Early November I was so lucky to spend 10 days on retreat in Cill Rialig artists retreat on Bolus Head, co Kerry.

Its a magical inspiring place like nowhere else I’ve been. i am sharing some photos and the three finished paintings I did there.

I got up early with the sun everyday and went sketching up the hill to a spot over a deserted village. from there I used a concertina sketchbook and did a 360c extended drawing/watercolour sketch over about 7 of the days. I travelled to Valencia island where I visited a Dolmen and a Holy well. On the journey i stopped to search for another Dolmen called Diarmuid and Grainnes Bed. There I encountered a scene from the depths of time, harriers following a hare. it was all magical.

I stopped and walked up the Kerry Cliffs and nearly got blown over. I had a lovely coffee, bun and chat with the proprietor in an old railway carriage.

Back to the Bog, St Mullins

Redbog St Mullins is a protected rare raised bog. one of the very few remaining in Ireland.

Since returning from Kerry I have been drawn to this bog and try to get every week and sketch. I am using my own homemade inks with ink pens to catch the essence of a year on the bog. Over Christmas when I couldn’t get down I realised I could see it from my studio which is in the hills above the bog.
I also walk up the hill/mountain behind us and was so taken by these orchard of Skeogh bushes next to an old abandoned homestead at the foot of the Blackstairs mountain