! Join us for our Open Up event, where creativity comes to life! Explore unique artworks, meet the artists behind the creations, and get a glimpse into the vibrant world of our studios. Date: 3rd 5th, 10th and 11th May Location: 40 Ball Street Neepsend Sheffield S3 8DB ///glue.bound.state Time: 11am - 5pm Whether you're an art enthusiast or simply curious, come along and enjoy a relaxed and inspiring atmosphere. We can't wait to share our work with you!
cathal-art.bsky.social
Long over due image post. Life drawing from tonight.
#kiac
#lifedrawing
@artcanorg.bsky.social
Foreshortening male figure in chalk and pencil. Elongated male figure in chalk and pencil. With blocky shapes in background. male figure in chalk and pencil. 5 studies of a male figure in chalk, pen, marker and pencil. 2 mins each.
June 18, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Reposted by Cathal Lindsay Artist
altaudge.ruins.party
this user supports crows, ravens, and their agenda corvid haters unfollow immediately
June 8, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Reposted by Cathal Lindsay Artist
dystopian-fashion.bsky.social
June 8, 2025 at 5:46 PM
cathal-art.bsky.social
Long time no post. Just been feeling a bit burnt out from the socials.

But I have been working away. From yesterday
Small A4 oil painting on canvas boars. Study of facial anatomy. On a postbox red background a pale white expressionless face looks to the left. The painting is focused on the face; the plains and the muscle structures. The brushwork is expressionistic. Oil on A4 canvas board. Depiction of a face on the left with a two fingered hand on the right. I'm still not happy with this. The composition, the colour balance, it all feels off. The work reminds me of Munch. It just needs a something 10"x 10" oil on canvas. I've added anatomy parts as a kind of study over an old naff painting. I was really just playing. Over a ground of random black, green and white letter forms; a partial study of a hand has been painted in white, out lined in r red and black. The hand points up the canvas. To left of this a yellow smear contains the very basic and subtly rendered eye and nose. More will currently not be done on this. Possibly.
June 3, 2025 at 6:10 AM
cathal-art.bsky.social
Some figure studies from yesterday.
7 posed figures drawn in various poses. Each drawing took 2 mins. Drawn in pen on tan paper. Drawing of a nude figure in sharpie.
May 1, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Reposted by Cathal Lindsay Artist
cathal-art.bsky.social
Open Up Sheffield

Lots of participating galleries across Sheffield.

Come visit #KIAC and #Gagegallery

///glue.bound.state
Is the what3words link
I'll be there most days and will be more than happy to chat!
www.kiac-sheffield.org @kiac_studios kiacsheffield@gmail.com KIAC You're Invited! Join us for our Open Up event, where creativity comes to life! Explore unique artworks, meet the artists behind the creations, and get a glimpse into the vibrant world of our studios. Date: 3rd 5th, 10th and 11th May Location: 40 Ball Street Neepsend Sheffield S3 8DB ///glue.bound.state Time: 11am - 5pm Whether you're an art enthusiast or simply curious, come along and enjoy a relaxed and inspiring atmosphere. We can't wait to share our work with you!
March 13, 2025 at 11:07 AM
cathal-art.bsky.social
Hill üw. Been very quiet on this profile. I've deleted my insta and FB profiles. Still looking for a decent insta replacement.
Today I have gone and developed more cyphers and code.
Line graph cypher. It is drawn on graph paper. Using Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue and Purple to sequence the order of the words. Y-axis ranges from 0 to 26 X-axis ranges from 0 to 26 (The X-axis is unused here, but relates to a development I want to utilise later) Each letter of a word corresponds to a value between 1 and 26. A is 1, B is 2, ..... 25 is Y and 26 is Z. Each word is a separate colour. Beneath the graph is written 'Against Bigotry and Hatred Blindboy Podcast' as this is what I was listening to at the time. Human errors where I've marked the wrong coordinate for the letter in the word can be seen. The cypher is quite basic at the moment. It is a get the idea out and develop it cypher sketch. Another quick cypher sketch. This is again drawn on graph paper. It shows a 5x5 grid of letters. Top Left to Bottom right It reads E M N P A Z L B C/K Q Y J U D R X H G F S I W V T O Beneath the grid forms of crosshatching are shown. Along the bottom a circle with a line attached is drawn. It looks like a lolly on its side. Followed by the same twice more with some minor differences. The second lolly has a slight arch in its line. The 3rd lolly has the arch and a dot in the middle of the circle. Section of a cypher sequence based on simple divisions of a square. Drawn on graph paper. A cypher sketch using a 2 x 2 grid. It turns to colour and cross hatching towards the bottom. I've forgotten exactly what and how the cypher worked, but the colours and cross hatching would indicate that I had intended to layer the cypher 3 levels deep. Red / blue/ crosshatch Red and blue would give purple which would key you into knowing that section codes Red and blue. I like to code packets of information.
April 23, 2025 at 1:53 PM
cathal-art.bsky.social
The studio is coming together. I put these shelves up myself. I wish I hadn't as I got splinters in my bum.

