A Sketch for the King
Bantry House, County Cork, Ireland, 15 x 22″ Watercolor on Cotton Rag, Fabriano Artistico.
This painting is a redux, sized up to half-sheet (15×22″) working from my own quarter-sheet sketch (11×15″), made on location in 2016.
It’s to be my submission to the Royal Collection of King Charles III, hopefully to reside in Windsor Castle under the care of the Royal Librarian.
Now, of course, I don’t know if I’ll be accepted by the jury! So wish me luck :)
I know King Charles is a watercolorist himself. I remember a book on his paintings in my college library. I hope he has a special interest in work coming from the (ex)colonies. I sincerely hope Ireland is no longer a sensitive topic. What do I know, I’m just a Canadian kid, and I’m largely (completely) ignorant of the history at hand.
This donation of work marks the 100th year of the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour. We’ll be adding 25 works to the royal collection, bringing the Canadian component to 100 pieces. We’ve tithed work to the crown twice before, in 2000 and 1985. (Not me personally, the Society). I have no idea if it will happen again in my career, so I really had to make the effort.
It’s not recorded if the King has ever been to Bantry House, though it is of course known to the crown. The original owner, Richard White, was made the Earl of Bantry for his role in repelling an attempted French invasion in 1796. A fact that may or may not be of interest to the judges!
To be honest, I expect they’ll be most interested in presenting an encyclopedic view of Canadian watercolor as it stands in 2024, and to that end I made something that is as much as possible, a personal work. It looks back to when I was at the height of my adventures as a world-travelling painter, but I hope it’s handled with some freedom of expression :)
Well – I hope I haven’t given myself too much freedom :)
Finger’s crossed, and expect an update here!
~marc
Citizen Sketcher 
I wish you the best of luck.You are so very talented and original which is so very important. Fingers are crossed.
I absolutely LOVE this work of art! The colors are so fresh and clean and “green.” Can’t wait to learn that is has been accepted!
Well done!
I stayed at Bantry House a few years ago and you’ve captured the experience brilliantly!
Hope that HRM appreciates the quality and your skill capturing the essence of the place.
It’s grand and wonderful (and so are you). Thanks for sharing. EllieSent from my iPhone
Hi, Marc…Good luck on your submission. Really hope you are included for this great honor.I remember well your posts from Ireland. They are some of my favorites and I actually go back and look at them often. The post you did of The Ladies View and the other paintings included on that post were fantastic. In my eyes, you totally captured the look, color, texture and just overall “feel” of the vegatation and the landscape of that area. And the wet, misty, dark sky also. The particular combination of paintings from that particular post were thrilling!Anyway, good work, good luck and thank you.Mo Vermilyafrom Welches, Oregon…in the foothills of beautiful Mount HoodSent from my Galaxy Tab® E
I know Bantry House and I love this sketch from the top of the steps and the lawns. I wish you every good luck.
Buenos dias Marc, no se si sonará la campana, pero en cualquier caso tu trabajo es genial y te lo mereces.
Suerte y un fuerte abrazo, admiro tu trabajo.
Fernando A.M.
Good luck Marc!