In May 2008 I returned to Cill Rialaig, Ireland, an international artists’ retreat in a restored pre-famine village. My ultimate goal was to visit Skellig Michael, a precarious island, 8 miles from the mainland, to search out the unique site of a 7th century Monastic complex. My landscape paintings depict the journey to this Unesco World Heritage site with 1) seascapes, 2) the island ascent and 3) the monastery itself .
Bernard Shaw described the Skellig islands as “pinnacled & spired gothic extravagances”. After researching early Christian art/icons, I completed the series in Calgary. The tryptic gothic altarpiece, portrays the majesty and sacredness of this “high place”. In March 2010, the “Pilgrimage” series was exhibited at Arts on Atlantic Gallery, Calgary: http://www.artsonatlantic.com/ (See Recent Exhibitions for more info)