Being the DIY god I am it took me forfuckingever. No swearing though. Lots of confusion and looking for stuff I just had in my hand.

#DIY #studio #KIAC #artcanhour @artcanorg.bsky.social
A wide-angle shot of my studio space this morning. It looks like it's a mess. Light is streaming in from the upper right. A variety of paintings are strewn along the left-hand side of the space. Figurative work, geometric doodles, geometric cyphers, pure abstract works and blank boards and canvases Dotted throughout the studio are one or two toys, containers, bricks, a random hat and some storage To be honest, looking at the photo I feel like I need to find Wally (Waldo for our friends in the US) A bare corner of my studio in which I have placed 3 sets of shelving. A shot of the left-hand side of my studio space. Lengths of 2x4 have been attached to the plasterboard. In the foreground to the extreme left is my lovely cardi which has daisies on it. A wide-angle shot of my studio as of Friday. I've pushed all my artwork and bags and boxes and detritus back into the space. The next step is to organise it all.
April 12, 2025 at 7:40 PM
cathal-art.bsky.social
Open Sheffield is in May so I've reluctantly been using up shelving and sorting my studio out.

I rue my reluctance to do this. My studio has opened up and there is a concrete sense of accomplishment.

The block to do this is worth investigating. What causes it and what do I think I'm losing?
April 12, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Reposted by Cathal Lindsay Artist
cathalpaint.bsky.social
That would be ace as carrots on a cloud
theartnewspaper.bsky.social The Art Newspaper @theartnewspaper.bsky.social · Apr 7
Want to sleep with Botticelli and Titian? London’s National Gallery launches sleepover prize

Dinner at Locatelli and a guided tour of the redisplay are part of the prize package

buff.ly/31BpJwj
April 8, 2025 at 7:02 AM
cathal-art.bsky.social
And with yesterday's work I've got all 6 of the current hexcyphers plotted (?) out on my boards. My big focus now will be getting the studio ready for open up Sheffield. Then choosing pallets for the 6 works.
#hexcyphers #hexagon #atypography #labyrinth
@artcanorg.bsky.social
#art #sheffield
Work in progress The grey MDF board has diagonal and vertical lines etched into it. The central mass is of 9 hexagons. Each Hexagon is a word. They are linked by single twisting greyish-white line. This line is woven through selected parts of each Hexagon. I like the off centre nature of it, but wonder if it should be more balanced. Wip Like the previous image the board is inscribed with diagonals. The image consists of 8 hexagons of varying sizes. It is very roughly painted, with little respect for edges. The colour of this board is a pale cold blue( titanium white 60% and ultramarine blue 40% with added medium and charcoal stain) The hexagons are painted black and blue. The black is graphite and oil medium. There is currently no labyrinthine line linking the hexagons. There will be in time.
April 8, 2025 at 8:09 AM
cathal-art.bsky.social
Finally it feels like there is a functional process to these hexcyphers.

