Atlantic Tide

This painting was inspired by the gentle pull of Ireland’s coastline on a bright, bustling day at Whiterocks… the kind of place where the sea feels endless, the air tastes of salt, and even a busy beach holds a kind of calm. I wanted to capture that familiar relief that arrives the moment you step onto sand: the sense that the pace of life softens, the noise of work and traffic fades, and your mind finally has room to breathe.

At the heart of Atlantic Tide is the simple joy of people sharing the shore. Families walking with bare feet and rolled-up trousers, couples moving at an unhurried pace, swimmers bracing for that first cold rush before the water turns invigorating and alive. These small scenes of togetherness are part of what makes our coastal places feel so restorative.

This piece was poured freestyle onto a prepared surface and built up in layers over time. The first layer began with a black, inky mix poured to create the foundation of the composition, essentially my “drawing” without pencils or a traditional sketch underneath. Because the process is contactless, gravity and flow become part of the work, mirroring the natural movement of the tide.

From there, colour is introduced through pouring, dripping and splashing with pipettes, then pushing and blowing inks and washes across the surface before they dry. This is where the coastal atmosphere comes through: the brightness of an open sky, the shimmer of sunlight on water, and those soft, sandy tones that carry warmth even when the wind is cool.