The Story of the Irish Landscape Artist

'’It’s the west of Ireland landscapes in particular that I’m drawn to. To me, they are what Ireland is all about, and there is an energy and a sense of timelessness in them that I try to get across in my paintings. ’’

I have to admit I find it excruciatingly hard to write about myself. So how lucky was I when I met Betty Stenson, freelance arts administrator and writer at the opening of one of my exhibitions in the Doorway Gallery in Dublin. After a lovely conversation I asked Betty would she bring her huge talents to the task of writing a bio for me. and so here it is...with some edits to bring it up to date...

Padraig McCaul:  By Betty Stenson, Freelance Arts Administrator and Creative Director

Padraig McCaul is a largely self-taught Irish artist who works with oil on canvas, using a palette knife and brush to create his semi-abstract, vibrant, and evocative paintings. 

A Journey from Dublin to Achill Island

Coming from a background in the software development industry, the decision in 2006 to become a full time painter was a dramatic career change for Dublin-born Padraig, who moved with his family to Achill Island in 2012. Since then, the island, located off Ireland’s western seaboard has had a profound influence on his paintings, which are inspired by the natural beauty and colour of the surrounding landscape. Describing his symbiotic relationship with his adopted home place, Padraig says ‘’It has everything that a landscape artist would want, there is the sea, the mountains, the rolling bog, and the sky and the light that changes every hour of the day. There is no reason to go beyond it, there is so much here to inspire painting’’.

Conveying Feeling Through Colours

In his paintings Padraig uses primary colours; blues and reds and crimsons, in broad strokes, to depict houses, roads, farm buildings, country lanes in simple, uncluttered compositions. His paintings seek to elicit the emotion that allows room for the viewer to get lost in the subject.  They are not just there, he says, to simply describe the landscape but to stir an emotional response to the feeling of the landscape, to convey the movement and the energy and the light around it.  His work has evolved to include more figurative work, primarily based on his own family members using very simple spherical but equally colourful figures to denote their characters. The figures have opened up new possibilities to explore colour and emotion, emphasising the warmth of close relationships between family and friends.

Influences and Inspiration from French Impressionism 

Padraig’s work is influenced by the strong colours used in the landscapes of French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painters like Monet and Cezanne, as well as the simple shapes, and strong blocky primary colours of latter-day French artist Claude Idlas. In his Irish landscapes he seeks to incorporate the vibrant colours of French and Italian landscapes, already present in the Irish countryside but generally absent in Irish painting. He asserts that ‘’For whatever reason a lot of Irish artists seem reticent about putting those strong colours into their paintings in the way you would see them in European paintings.” Notwithstanding his love of French and Italian painting, Padraig also places himself within the tradition of the many significant Irish artists who have depicted Achill and the west: “I see myself very much as coming from the tradition of Paul Henry, Markey Robinson and Roderic O’Conor.” he says. Another influence is Donald Teskey’s work, particularly his large seascapes and coastal scenes.

Fáinne Óir - From Achill Island to Broadway, New York

In 2019, Padraig completed a collection of 20 paintings for projected stage backdrops for the contemporary dance drama - Fáinne Óir - written by Mayo composer Kathy Fahy, and choreographed by Ciara Sexton, former lead dancer with Riverdance and Lord of the Dance. The show premiered in the Theatre Royal, Castlebar, on September 20th, 2019, and travelled to New York on September 26th, 2019, for its American premiere in Symphony Space, Broadway.

More recently the show has seen a resurgence and is due to tour a number of cities in Mexico in 2027

Padraig McCaul Exhibitions and Collections

Padraig has held many solo exhibitions of his work over the past two decades from the first showing of The West of Ireland - Land, Sea and Sky at The Hungry Hill Gallery, Adrigole, Cork in 2006 to the When All Roads Lead Home show at The Doorway Gallery Dublin in 2016, and his most recent solo exhibition in the Doorway Gallery in 2026, Artist Songs.

His work has been part of many group exhibitions in Ireland and the UK and he regularly shows his paintings at art fairs such as the Irish Art Source and the British Affordable Art Fairs. In 2027 he will exhibit for the first time at Art3f in Nantes, France.

He is widely collected both internationally and at home. His paintings are included in the collections of the Oliveto Restaurant in Dublin, the Embassy of Cyprus in Washington, USA,  the French Embassy in Dublin, and in private collections in Ireland, UK, Canada, USA, France, Germany, and Italy.

In 2007 he undertook an Artist Residency at the Heinrich Boll Cottage, in Achill, and in Cill Rialaig, Kerry – August 2020 (By invitation)

There is More to McCaul than Just Painting

Padraig was an original member of the Dublin group The Harvest Ministers and continues his passion for music by playing saxophone with a number of bands and ensembles including the Mullingar Concert Band, the Mayo Concert Orchestra and Blasts Brass - a 13 piece brass band playing funky renditions of 90s and 00s party hits. 

He has recorded 4 albums with The Harvest Ministers and plays regularly with renowned folk singer, Donal O'Connor, who performed at Padraig's solo exhibitions in the Doorway Gallery in 2025 and 2026. Donal and Padraig will be releasing a limited edition vinyl EP - Artist Songs | Achill Songs - as a follow up to the Padraig's exhibition Artist Songs in 2026.