Ideas and theoretical research are starting to connect with the physical objects.

ch/ng//sth//nlyc/nst/nt(wip)
Oil on panel. 60cm x 60cm
#sheffieldart
#hexcyphers
@artcanorg.bsky.social
#KIAC
#artaswriting
#art
#cypher
5 hexagons connected via white wriggling line. The other spaces in the hexagons are painted in a relatively flat manner. The surface of the board is scored. The colours used are thin washes of cadmium yellow and cadmium orange with a little raw umber and alizarin crimson mixed in. Very very small amounts. The colours are liable to be altered a bit but essentially the pallet will be yellow, orange and grey. I might not be able to resist putting some blues into it. A detail of the image showing the scored and textured surface of the work. Another detail shot showing the surface and a closer look at the white line. A final detail shot showing the marks I will be making in a mixture of charcoal, pencil, and paint. They are also a cypher but based on the celt ogham system. The play between the ancient written systems and the digital binary system I use in the hexagons makes me all silly happy. 😜
April 4, 2025 at 11:31 AM
cathal-art.bsky.social
Hello your friendly neighbourhood spiderma..wait minute wrong profile...oops.

Some images from life drawing last night and a shot of work I'm painting or thinking about.

I'll post a close up of the hexagon image another comment.
#KIAC
#Lifedrawing #sheffield #art #studio
@artcanorg.bsky.social
Loose pen drawing of a model from lifedrawing. She is depicted seated on a stool. The pose was 10 minutes i think. I would have loved more time on the pose. Wednesdays life model completed in pencil and charcoal. The pose was around 20 -25 minutes long. Some proportions are a bit off, but I spotted them and just ran out of time to properly readjust them. I want to be so much better with the proportions so i can work more loosely. I think I'm itching to try a figure study in oil. But i have so many prodjects already on the go. The major thing i wanted to show was the hexagonal image in the picture. Its a kind of grey cadmium yellow at the moment and very loosely painted in. The red painting to the left was completed in lifedrawing. I will add some subtle details in the background. On the wall from left to right. A semi abstract figure study. In warm and grey hues. An abstract. The focus was to enjoy moving the paint. Which i did. Another figure study this time laid down with an orange patch in the background. A small moody self portrait when my beard was free and wild.
April 3, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Reposted by Cathal Lindsay Artist
londonartcritic.bsky.social
There’s still time to see my curatorial debut of contemporary Chilean artists at Somers Gallery. It’s on until 6th April and is free to visit.
#ContemporaryArt #LondonArtGallery #ArtLovers #TabsTopArt #Exhibition #LondonArtCritic #ThePeoplesArtCritic #ArtOfTheDay #TabishKhan
April 3, 2025 at 9:00 AM
cathal-art.bsky.social
Some examples of a visual code I've developed that is more complex than the hexcyphers.

I'd be impressed if anyone tried to work it out.
#cypher
#visualpoetry
#art
@openshellfish.bsky.social
@artcanorg.bsky.social
A 5 x 5 grid. The grid is covered in different marks. Thin diagonal lines, thicker lines. Shaded areas and sliver lines with circles and dots. The grid is drawn on graph paper. Beneath the grid : EKIV455Tt3314.1 Is written. An other grid image this one is neater. It is more complex and larger. In essence it is a 10 x 10 grid. The grid consists of four 5 x 5 grids. The mark making uses, shading, diagonal lines thick and thin and the sliver lines with circles on them. In total there are 4 different types of marks used throughout the image.
April 1, 2025 at 9:16 AM
cathal-art.bsky.social
I've been busy in the studio and also tired. Due to which I've forgotten to take photos of the happenings in the studio.

It's all technical researchy stuff. Not theory just trying things out to develop processes.
April 1, 2025 at 8:59 AM
cathal-art.bsky.social
After a late start due to a studio rearrangement. I got peeved by my hexagon paintings.

I had thought that a flat surface was what I wanted aesthetically. However, I find the works bland.

