View Over Portmagee From Valentia - sold

9"x12" oil on oil primed linen mounted on board

Every day of our trip was packed full of amazing things. This was last Tuesday, July 10, - in the morning we caught the skellig boat "Shelluna" and took the trip out to Skellig Michael. Last year the place was covered with puffins, but this year they seemed to be all out fishing. But we did get to explore the stone beehive huts of the ancient monastary at the top of this place which looks like a huge rock, ten miles offshore in the Atlantic.

After the trip back to our host's house for lunch, we painted outside in her lower pasture, which overlooks several pastures down the hill and all the way across to Portmagee on the other side. I swear she has the most beautiful site to live in all of Valentia. (Ireland). Last year I really struggled with this scene - how to condense all this mass of various greens into a 9x12 space and represent long distances?! I had been thinking about this all year - and I think I've got it here.


It stays light out until late - around 11pm - so you can pack a lot into one day!! (I really love this part!). After our painting session we went back to "The Bridge Bar" in Portmagee for dinner AND the Tuesday night tradition Irish night. My friends had arranged for me to loan a fiddle to play a tune (the pub owner would invite anyone with an instrument to play, trad. Irish- of course) So I played a reel, "The Banshee". What a thrill! ....but next year - I'm bringing my own fiddle!