New Paintings for the Hungry Hill Gallery, Cork

I'm just back from a quick visit to West Cork. I was delivering some new work to the Hungry Hill Gallery in Adrigole, including this painting - "Still Day, Adrigole" 50 x 50 cms, which depicts a farmhouse looking out over Bantry Bay on a warm summer's day.

As part of my "job" I get to visit Adrigole at least once a year to deliver new paintings, and these trips have become one of the highlights of my year. Not only do Gerry and Cecille run one of Ireland's finest galleries and craft shops - Adrigole Arts and the Hungry Hill Gallery - they have also become great friends and are very welcoming hosts. So a trip to Adrigole always means good wine, great food and great company! And a little bit of business.

This time I was lucky enough to be in the gallery when they sold one of my favourite paintings of the year so far - "Looking Towards Hungry Hill". This is a painting that I featured a little while ago in a blog and one that I have chosen for my new range of greeting cards (of which I will be telling you a little more about next week). It's rare that I get to meet people who buy my work through a gallery so I was delighted to have had this opportunity.

I will be holding a 1 day painting workshop in the Hungry Hill Gallery on Saturday 10th september so watch out for more details in the coming weeks.

Over The Healy Pass and The Road From Keem

I'm heading back to Dublin this weekend after a few weeks in Achill. Maybe that explains my current fixation with roads!

This first painting -"Over the Healy Pass" - will be heading down to the Hungry Hill Gallery in West Cork next week. I've been going over some of my old photos and sketches taken on my last trip over the Healy Pass (on the Beara Peninsula) and out popped this painting - "Over the Healy Pass" 40x40 cms.

To get to Keem Bay, on Achill Island, you have to follow a narrow, winding cliff road. Not a comfortable drive unless you have a head for heights! The road is tucked into the mountainside on one side and on the other....a sheer drop into the Atlantic ocean.

In this painting - The Road From Keem, 30x30 cms - the road rises up from Keem Bay, in the distance are the Minaun Cliffs.

New Paintings of Hungry Hill on the Beara Peninsula

I've been busy this month with painting workshops on Achill Island and working on some new paintings for the Hungry Hill gallery on the Beara Peninsula. In particular I've been focusing on the mountain itself.

Hungry Hill mountain is one of those big, foreboding, rocky mountains that tower over everything below and can be covered in cloud for weeks on end. At the foot of the mountain is Adrigole Arts and Coffee shop and upstairs is the Hungry Hill Art Gallery. It's a great place to stop and browse!

This painting, "At the Foot of Hungry Hill", 40x40 cms, I think captures the scale of the mountain and I'm really happy with the colour balancing in this one. (The house in the painting is not the gallery by the way........)

The workshops on Achill Isalnd were really enjoyable, especially last weekend, which despite appalling weather turned out to be very productive. We managed to get out in the mornings to do some scouting and sketching before the gale force winds and rain blew us back into the studio!

Here is a painting that started life as a demonstration at one of the workshops. It is of Purteen Harbour, looking out over Inish Galloon and Clare Island (covered in cloud). There's a little more work to do on it but I like it a lot at the moment.

My next workshops in Achill are coming up in August. I will be running two 4 day workshops , monday to thursday on the 8th to 1th and 15th to 18th. Lots of space left for anyone who'd like to experience the island...and do a little painting.

Ballyheigue Revisited

Just back from a week in Ballyheigue, (Co. Kerry) with Anne and the kids. Sunshine, sand and stunning scenery, I can't believe it's nearly four years since I was there last.

Ballyheigue beach has got to be one of the most beautiful in the country. It goes on for miles, morphing into Banna strand and continuing on to Fenit. I have taken lots of photos so there should be some new Kerry paintings appearing by the end of the summer!

In the meantime here is one from 2009 called Autumn Tides Ballyheigue which is available as a limited edition print.

A special word of congratulations to Kerry county council for the investment they have made in the children's playgrounds in the county. What a pleasant surprise to find such high quality, clean, safe and fun playgrounds everywhere we went - Fenit, Ardfert, Banna, Dingle and Ballyheigue itself - all tried and tested by two very discerning three and a half year olds! And let's not forget the new playgrounds for the grown ups - the new marinas in Dingle and Fenit.

Fenit, just outside Tralee, was particularly beautiful on the day we visited. This photo of the light house rock at Fenit was taken in the evening light. Expect a painting of it soon :)

If you haven't been to Kerry for a while, or at all, then it really is somewhere to add to your wish list. I can't wait to go back!