sallygap2b
Sally Gap Wicklow, ©John O’Grady, 2013
Oil on Panel, 12″x 12″

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Less than an hour south of Dublin is the wide open blanket bog of Sally Gap.

The wide expanse of the landscape and the constantly changing light and colours make every journey there memorable.

Once you walk off the road that twists through the mountains, all is quiet even though you can still hear the wind
rustling through the bog grass.

This is a painting of that particular quiet, of the smell of the bog and grasses and of the way the light falls on the landscape as I have a vivid memory of a time when I saw a glow from a distant mountain that only a few seconds before was shrouded in mist.

I find that  memory can be a potent way to make paintings that have a sense of place. By sense of place, I think about what makes a place or a moment special, unique.

I don’t paint details of the topography.

The feeling of that memory is true and described through paint.

It’s the “senses” of  place that feed the painting and hopefully resonate with you,  the viewer.

Do let me know what you think, I appreciate your comments.