“Art in the Open” Wexford, Ireland has been an incredible venue for painting the past 7 days! I am just one of over 185 artists from all over the world doing plein air painting around the southeast corner of Ireland. This is a place full of rich historical sites, stunning coastal and river side locales, all steeped in what we would define as “heritage locations” anywhere in the U.S.
I have done 12 plein air paintings and am attaching 3 to this blog.

The first “Ballymore Legacy” was painted at the same farm rebels camped for 3 months during the 1798 uprising against the Red Coats. I could feel a presence beyond the subject matter of baled barley fields, especially with landscape falling away into distant sections – almost as if something is about to happen.

The second “Beached” was painted at Carne Beach, near Wexford – two old wooden dinghies left high and dry with rapidly receding tides and in burning light from direct sun, just after a driving rain and wind storm. Even the most simple composition and subject matter feels different in Ireland.

The third “Ballyhack Rain” is just that. These boats provided a great opportunity to paint at the quay, and experience first-hand the fabled storms of Ireland, which come up very quickly and slap you silly, even in August! One artist just threw his gear down in frustration and headed for immediate shelter. Only a few painters made it through the deluge, as we had umbrellas to partially shelter painting easels. I was completely soaked when finished, but was able to keep the painting dry with an umbrella in one hand and pastels in the other. I have never experienced more challenging weather conditions than what we were dealt during this event . . . but the combined energy of the group of artists has kept everyone focused and moving forward.