Gallery Representation

Padraig McCaul is represented in Dublin by the Doorway Gallery, on South Frederick Street and by a select number of regional galleries along the west coast including Kilbaha Gallery, Loop Head, the Whitethorn Gallery in Clifden and the Western Light Gallery in Keel, Achill.

Education and Work Experience

After graduating with a BA from Maynooth University in the early 1980s, Padraig completed further studies in Accountancy and Finance, Systems Analysis, and Technology Management. His qualification in Professional Development for Visual Artists was undertaken at the College of Art and Design, Dun Laoghaire in 2006.

Since beginning work as an artist in 2006, Padraig has additionally worked as an Artist Business Mentor and Career Coach providing advice on Business Planning and Marketing, Website Solutions and Design, and Social Media Management for Visual Artists and Craft People.

He runs an acclaimed series of painting workshops on Achill Island and Mulranny Arts Centre between May and August each year.

Solo Exhibitions of the Landscape Artist in Ireland & Beyond

•       The Ties That Bind, The Doorway Gallery, Dublin - 2023
•        Night & Day, The Doorway Gallery, Dublin - 2021
•       Fáinne Oir, American Premiere - Symphony Space, New York, USA - 2019
•       Stories of Home, Kidogo Arthouse, Fremantle, Australia - 2017
•       When All Roads Lead Home – The Doorway Gallery, Dublin - 2016
•       Along the Atlantic Way – The Doorway Gallery, Dublin - 2015
•       Island Life – The Western Light Art Gallery, Keel, Achill - 2014
•       Family Album – Dun Laoghaire Art Gallery, Dublin 2014
•       Homeland – The Doorway Gallery, Dublin 2013
•       Still Lives – Dalkey Heritage Centre, Dublin 2012
•       Still Lives – Old Market House Arts Centre, Dungarvan 2012
•       Sentinels – The Doorway Gallery, Dublin 2011
•       COAST – Dalkey Heritage Centre, Dublin, 2010
•       The Light Of Which I Speak, The Bad Art Gallery, Dublin 2009
•       Living Colours, Cork and Kerry, The Hungry Hill Gallery, Adrigole, Co.Cork 2007
•       From Clare to Here. Lahinch Art Gallery, Lahinch, Co.Clare 2007
•       The West of Ireland - Land, Sea and Sky,  The Hungry Hill Gallery, Adrigole, Cork 2006
•       The Blue Loft Gallery, Dublin 2007 (2-person show with Axel Rothoux)

Selected Group Shows

•       London Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, UK 2012 - 2022
•       London Affordable Art Fair, Hampstead, UK 2011/12/13/14
•       Wexford FRINGE, Whites Hotel 2009 - 2015
•       Art Source, RDS, Dublin, 2009 – 2023

Gallery Representation

•       The Doorway Gallery, Dublin
•       Western Light Gallery, Keel, Achill, Co.Mayo
•       Kilbaha Craft Gallery, Loop Head, Co.Clare
•       Whitethorn Gallery, Clifden, Co.Galway
•       Kenny’s Art Gallery, Lahinch, Co.Clare
•       Ardmore Pottery, house Ardmore, Co.Waterford
•       Hungry Hill Gallery, Adrigole, Co.Cork 

Collections

•       The Hottinger Art Collection, London
•       President's Office, Notre Dame University, USA
•       Oliveto Restaurant, Dun Laoghaire
•       Tannery Restaurant, Dungarvan
•       Embassy of Cyprus, Washington, USA
•       Embassy of France, Dublin, Ireland
•       Artist residencies
•       Heinrich Boll Cottage, Achill – 2007 
•       Cill Riallig artist residency, Kerry - 2021                                     

Selected media

•       Westmeath Examiner - Feature interview - 2021
•       RTE Nationwide - Feature interview 2021
•       The Mayo News - Feature Interview 2020
•       The Connaught Telegraph - Feature article - 2017
•       The Western Australian, Perth - Preview, 2017
•       The Galway Advertiser – Feature interview, 2016
•       The Mayo News – Feature interview by Ciara Moynihan, 2014
•       Sunday Independent – Lucinda O’Sullivan review, 2014
•       Ohio Irish American News, 2011 – Front cover profile/Interview by Susan Magan
•       RTE Nationwide, 2010 –  Interview and Profile
•       The Dubliner Magazine, 2011 – Review of solo exhibition “Sentinels”
•       RTE Radio 1, The Arts Show – interview with Vincent Woods, 2009
•       The Irish Times – interview with Joyce Hickey, March 2009 

Education

•       Professional Development for Visual Artists, College of Art and Design, Dun Laoghaire 2006
•       Higher Diploma in Technology Management, 2002 – Smurfit Business School, UCD
•       Higher Diploma in Systems Analysis, 1996 - Senior College, Blackrock, Co Dublin
•       ACCA Certified Diploma in Accounting and Finance, 1992
•       Bachelor of Arts, NUI, Maynooth, Co.Kildare. 1981 – 1985