//1
#hexencoding
#problems #art #writingasart
@artcanorg.bsky.social
The image shows hexagons painted in blue,green and black. Despite the sharp painted edges,gaps can be seen. Painted areas have chops and scratches caused by removing the masking tape. The image is flat and holds no interest visually. I am not intrigued by the visuals. They need to hold attention and draw the viewer in. Here I show the type of painted edge that can be achieved. Even with a fairly reckless approach to the brush work. The cadmium orange butt's up sharply against the grey background. A carved line can be seen below the orange section. Here a painted section is shown at an angle the carved lines can be plainly seen. I will make this a feature. The brushwork is more interesting. The paint is pretty translucent which is just due to the pigments I had to hand. This was drawn or carved out and painted within an hour. So with a little more care and specific brushes I think I've cracked my hexagon issues. My next problem is to introduce visual hooks and levels of interest. This will be a matter of trying ideas based around hexagons and 60 degree triangles.
March 26, 2025 at 2:48 PM
cathal-art.bsky.social
I'm using the chair I never really use for a sit and a think. Lots of traffic today (road not brain traffic though that's there as well.)

I will begin with a quick tidy, then hexagons and priming paper for lifedrawing. A dander into town and back, before refining some WIPs. Lifedrawing @ 7pm. #art
A wide angle shot of my studio space this morning. It looks like it's a mess. Light is streaming in from the upper right. A variety of paintings are strewn along the left hand side of the space. Figurative work, geometric doodles, geometric cyphers, pure abstract works and blank boards and canvases Dotted through out the stuido are one or two toys,containers,bricks, a random hat and some storage To be honest looking at the photo I feel like I need to find Wally (Waldo for our friends in the US) This is the view out of my studio. It's mostly the same but with a clear path in the centre. On the left of the picture is the chair I don't sit on. I seem to use it for storage. The image is again filled with projects underway and on hiatus and not yet started. There is a toy town car mat at the entrance to the studio.
March 26, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Reposted by Cathal Lindsay Artist
artreview.bsky.social
Update: Hamdan Ballal and two other Palestinians have left the police station where they were being detained by Israeli forces
March 25, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Reposted by Cathal Lindsay Artist
abigailmarkov.com
//Daily Thread

Okay, 8 Fidgets, one Mistral, one Artemis ready for the shop.

Time to get the newsletter done.

Look at this fountain pen though. I love this material, I really do.
March 25, 2025 at 4:37 PM
cathal-art.bsky.social
The studio is getting busy and full. I need to get shelves up and organise my space. Especially as Open Up Sheffield is in May.

More details of the photos in the alt text.
#studio #KIAC #wipart @artcanorg.bsky.social #opensheffield
This shows the relatively organised part of my studio. Lots of paintings on the go. Lots of ideas and projects I want to finish and others I want to start. If you zoom in you can see other work and ideas dotted around. Most of the things I see here are in a warmer palette. Cadmium yellows, reds and oranges. I guess I'm impatient for the warmer weather. A close up of an abstract. I use these to help use up excess paint. They also have no real focus behind them. I get to enjoy these in a way no one else does. I love the movement of the brush through the paint. The darker edge and the thinner edge. The flow of the brush over the surface. I just need to enjoy these. To enjoy the process of their creation nothing else. An image of a bizarrely coloured odd architectural object. It is shown in extreme 2-point perspective. It is essentially a cube or cuboid with sections taken out of it. It's in the process of being completed. The colours were so out of whack I've had to place lots of washes on top. It's going to be very blue by the time I'm finished. I'm tempted to make the image very tonally similar so the various planes are only seen if you really look. The background is very airy. Blue sky and earthy land.
March 25, 2025 at 8:47 AM
cathal-art.bsky.social
Development of the life drawing works from Wednesday (19th March 2025)

I'm adding coloured backgrounds and correcting proportions. Or attempting to at least.

I think my boards need to be narrower.

