CONTEMPORARY IRISH ARTIST
My Work
I am a self-taught artist. I paint contemporary abstract, expressionistic work, reflecting the sea, shore and harbour life.
I express my response to being in and by the sea, through my painting. Living on the south coast of Cork inspires my work.
Colour, texture, shape, sound and sensation emerge on the canvas to give a sense of the place. This environment is constantly changing, affected by season, weather and tide.
From my window, I see ships come and go in the busy harbour. They slide into dock and, exchanges complete, glide silently away again into the ocean beyond the harbour.
I love to collect flotsam and jetsam from the beach - rope and net fragments (ghost gear), sea plastics, weathered driftwood. Each fragment tells its own story. These inspire colours, shapes and textures, I use them for mark making or as collage elements.
Swimming in the sea causes a cold shock, which brings us into the present moment. All concerns are forgotten beyond controlling the breath. Once acclimatised, there are myriad sensations, colours , light on water, movement of waves, enjoyed until the cold becomes just too much and you emerge 'reset' back onto the shore.
A little bit about me
I grew up in West Cork and some of my earliest and happiest memories are of the sea and shore. I even learned to swim in the frigid Atlantic. Although I was offered a place at art college, I chose to move to Paris at age 18. Living on the Left Bank for a year, I worked for an artist-photographer, learned French and was surrounded by art and design - museums like the Louvre, musée d'Orsay and musée Rodin were literally on my doorstep. I returned to Ireland to study and work in technology, always with one eye on art and design. I consider myself lucky to be able to combine my art with a career in using the latest technologies to improve people's lives.