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Eilbhe Donovan

Ireland

- Swells, Squalls & Scrags from the Seven Heads -
Eilbhe Donovan is here again from the gorgeous Southwest of Ireland with her iconic minimalist nature imagery in the unusual medium of ink and monoprint.

Eilbhe Donovan's minimalist work captures wading birds gathering in the marsh, seabirds circling over the surf and birds in flight, as well as other coastal scenes captured in a great expanse. Walking on nearby remote Atlantic beaches and kayaking the rugged coastline, Eilbhe Donovan is constantly inspired by the marine environment she encounters on the Wild Atlantic Way.

She works with ink and monoprint on special cotton paper sustainably sourced from a factory in England. Each piece is a different size and is torn by hand. Her work conveys peace and simple beauty. No two of her works are the same size - the image and the subject determine the format and size of the work. The finished image is reduced in size by tearing, a precise process done by hand that can ruin a work if not done correctly. Each work is framed under UV museum glass.

«The places I go to are pretty inaccessible which is why I like going there. I never meet anyone else while I am there, only birds, seals and occasionally dolphins. The changing tides mean each time one visits, it reveals another element.
There are more than 25 caves, some of which can only be accessed at low tide, some amid tide, some at high tide - all looking different also in various water conditions. I have visited there when the water is like a mirror and also when the swell is up 3metres, crashing over the scrag.
Squalls fascinate me - these small short-lived sea storms with a heart of black clouds hovering ominously out to sea.
I think of all those mariners who encountered them, thinking of getting back safely to shore. The ocean is this dangerous temptress, full of bounty and beauty, yet treacherous.»
- Eilbhe Donovan