On 12th February, 2014 Ireland and Britain were hit by a storm, the last in a series which started in the previous December. That afternoon, the winds whipped up causing the worst gusts experienced in many years. I went down to the nearby strand, Garryvoe, and witnessed the highest waves I’d seen in years. The islands are barely peeping above the sea. For the painting, I darkened the sky a bit, to make the waves stand out more. The sun was shining from the right, highlighting parts of the sea.
My biggest painting to date (1 metre x 80cm). The whole idea for it belongs to my older sister Claire. Shortly after last Christmas, she came to me with the idea for doing a picture of the sea when the froth is foamy and thick. I liked the idea because I haven’t seen many paintings of such a view. The picture is based on a photo taken on New Year’s Eve. I took loads of shots and spent time observing the ebb and flow of the tide. 99% of the painting was done with my thin Dalon rigger brush. I was determined to finish it without doing anything else, so for four months I kept at it. I used a palette knife to deposit much Titanium White as an undercoat for the foamy froth in the foreground.
Depicts a high sea during a rough evening. Sold.
eastcorkpainter 