For as long as I have been a practitioner of painting I have been making abstract work. Over the last 4 years, I have been making Irish abstract art as my current body of work is inspired by Irish landscapes such as The Burren in Co. Clare on the west coast of Ireland.
Swing Time, 80x80cm
Why Irish Abstract Art?
I grew up on the edge of The Burren which is a unique limestone landscape set against the Atlantic Ocean and holds a sweet spot in my heart. I’ve travelled a lot (I used to be an Irish dancer with Riverdance) yet this beautiful place is still one of my favourite destinations which is perhaps a little biased as I’m from there!
This location has literally been shaped by the ocean. The Atlantic has thrashed its way through the porous limestone leaving a visual feast for making Irish abstract art as the limestone is full of cracks, grikes, big boulders and smooth rocks- all of which make for a great painting composition.
Flaxen, 40x40cm
The rockscape in this area has an attractive palette of soft greys and deep tones of blue with hints of purple. These colours are complimented by various shades of green from moss and algae. When in season the flora of the area offers bright pinks and yellows. The Burren offers a palette that would not have had a place in my studio before taking an interest in making Irish abstract art. I’ve translated these stimulating colours into my work and it’s been a real learning curve.
How I Create A Painting
When I go home to Co. Clare I take time to go out on-site in The Burren to make loose, relaxed painting studies. I then take these studies back to my studio in London and build a body of work around them through abstracting points of interest. This is how I begin making a painting. I’ve used the same painting process for years and you can read more about this here.
Shimmy, 45x45cm
This body of Irish abstract artwork has held my painting interest for four years, and I’m still pulling expressive ideas from it. It’s a pleasure to bring a little bit of home into my studio in London and to know where I have come from influences my next steps as an Irish artist in London.