Specialising in oil painting, mostly seascapes, I explore my personal connection with the sea and nature. Simplifying and abstracting it into Movement, Light and Colours. My style sits somewhere between abstract and figurative. The series I've worked on are 'The Wave', 'Calm' and 'What Lies Beneath'. Nature is a most essential part of our world, as is our connection with it.
The current collection is based on an underwater perspective of the ocean, In ‘What Lies Beneath’, swimming towards the light, the feeling of being immersed in and the effect of light on the water, the constant and repetitive movement of currents and the environmental impact on the oceans.
Working with oil paints and palette knife, I explore the energy and beauty in nature, layering colours and textures in a semi abstract style. I start with a memory or imagined feeling of being underwater, snorkelling, diving, swimming. I usually begin with the darker colours or the sand and go towards the surface and the light. Each line of colour is slightly different, applied by palette knife, leaving a raised textured edge. These form a rhythm on the canvas, making the view different from every angle, giving the feeling of movement.
‘The Wave’ series was also with oil paint and palette knife, with layers of colours over each other, creating a heavily textured mass of ‘water’ evoking the weight, energy and amalgamation of different elements that create them. I like the thought that whatever changes or happens in the world the waves will always keep coming to shore.
I have loved painting from a young age. After a year in art college in Galway, and a BA (Hons) degree in Fashion and Textile design, I worked in clothing design for many years. I have worked as an artist since 2016.