The Spirit of Water VIII Painting

Standing at the edge of the ocean, the air is filled with moisture. A golden light on the horizon sweeps across the land while a slow veil of rain approaches. Already headlands in the distance are starting to disappear. I wanted to bring the senses into play through paint. To feel the moisture on our faces; smell and taste the salty air; hear the crashing water on the distant rocks and see the glowing light filtering through the veil of rain. In Simon Scharma’s book ‘Landscape and Memory’ he says: “Before it can ever be a repose for the senses, landscape is a work of the mind. Its scenery is built as much from strata of memory as from layers of rock.” I think this is particularly true of the Spirit of Water paintings. The re-connection is formed through the physical and emotional rush of standing before nature. When all our senses are engaged in that experience, it stays with us, always. And a painting is a record of that memory. This 31.75″ x 31.75 x 1.75″, Acrylic on canvas ready to hang. Framing is not required. All my paintings are varnished to add a protective coat against dust. Only the highest quality archival fine art grade Acrylic paint is used on the surface gessoed and prepared by myself. Packing: all work is packed professionally using protective compressed foam boards 2 cm deep so that your painting arrives safely. Thank you for taking the time to look at my work. A statement on why I make Art. How can I make tangible on a paint surface a world that is full of magic and poetry? My finished pieces do not mirror a subject matter but are a representation of emotions felt in a specific time or place. Often the fleeting effect of a particular light and colour in nature are held somewhere in my visual memory. At some point, this takes centre stage on the painting I am working on. It may appear during the process of creation without an obvious connection to the subject matter at hand and yet, it adds another dimension, a particular atmosphere. These processes are ways and means by which I express my connection to nature in all its richness and variety. I moved from Ireland to France to create a new body of work with the regular discipline of painting small oil studies on panel. These inform larger landscapes, still lifes and abstract works. I hold a Bachelor Degree in Fine Art (BFA). My work is in collections in France, the USA, Great Britain and Ireland. Education. Fine Art Degree in Painting. 1987-1989 Foundation Art course - Birmingham Polytechnic- Distinction 1989 - 1992 Cheltenham College of Art.- 2:1 with first in Art History with commendation