Let’s explore the artworks of British artist Albert Irvin. He was born almost 100 years ago in 1922.

Albert Irvin was best known for his exuberant paintings, watercolours, screenprints, and gouaches. Have a look at his artwork Trinity I  from IMMA’s Collection. What colours can you see? Look at how he created these colours in his artwork: lines of colour go up and down, or sideways back and forth, or drip and splash. What do you feel when you look at these colours, lines, and shapes? Why? Albert Irvin’s art explores and captures the experience of being in the world. He made colour sweep and spray over his canvases giving the illusion of depth and creating complex and dynamic marks and gestures using a brush.

What you will need:

• Large sheet of white paper
• Paints (also, something to mix your paints on and water to clean up)
• Brushes as many different sizes as you can find
• Objects and tools that might add interesting textures and surfaces
• Sponges

Now let’s get to work:

• Begin by mixing up as many different colours from the paints that you can find. What colours can you create?
• Apply one colour for the background, don’t leave any paper showing through, let it dry
• Start the next layer, with different colours in blocks, using different textures and types of lines, again let it dry
• Make a final, top layer.

Always take a photograph of your creation when you’re finished! And please, share your results, your experiments, and artworks with the hashtag #ExploreratHome