Encapsulating the myriad moods of the Irish coastline – from serene to stormy – are the works of these seven Irish artists …
Niall Naessens
Dublin-born Niall Naessens currently lives in Lios na Caolbhaí, Brandon, West Kerry. Although primarily a printmaker he also paints, and is a figurative landscape artist with a particular interest in the sea. He explains, “I make pictures that are familiar yet not real, a magic realism. I see my images as backdrops to events; maybe a gust of wind or an artist observing dawn. Although I live in a remote and beautiful landscape and the idea of merely ‘capturing’ does not interest me anymore. I am looking closer and trying to portray the life of an artist and his ideas through the vehicle of landscape. I want the viewers to look, think and wonder as I do. The sentiment in my work is about the physical nature of being in a place.” www.sofinearteditions.com
Isobel Henihan
“The sea is a constant source of inspiration for my work. Places along the Irish coastline often feature in my paintings, a few on my expanding list of favourite spots include Keem, Fanore, Enniscrone, Inch, Inchydoney as well as the Cliffs of Moher and Kilkee in Clare. Sometimes a piece will be more about somewhere between the water and the sky, and the sensation of being there, and not about a specific location. I swim every morning in Dublin Bay, at Seapoint and I see my morning swim as my creative warm up, it’s an integral part of my daily routine and a crucial part of my ritual for inspiration. The feeling of being immersed in the sea and surrounded by nature is a recurring focus in my work. Painting is something I need to do, to express what words can’t, to try to scratch the surface of something bigger than us. Using a combination of sketches, images and memory, I work intensely on one piece at a time with an “alla prima” technique, which allows textures and consistencies to occupy a central theme alongside a restrained palette.” www.isobelhenihan.com
Cora Murphy
Based in Cork city, artist Cora Murphy is best known for her collections inspired by the Cork and Kerry coastline and the Wild Atlantic Way. “Begin to Hope” is her latest collection – a series of textural seascapes which Murphy explains is “a sort of hybrid of all the places I’ve been and all the things I’ve seen these past few, strange years …” The influence of a recent fishing trip with her Dad to Lough Mask is visible as are road trips around the Clare coastline. “After years of ‘freeze’ and ‘stuckness’, it feels as if change and a massive growth spurt is upon us. It is inspiring, energising and full of uncertainty. This collection has, as a result, felt full of push and pull – harking back to themes that have grounded me; certainties like the sea and fishing the Mayo lakes with my Dad are soothing – give a direct sense of place, and leaping forward to possibilities on the edge of a future I can barely glimpse.” www.coramurphy.com
Sarah McKenna
Ceramicist Sarah McKenna has been creating handmade Irish pottery for over 20 years in Bridge Street Studios, located in a former grain store in Dundalk. Her new “Irish Coast Collection” of ceramic mugs complements existing wall art and vases and tells the story of the rugged coastline of Ireland. McKenna explains, “I love the outdoors, and like nothing better than hiking through the Cooley mountains and soaking in the scenery. This collection is inspired by a lifetime of being surrounded by the amazing colours in Irish sky, sea, and landscape. I wanted to capture the changing colour palettes and incorporate these elements into my collection.” The new range of mugs is available in Storm (navy), Sea (turquoise) and Sand (mustard). McKenna’s work is available to buy on www.sarahmckenna.ie and in gift shops throughout Ireland.
Carol Hodder
The Cork-based artist’s expressive, semi-abstract oil paintings reflect her love of wild places where light, memory and a sense of place unite. Her new exhibition “Between Storms” opens on September 1 at Solomon Fine Art Dublin and explores her memories of childhood fishing trips on Loch Derriana, Co Kerry. About these seascapes, she explains: “Weather changes between the mountains, the black choppy water, that sense of fear and urgency, and on reaching sanctuary, the rain pelting on the corrugated roof”. Recent journeys to north west Iceland with dark winter days and inclement weather, also inspired Hodder, who explores her attraction towards elemental places and their link to a visceral feeling of memory and place. However, Hodder’s primary concern is with the act of painting and its process. Layers of paint are built up and inform what emerges on the surface, which is a landscape of emotion and memory, with boundaries that are blurred or defined. www.solomonfineart.ie
Ivan Daly
Ivan lives in Newmarket on Fergus, Co Clare, a short drive from the coast. He explains, “My works of the last few years are a personal exploration of the Clare coastline. The paintings are very much rooted towards using strong compositional arrangements while trying to achieve the physicality and energy of the scene through working with the paint. My application tends to be loose and open to chance to free the image to something dynamic and kinetic, mirroring the constantly changing environment. I need to keep the surface lively and interesting to keep me, and ultimately the viewer, engaged. I aim to imply realism with an almost abstract treatment of paint. The coast is a perfect subject to work like this. My recordings of sketches, on-site paintings, photos and footage archive a sense of the place which I try to emulate with studio paintings”. www.thedoorwaygallery.com
Donald Teskey
The dramatic landscape paintings of Limerick-born Donald Teskey are instantly recognisable. He has said he is inspired by the “geo-poetic” coastline of north county Mayo. Sometimes working on a very large scale, his images reflect his response to the formal elements of composition; shape, form and fall of light. The result is powerful images of instantly recognisable parts of the Irish landscape with large abstract passages and surfaces which articulate the relentless energetic and elemental force of nature. www.sofinearteditions.com
