IRELAND
Watershed Studio’s Artist Residency - September and October 2022
I had the pleasure of being an artist in residence in Galway.
I completed 19 paintings, some of which sold while there, and an open studio held at the end with two other lovely artists.
Following this, I spent three more weeks exploring the North of Ireland with my family - An enriching experience.
These works reflect the resilience and beauty of Ireland and its people. The breathtaking scenery, the humbling climate, the tumultuous history, the love that knits each person into the fabric of society… And also, the food is fabulous, I truly can’t say enough about the quality - A testament to the Irish lifestyle.
The Galway Cathedral
24” x 18” x 0.125”
Oil on Canvas Panel
Galway City
September 2022
🔴SOLD
I wanted to show how nature mingles with our constructed world while depicting some of the iconic sites of Galway City during my artist residency with Watershed Studios. Here, the Cathedral is viewed from a pedestrian path along a canal in the west end. A piece of manufactured nature (a new tree) planted in front of a wall being overtaken by wild vines and blackberry brambles. The Cathedral stoically observing this conquest.
St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church
A view from the rear cemetery
18” x 24” x 0.125”
Oil on Canvas Panel
Galway City
September 2022
🔴SOLD
Viewed from the rear cemetery. Another Galway icon immersed in nature. Wych Elm, Ash, and Oak are among the many indigenous trees in Ireland, and are a beautiful sight in the fall. I decided to show how charismatic St. Nicholas is when these trees begin to undress and cover those resting in the cemetery with a peaceful blanket of color. The textures of the sky and trees were created by applying copious amounts of paint with a palette knife rather than a brush.
An Eternal Conversation
24” x 18”
Framed 35” x 29.5”
Oil on Canvas Panel
Recessed inner trim (wood), fabric-wrapped moulding (wood), moss/faux plant inlay, pine exterior moulding
Inspired by the mausoleum of Margaret and Mitchell Henry - Kylemore Abbey, Co. Galway, Ireland
I could have spent the rest of time at the romantic estate and fairytale grounds of Kylemore Abbey. Fully immersed in mystic nature, everything blanketed with green felt and smelling of cool, earthy musk. I’m still dreaming about it. At the time, I was about a month into the residency and missing my husband significantly. The love story at its foundation calmed me, allowing me to reflect on my own love story.
Aside from its inspiration, this painting was a struggle from the start. If it wasn’t for the support of the other artists, I probably would’ve given up during the underpainting. Pushing through my process engaged some deep experimentation with texture and this maddening green palette I wasn’t used to. Being the last painting that I completed in Ireland, I can say I rounded out my portfolio with a lovely piece that I’d like to eventually reproduce in a much larger format. For now, I decided to design and build an atmospheric frame to properly encapsulate my experience.
Small Works
Storm Foot Over Galway
8" x 10" x 0.125”
Oil on Canvas Panel, Knife Painting
Co. Galway - October 2022
I energetically completed this painting in one plein air session as a storm was rushing in. The glowing effect caused by the setting sun's light cast on the rapidly rising moist air particles in this developing cumulonimbus cloud resulted in an inspiring visual. I sought to capture this common yet fleeting moment in a quick painting. This was the last painting I completed during my time in Ireland.
🔴SOLD
Mám Éan Pass
8" x 10" x 0.125”
Oil on Canvas Panel, Knife Painting
Connemara, Co. Galway - September 2022
A friend and Galway local took me on a fabulous hike to Mám Éan Pass. "Mám Éan" translates as "pass of the birds" in English, and although originally meant to be a pilgrimage to the site where Saint Patrick blessed the water of a holy well, the hike also provides some spectacular views of the Mám Turk Mountain range. This particular view looks East down the pass toward Máum.
SOLD🔴
This painting makes me laugh as I remember myself getting my cardio in before my morning coffee because the sun rising looked like a promising light show. As I developed the colors and values on the canvas, it became clear that the sun had risen into the clouds without those beautiful colors expected from a sunrise. Oh well. I had an ongoing battle with catching the sunrises, not just to paint them but to simply observe them. I was either in the studio early and missed it or woke up late. But when I remembered, or with particularly spectacular mornings, I would RUN to grab my kit and hastily record the moment.
