I try to convey the spirit of a place that makes me emotional- and these places tend to be close to my home in a beautiful but mainly undiscovered area on the Shannon.
Though I was born in Yorkshire, my mum was Irish and I have very happy memories of childhood summers on the family farm in county Limerick. Although farm life then was far from luxurious, I loved it, running wild in the hay meadows with untold freedom. It kindled a lifelong love of the Irish countryside.
After a successful career in medicine in the U.K., and with some personal and health difficulties, I relocated to Garrykennedy, on the shores of Lough Derg in county Tipperary. Here I found much needed solace and inspiration in the beauty and tranquility of the landscape and the ever shifting light on the water .
My late father, Donald would often ask me when I was going to start painting. Sadly , it was only after his death that I realised I’d discovered a passion that I’d denied myself until then!
Being able to evoke the mood of a place with oil paint and brush is a kind of thrilling alchemy. Sometimes I find myself actually laughing with pleasure when this happens unexpectedly!
I’m largely self taught, work in oil paint and have sold nationally and internationally.
