Wild Atlantic Soul - Meet artist Kevin Lowery who captures the ever shifting energy of coast on canvas

It’s said that a picture paints a thousand words, but sometimes art touches us in a place beyond the realm of everyday language. This is true of the work of Kevin Lowery who is so attuned to the rhythms and moods of the Atlantic coast that his paintings evoke a deep emotional connection to this wonderfully dynamic wilderness.

Kevin moved from County Clare to his mother’s native Donegal as a teenager.

“Living along the Atlantic coastline most of my life has shaped me in ways I’m still discovering,” he says. “The coast was never just a backdrop; it felt alive, constantly shifting, full of weather and light that could change in seconds.

“That early awareness of the landscape as something dynamic and unrepeatable continues to influence everything I paint today.”

Kevin grew up in a home where creativity was fostered.

“I always had a pencil or paintbrush in my hand as a child,” he says. “I studied painting in Dublin after school, but then spent 15 years working in the music industry.

“Eventually, in 2016, I felt a strong pull to commit fully to my art practice. I’ve always gravitated toward careers that allow creativity, independence, and flexibility. Painting ultimately offered me the space to build a life around those values.”

Standing in Kevin’s Bundoran studio, one is struck by a richness of colour not usually found in seascapes.

“Colour plays a huge role in capturing the emotion and atmosphere of a place,” he explains. “I’m fascinated by how light shifts across the landscape. I often push things further than what I see in front of me, using distinct blocks of colour, fluorescent highlights, and defined brushstrokes to convey that energy.

“That vibrancy has also become a way of celebrating the landscape, not just depicting it but trying to reflect the joy and connection I feel when painting the coast. I’m endlessly inspired by changing weather, shifting tides, dramatic cloud formations, and small fleeting moments that make this coastline distinctive.

“Later on in life I discovered surfing, and spending time in the water has given me a different perspective on the coastline.”

When beginning a new work or series, Kevin starts with a coastal trip to gather sketches and photographs, sometimes starting the painting in the back of his van. Back in studio, he prepares a coloured ground on the canvas and sketches the initial composition.

“I work in layers, building up the canvas as a whole rather than completing one area at a time,” he says. “Most of the mixing happens on the palette, with very little blending on the canvas, which gives each brushstroke its own identity.

“I often leave glimpses of the underdrawing and ground layer showing through. Recently I’ve introduced fluorescent paints and other materials to add extra luminosity.

“The painting often evolves in unexpected ways. Previous layers influence the next decisions, and the process becomes as important as the subject itself.”

Having his own gallery has given Kevin the opportunity to engage with people who buy his art.

“Visitors often drop in for a chat or to see what I’m working on,” he says. “Those conversations, whether with locals, collectors, or people discovering my art for the first time, have become one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.”

So what factors do people consider when choosing art for their home?

“In my experience, people are guided first by emotional connection,” says Kevin. “Something in the painting resonates, whether it’s a memory, a place they love, or simply a feeling the colours evoke.

“Practical things like style, size, colour schemes, or future value come into it too, but most of the time the decision is instinctive. When someone says, ‘I don’t know why, but I keep coming back to this one,’ that’s usually the moment they’ve made up their mind.”

To people considering a career in the creative arts, Kevin’s advice is: “Stay persistent and stay curious. Develop your craft, but also understand that being an artist today involves much more than making the work. You need to learn about marketing, the business side of things, and how to build a community around your practice.

“Confidence can fluctuate, so learning to work through self-doubt is essential.

“Most importantly, let the work lead you. Keep experimenting, keep showing up, and don’t wait for inspiration. It often arrives once you’ve begun.”

Later this year, Kevin will present a large solo exhibition at the Regional Cultural Centre in Letterkenny titled ‘Land’s End: An Artist’s Journey to Glenlough - 100 Years After Rockwell Kent.’

The exhibition marks the centenary of American artist Rockwell Kent’s time spent painting in Glenlough, west Donegal in 1926.

“His Irish works are a lesser-known part of his career,” says Kevin. “They’re not widely familiar to Irish audiences, despite their significance in his overall body of work. My project revisits the locations where he painted, creating a new series in response to that landscape and its enduring character.”

Kevin has made several trips to Glenlough to experience the isolation, shifting weather, and rugged terrain that shaped Kent’s time there.

“The unpredictability of the environment becomes part of the work itself, influencing both the process and the final paintings,” he says.

“It’s a project about place, legacy, and the lasting ability of this coastline to inspire artists a century apart.”

This feature first appeared in Donegal Life, a magazine produced by the Donegal Democrat / Donegal Live team