Description

Solitude’s Journey, Kilkee beach – a man and his dog walking

I painted this one after a walk on Kilkee beach, the evening the cloud finally broke and let that low gold light through. It’s one of those evenings on the west coast where the weather can’t decide what it’s doing — grey and heavy one minute, then the sun finds a gap and the whole bay lights up for ten minutes before it closes over again. There was a man up ahead of me with his dog, just the two of them, no rush on them at all, and that’s the bit that stuck with me — not the big sky, though that’s what got me reaching for the paint, but how small and unhurried they looked against it.

This is a giclée print of the original oil painting, on archival paper, so what you’re getting is true to the painting — the texture in the clouds, the way the light hits the water, all of it. Giclée printing picks up far more depth and subtlety than a standard print, so the brushwork actually carries through rather than just looking like a flat photo of a painting. I had the colours lightfastness tested to 150 years, so this isn’t a print that’ll go flat and yellow on you in a few years on a sunny wall. It’s made to last, the way a proper piece of art should.

It comes mounted, ready for you to pop into whatever frame suits your space — so no extra cost, no faffing about trying to figure out backing boards or mounts yourself.

Honestly, it’s a good one for anywhere you want a bit of calm. A hallway, a bedroom, somewhere you pass by and just get a breath of sea air without leaving the house. It works well on its own or as part of a little gallery wall if you’re building one. And if you know someone who loves Clare, or the west of Ireland, or just needs reminding to slow down — this one says that without having to say it.

Specs:

• Size: 10 x 12 inches, mounted print, or 12 x 16 inches, mounted print
• Giclée fine art print on archival paper
• Lightfastness tested for up to 150 years
• From an original oil painting by Nici Le Gear, painted in Kilkee, Co. Clare
• Framed in a white wooden frame with glass