A customer recently asked my gallery in Kinsale, Co Cork, if I would be interested in painting a commission for him of some memories he had from his teenage years when himself and his friends played and hung out after school on the banks of the River Lee in near Cork city. 

It was a really vivid memory , very specific and very well remembered! I could picture it as described in my minds eye and at first I thought that it might be too difficult to execute but after some consultation we agreed and I started on it.

The reference photograph above was taken at the spot and from that I made the drawing on the canvas. I decided that Blackrock Castle in the distance across the water should be made bigger as in hindsight it would probably appear bigger and closer than it actually is and I cropped in closer to focus on the kids. I also changed some of the rocks and trees to suit the composition. The finished painting is above and I was really pleased how it turned out. I havn't heard back from the gallery how it was received yet.