I will use primed paper next session. It's cheaper.
#KIAC #Lifedrawing #artcanhour #art
A 5 minute figure study completed at Wednesdays Lifedrawing class in KIAC studios on Ball Street Sheffield. The figure is seated and is shown against a warm grey background. I'm really happy with the head and legs and the fact I got the proportions correct effortlessly. My other works from the same session all show proportion inconsistencies. A head will be too small, limbs will stretch or shrink to fit. I think I got over confident with my abilities after this one. I also think I began focusing too much on the fun I was having. The same image from the previous picture. Now however I have painted the background cadmium red. The formlessness of the hands and the lack of feet distressed me. So much so that after I took the photo I painted some in. I will see tomorrow if I like the result.
March 25, 2025 at 8:18 AM
cathal-art.bsky.social
I decided to be brave and take in some oil paints to the life drawing session yesterday. The combination of fumes from the gas heater and my turps/oil medium mix, was intoxicating. Heh.
#art
#Lifedrawing
#KIAC
#sheffieldartist
@artcanorg.bsky.social
A seated female figure in black and white oil paint. She sits crossed legged looking down to the right The background is a warm grey. I'm extremely happy with this piece. It was a 5 minute study. There are still issues that I have with sections of it that dont sit or look natural. However I'm more than proud of how I'm developing and how the legs in this look. On a side note I did attempt a 5 minute portrait. It went very badly wrong. Heh. I'll post my less successful and quicker studies when I get a chance. A mix of 2 and 5 minute figure studies from 'line of action' a lovely figure drawing site with a number of configurable options. Even at the free level. Win. The image shows 2 standing figures in black and white oil paint on a grey background. The other marks in black around them are difficult to decipher. They are various limbs and torso parts from 2 minute studies. I used these to help work out the consistency of the oil paint. I needed it to flow like ink but to have a thicker consistency to it. The image shows 3 fairly decent 2 minute figure studies. Again they are rendered in black and white oil paint. Well payees grey and titanium white if I'm being exact. I seem to lose my sense of proportion easily. So I'll need to do a lot of quick studies that focus solely on getting the body angels and proportions. My break time is over and I need to sort laundry yay!
March 20, 2025 at 11:30 AM
cathal-art.bsky.social
Some works in progress from last week that I'm fairly happy with. I'll be in the studios tomorrow, so I'm taking today to do some urgent admin and gardening and house work. (I also needed a break from the controlled nature of the hexagon cyphers)
@artcanorg

#wip
#KIAC
#artcanhour
#abstracts
An abstract painting. The hues used are warm. The painting is not finished. Currently, the background is a yellow hue with red areas on the top and along the left-hand side. The word STONE is written in yellow ocher towards the bottom right. Other 'S' like letters are seen in the top right and bottom left. A burnt umber has been used towards the centre. Some blue is used as an accent colour throughout the work. A square abstract painting. This is currently unfinished. Muted hues that tend towards purple and grey are in the background. In the foreground reds, ochers and peaches have been used. Lines of yellow are within the work adding tiny focal points for the eye. This is a bit difficult to describe. I think I'm finished with it. The painting is 60cm x 60cm. It has hexagon elements on it that give a sense of structure. The hexagons are blue green and white. The drawn structure of the hexagons can be seen. Along the top, the left-hand side and bottom a pale cold grey has been used. The bottom right edge uses a wash of orange and red that feels rust like. There is a slight echo of this on the top left edge. The hexagons hold a fairly central position. On the grey areas a variety of harsh chaotic black and burnt umber marks have been made. They have a discordant and disordered sense of structure. To my eye, these more chaotic, monochromatic elements seem to be consuming the more structured and colourful hexagonal elements. What do you think?
March 17, 2025 at 11:13 AM
cathal-art.bsky.social
My studio and specific work spot.
I need to get shelves up and devices for hanging paintings up. Maybe some ghosts to spice the place up a bit. If anyone has a spare brontosaurus ghost DM me. (any late Jurassic or apatosaur variety will do)
#studio #ghosts #art
Wide angle shot of my increasingly cluttered studio space in Gage gallery. Kelham island . Other than the plastic storage shelves everything else has been recycled Various paints hang lopsided on the walls. In the foreground an armchair with a painting lent against it and clutter staked upon it. At the far end of the space is an ease with 3 paintings on it. There is an air of lazy chaos about it. A closer view of the far end of my studio space. A bench covered in various tools . Above this a plastic storage container holding jars of paint. On top of this rests a table easel with a self-portrait on it. To the right a table caught in a rare uncluttered state beneath it 3 boxes filled with said clutter. To the right of the table is my big easel with 3 paintings on it. I will post images of the paintings separately
March 16, 2025 at 12:10 PM