A Spontaneous Sunrise
8" x 10" x 0.125”
Oil on Canvas Panel, Plein Air
Co. Galway - September 2022
🔴SOLD
An Incoming Storm
12" x 16" x 0.125”
Oil on Canvas Panel, Plein Air
Co. Galway - September 2022
This is one of those paintings that flowed effortlessly out of my body onto the canvas. The light of the sunset (behind the viewer) created this ethereal glow cast upon the developing storm clouds and seemed to stimulate my creativity in a special way. This painting is a great example of how some scenes compel me to push my limits of experimentation. Feedback informs me that this particular piece comes together well when viewed from a distance.
SOLD🔴
This painting is one of the more demonstrably experimental works from my artist residency in Galway, Ireland. I wanted to play with uniformity in brush strokes and color to create different values without literally painting these values. Rows of uniform dots conveying the reflections of the sky on the water’s surface create nonsense up close. These textural and stylistic qualities compel the viewer to observe the painting at a distance where it comes together as a whole.
Impression of Blackrock Beach
8" x 10" x 0.125”
Oil on Canvas Panel
Galway City - September 2022
🔴SOLD
The Maumturks
8" x 10" x 0.125”
Oil on Canvas Panel, Knife Painting
Co. Galway - September 2022
During my time in Ireland, a friend and Galway local took me on a hike to Mám Éan Pass, a part of the Maumturk mountain range. “Maumturk” translates from Irish to English as “Mountains of the Boar’s Pass.” The view depicted in this painting looks west toward the Atlantic and the iconic peaks of the Twelve Pins.
SOLD🔴
View of Lough Corrib from the Studio
First painting in Ireland
8" x 10" x 0.125”
Oil on Canvas Panel, Plein Air
Galway City - September 2022
I had just arrived after spending some time in Dublin and, despite the exhaustion from traveling and the time difference, I was energized to create. The view of Corrib lake was simply too gorgeous to waste time napping. It was also good practice to get the jitters out before getting into a true routine.
🔴SOLD
A Morning Sky
8" x 10" x 0.125”
Oil on Canvas Panel, Knife Painting
Co. Galway - September 2022
Another experimental painting and another morning sky, from my time in Ireland. I wanted show a mixed up sky with pastel colors, while also playing with an ill green that I associate with a morning color palette. This painting was completed in one session exclusively with a palette knife and without brushes. I was able to mix colors right on the canvas to develop some interesting light tones.
SOLD🔴
12" x 16" x 0.125”
Oil on Canvas Panel
Co. Galway - September 2022
Clouds on the Ferry to Inis Mór
I took a lovely ferry ride to the big island of Inis Mór (of the Aran Islands). Once again, the morning sun captivated me and provided inspiration for yet another painting of an Irish morning. The almost sickly green color between the horizon and the clouds became a recurring idea for many paintings throughout the remainder of my time there.
Another Spontaneous Sunrise
8" x 10" x 0.125”
Oil on Canvas Panel, Plein Air
Galway City - October 2022
The name says it all. This is another sunrise that I almost missed. I remember sitting in front of a window with my ritual morning coffee watching the sun begin to peak through the clouds, when I realized I could be painting this! My time was ending in Ireland soon and I had yet to capture a true sunrise en plein air, an evolving battle throughout my artist residency. Once I threw everything into place, I painted a rapidly changing sunrise (most likely the fastest painting I’ve done). I had such little time that I used only old paint off my existing palette, which is why the brush strokes are so dry compared to my other work. A true Expressionist experience.
SOLD🔴
Trees at the Studio
16" x 12" x 0.125”
Oil on Canvas Panel, Plein Air
Galway City - September 2022
After days of storming, the sun finally came out for the afternoon and warmed up this tree near the studio.
🔴SOLD