A lovely interpretation of Clew Bay in Co Mayo is one of the paintings in Nicholas Hely Hutchinson's forthcoming exhibition in the Frederick Gallery, Dublin.
Although the exhibition does not start until November 8th, it is possible to buy the works beforehand. One of Mizen Head has already been bought for the AIB corporate collection.
Most of the works in the exhibition are gouache over a ground done in pastels and this gives a clear brightness of hue. The almost naïve appeal of these paintings shows much of the landscape of Ireland in a new light. Many of them seem to be seen through a convex mirror, so that everything is in movement, with skies scudding and fronds of foliage curling in the foregrounds. In nearly every painting, the sky plays a big part, ranging in colour from the harebell blue of Clew Bay to the early spring green of Hook Head, and with every shade of blue, amber and lavender in between.
This is the artist's third solo show at the Frederick Gallery. He studied painting at St Martin's School of Art and Bristol Polytechnic, but most of his paintings feature Irish places and this exhibition is no exception. Prices range from €1,600-€8,250. The largest work is Table Arrangement, Clew Bay measuring almost four feet high by three feet wide.