Alex McKenna is one of Irelands best known painters. He is best known for his paintings of Achill Island and Mayo. His love of the wild and beautiful land and seascapes of Mayo in particular has persisted across the decades. His early impressions were formed in part by his lucid memories of Paul Henry’s posters (landscapes of the West of Ireland) which were a feature of the old G.N.R. Railway stations all over Ireland in the 1950.

Alex is an admirer of the French Impressionists movement and the work of Camille Passer in particular. His Family history is deeply rooted in the marine culture. His Grandfather and Great Grandfather were boat men and he has worked the land himself making the hay and saving the turf. His love of the West of Ireland is something that he has shared all his life through his painting. His confident brush strokes create compositions that link the elements of land, sea and sky with that distinctive West of Ireland light. His particular palette while warm supports the rich contrasts that is there in the West for all to see and enjoy. His work illustrates a deep understanding of place and he knows well the nature of the people who walk in his paintings.

Alex McKenna has exhibited with the Western Light Art Gallery for 20 years and his work is in many homes and collections all around the world.