The Abbey

The Abbey (Cascading Light at Corcomroe Abbey) - oil/panel - 7"x5" - sold

Created this interior architectural study about a week ago inside a magnificent 10th century Abbey. The morning light was cascading through the celling less roof illuminating the beautiful arches and details. I picked this spot to study because of the atmosphere I felt by the way the light was becoming diffused as it faded into the interior space and then burst into full light again through the narrow window above the distant Burren landscape.

Some Swallows were nesting inside the vaulted room and came out swooping passed my head over and over contrasting with the vast stillness of the Abbey space. They were so playful and kept me company while I painted.

The Cottage Window

The Cottage Window - oil/panel - 7"x5" - sold

A left turn off the road towards New Quay and Kinvara and down through three fields and remembering to close the gates after you brings you to my cousins Stella and Dymphna Walsh's beautiful old traditional Irish cottage. The first thing you see on approach through the fields is the chimney rising up from where the cottage is nestled in close to the shoreline.

The cottage has no electricity with just one small window in the front.

I quickly found my subject - The morning light was beaming through the old window lighting the thick plastered ledge and surrounding walls while back lighting an old pot and dropping the interior walls into shadow.

Tower Interior

Tower Interior - oil/panel - 5"x5" - sold

For the past few months I had been dying to paint an 'interior' scene. A visit to an exhibition of impressionists interiors in the National Museum of Art in Dublin must have triggered off this need to explore such a theme.

Finally last week I found my subject in the interior space of the Newtown Castle on the grounds of the Burren College of Art.

I had been watching the natural light as it filtered through the small windows in the tower and illuminated the highly textured stone floors.

Taking my panel and paints up into the darkened interior I had to work really fast and intensely to capture and record the ever changing light.

A Beautiful and rewarding experience.