ABOUT

Dana Winder, an Irish landscape painter, was born in Dublin in 1965. She studied History of Art at Trinity College, Dublin. During her time there, she explored a wide range of artistic styles—from ancient to contemporary. Visiting galleries and immersing herself in these works deeply shaped her development as an artist.

The old masters—Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Velázquez—sparked her appreciation for formal painting traditions. At the same time, the vivid use of color and motif by the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, including Gauguin, Matisse, Pissarro, Degas, Van Gogh, and Klimt, left a lasting mark on her artistic style.

Irish Artist and painter

A self-taught artist, Winder began her creative journey with gouache and chalk pastels, drawn to their vibrant, expansive color range. Today, she works primarily in oil on linen, a medium she values for its strong, textured grain. She primes the linen with transparent gesso, allowing the fabric’s natural quality to become part of the composition.

Using both palette knives and brushes, Winder creates layered, textured surfaces that echo the raw, organic beauty of the landscapes she paints.

Inspiration from South Kerry

Winder draws much of her inspiration from the South Kerry landscape, where she lives. The sea, beaches, coastline, rock pools, hillsides, trees, and gardens all shape her visual language. She often paints en plein air, capturing the scene directly before refining the work in her studio.

Her paintings unfold over months or even years, reflecting the shifting hues of the landscape through the seasons. “When I paint, I source my colours as closely as possible to the scene I’m painting,” she explains. “I continually match the colour on the brush to what I’m looking at. The landscape in Kerry is wonderful for colour because in winter it’s full of purple, red and ochre, and in summer, all the shades of green come out.”

Through oil on canvas, Winder captures the spirit of western Ireland. Her work reflects not only the physical terrain but also the connection she feels to the place.

For more information on her artistic practice visit the Home Page

Dana Winder’s Irish landscape paintings can be seen in the Purcell Gallery, Kenmare, Co. Kerry

and the Open Window Gallery, Rathmines, Dublin 6.

Examples of these Irish Landscape Paintings can be seen in the Gallery