Cliffs of Moher

Aerial Map Cliffs of Moher

Along the western coast of County Clare, Ireland there is a series of cliffs that are so amazing that no matter how "postcardesque" the scene was, I felt compelled to paint it.    If there ever was a good scene to practice the principle of receding distance, this would be it.    It's difficult to perceive the size of these cliffs from photographs or a painting for that matter.    The precipitous facades up from the ocean to the top are as tall as a sixty (that's 60) story building.   Visitors can walk along the tops of the cliffs which are lined with slate slabs and fencing which are several feet back from the edge.   Some people were hopping over and standing or walking close to the edge.  This was deeply disturbing to me!  Just thinking about the image of people (including their children) walking and posing for pictures that close to the edge of the cliff sent a weird, creepy sensation from my stomach down my legs to my feet.  As if their proximity to the edge wasn't enough, one woman started clowning around near the edge, teasing her boyfriend by taking additional steps to the edge.  I must be getting old or something, but I had to retreat back to a spot, a good distance from the edge to get away from this mayhem!

Cliffs of Moher in Brilliant Sun

I happily found a beautiful spot - still with a breathtaking view of the cliffs and people-watched while my companions bravely journeyed on along the cliffs.     A harp player with a long, flowing, black cape set up on the path to the cliffs.   Her wonderfully, delicate harp music floated my way as I waited for the adventurers in my entourage to return.

Since the cliffs faced westward, and it was early afternoon, the cliff facades were in shadow.   I was looking straight toward the sun in this bright, partly cloudy sky.   The thin clouds were bright white in front of the sun.  The water was bright as well, a combination of both the reflection of the brilliant white clouds, and the sunrays bouncing off the water and up to where I was.

The series of cliffs was a straight line distance of about three miles.   The further away the cliff, the lighter and bluer it appeared, even though the cliff was in deep shadow.  I'm sure that I'll make adjustments to this one, but I want to keep going with more Ireland scenes while the memories are not too stale.