Welcome to my Seascape Gallery

Standing above Clogher Beach watching the enormous waves roll in and hitting the rocks is a truly exhilarating experience. Each wave creating its own sensational drama...The sense of excitement when you spy a really big one start to build is such a buzz and following its journey from small mound to a formidable force of nature as it proceeds with menacing intent to crash spectacularly against the quietly waiting rocks is a pure delight. This is one such wave captured on its short but spectacular journey earlier this spring.

Clogher Beach is such a feast for the senses... especially when it is one of those REALLY BIG WAVES kind of days; of which there are so many at Clogher. On this day I stood bracing myself against the brisk wind hoping I was in a safe spot on the beach as the sheer power of the mammoth waves make it seem unlikely they will be able to stop when they get to the shore...... but lucky for me they do. Smashing so spectacularly against rocks cliffs and beach that it is impossible to take it all in. So much action so much raw energy.. Experiencing this at such close quarters could not fail to clear any negativity or stress blow away the cob webs... Sandblasting for the soul !

It is Early summer and everything today has that perfect chocolate box picture look about it. Colours in all the right places.. Though it is calm everywhere else the sea is still busy making waves.. These are small for Coumeenole though, which is well known for its spectacular big ones. So to me, though it is quite wavy this is almost calm for Coumeenole.

Looking down over Dunquin Pier and out to the Blasket Islands this stunning tranquil evening I imagine going down the ultra steep incredible wiggly path to the little pier and out across the almost flat calm water into the glorious sunset to the Great Blasket island. It is of course not going to happen as the ferries have finished for the day and I don't have a boat... But it is the sort of evening for dreaming....

I love this view of the Great Blasket Island. It is from the Clasach a truly spectacular little road to drive and one that always makes me think of the Great Blasket Islanders on their way up it on foot or perhaps with carts into Dingle in the old days to trade after having rowed their naomhóga across the Blasket Sound. As they turned to take their last glimpse of home this is what they would've seen. A long journey in those days and quite an undertaking. Odd to think that now I can be in Dingle in less than 20 minutes!

I managed to catch a good photo of the expectant seagull waiting on the wall for scraps from our sandwiches which we intended for Coumeenole Beach across the way but we realised the tide is too high. The vivid azure sea alive with shades of cerulean, teal and green make it hard to believe we are in Ireland. Mediterranean tones dance amid the sea spray and foam on this blustery day in early summer. We gaze across to Dunmore Head the most Westerly point on the island of Ireland. Next stop America; after the Blasket Islands of course which sit directly West of where we sit.

It is a strange thing to try and paint a wave. It is catching a moment quite literally. Then painting the structure seems to give it a solid presence which in fact it does not really have …..well not for long anyway. A few seconds and it is gone. All that majesty and miraculous colour crashes into froth and spray and is gone forever never to be replaced exactly ever again. It begs for deep comments about life… but instead I throw another stick for the dog and vow to make a simple attempt to catch some of this wondrous magnificence that is more heart stirring because it is so soon gone.

Trying to capture the energy and power of the huge waves of spring 2014 on a canvas was an exciting challenge... These are some of the smaller ones.

As we ran for cover the storm blew in on Coumeenole beach. Suddenly the horizon turned bright blinding yellow illuminating waves, cliffs and wild wind sand patterns with crazy surreal colours. Crazy but true...

Sometimes the sea seems to be too blue to be true but it was this blustery spring day. The swell causing foam contours from the crashing waves to mirror the shape of the majestic cliffs and headlands.

The Gannets dive amidst the crashing waves as light from the heavens bursts through the dark indigo clouds and bright blue sky appears as if from nowhere. So ends the storm as suddenly as it started. The joys of bad weather...

To catch a rainbow is impossible ... but I had a go. This was a double reflected in beach puddles and silently witnessed by the stock still heron and me.

An Searrach looks absolutely enormous today. Does anyone one else notice that familiar scenes look different on different days? To me it honestly looks like they have moved .. From the same spot yesterday morning this ancient rock stack this ancient stalwart (The Foal or colt in English) definitely looked much further away. I am told it is a trick of the light. BUT I am not so sure…..

It is impossible not to stop when passing Inch Beach even after a long tiring journey with a strong yen for home. Without fail there is some spectacular lighting show accompanied by fantastic beach reflections and patterns and the marvellous waves against the backdrop of the MacGillycuddy Reeks. This evening's dramatic crepuscular sun rays made me stop the car ( despite my lateness) to marvel at the colours and patterns of sky sea and sand.

At Doonsheane again! I marvel at the peace as I become hypnotised by the dynamic patterns created by the reflected replica of blue sky and clouds playing complicated glittery games with the ever moving vibrantly lit ripples of the in-coming tide. Paradise... (but with worse weather).

As the sunsets intensely bright behind the Three Sisters there is that utterly magical half hour when all the colours are transformed to tropical shades. The light dances on the waves sand and rock pools as we settle on Cul Dorcha to watch the show.

The view from the top of Cruach Mhartain is a 360 degree wonder I had to choose just part of it. Mount Brandon and Smerwick Harbour won... just. The shadows long this freezing spring morning sharpens the relief of the land's contours lending a sense of drama to the peaks and ridges. I wanted to give a sense of looking down the hill ready to walk down to Ballyferriter.

The sinking sun peeks breathtakingly through the banks of dark clouds creating fleeting riot of colour on the silent ancient sand stone cliffs of Coumeenole; splashed vividly with bright salmon pinks, plums and delicate lavenders. Though the sea is animated with good sized waves crashing in and the light capers vivaciously on the crests of the waves and rocks there is a sudden almost shocking calmness. How is such a sense of tranquil serenity possible with all this going on??

Sometimes the water is so calm it looks almost like you could walk onto it. The colours jump out loudly so much for one set of eyes to take in..

As the sun sets intensely bright behind the Three Sisters there is that utterly magical half hour when all the colours are transformed to tropical shades. The light dances on the waves sand and rock pools as we settle to watch the show on Cul Dorcha.

I tried to catch a sense of the waves rolling into Bin Ban as they do ceaselessly; sometimes bigger sometimes smaller, These are nice friendly middle sized ones. The sea unusually blue that day.

There is a harshness in the late spring sunshine this day and a chill in the air as the clouds fly across the sky changing light and shadow so quickly that I am in a quandary which to paint as I paint from life trying to catch the feeling of movement.