Art Blog

Day 11, Thursday 12^th March 2009

Vanishing headlands.

I am up early, and looking outside see every peninsula wearing cloud on its head.  The sea is flat, clear and blue. I get ready and head out, not really knowing where I am going or what I want to paint. I stop at the pier but the tide is out and the landscape is colourless. I decide to head for Valentia Island but when I reach the pass between Ballinskellings and the Glen I see it’s all cloudy and fogged up here too. If I am going to paint the fog I can do it just as well from the comfort of Cill Rialaig and don’t need to drive for hours. I am happy with my small epiphany and set up to paint outside the studio.

I work on a picture of the rocks and sea at the foot of the cliff below my feet while waiting for the cloud to lift off Hog’s Head.

Across the bay three quarters of the Hog’s Head becomes visible briefly before it disappears completely for the rest of the day. I paint the immediate headlands as they too melt into the mist. Eventually it’s just my easel and me left standing alone in the fog. I move back inside as the fog turns into rain. During the evening I finish the mountain sunrise.