On the Town: A series of drawings featuring the coastline of north-east Co Mayo and Valentia Island in Co Kerry went on view at the Rubicon Gallery in Dublin this week. Land Fall Variations is "the study of rocks and the point where the water meets the coastline", explained the artist, Donald Teskey.
The large charcoal drawings are partly the result of time spent at the Ballinglen Arts Foundation near Ballina, Co Mayo.
"The point where the water meets the coastline throws up interesting shapes, because of the sheer power of the sea and the architecture of the rocks," Teskey says.
Friends of the artist were at the opening, including Deirdre Behan, of the Arts Council, and her husband, artist and composer Daniel Figgis, who is currently creating an opera in dance to be performed at the National Basketball Arena, Tallaght, next July.
Other artists at the show included Seán Mulcahy, James Hanley, Fergus Martin and Fergus Feehily, of the Temple Bar Gallery and Studios, which will host an open day next Saturday. At the open day, members of the public will get a chance to meet the artists who work in the 30 separate studios based there.
This coming Wednesday, a further 12 paintings by Teskey, entitled Tidal Narratives, will go on view at Limerick City Gallery of Art.
"It's the same theme: coastline," said Teskey, who is a native of Rathkeale, Co Limerick. His last show in Limerick was 13 years ago. Tidal Narratives features a range of large-scale paintings.
"I think the intensity of the deep, dark, endless charcoal black is really brave, and it's very true to the experience of peering over a cliff face," said Josephine Kelliher, owner of the Rubicon Gallery. "When you look at the drawings you can see exactly how the paintings came about."
• Donald Teskey's Land Fall Variations will continue at the Rubicon Gallery, 10 St Stephen's Green, Dublin until Sat, Oct 8. Tidal Narratives will run at Limerick City Gallery of Art from Thur, Sept 15, until Sun, Oct 30