Atmospheric Oil Paintings of People, Animals & Nature in Transition
I’m an Irish artist based in Basel, Switzerland. I create original mixed media and oil paintings, and limited and open edition prints, shipped worldwide from Switzerland
Art for those seeking wonder, presence and connection to the natural world.
Through layered oil and mixed media paintings, I explore moments that make everything else disappear.
Featured Products
120cm x 100cm Original oil painting on gallery wrapped linen.
Anam Maith Gaoithe A Good Breath of Wind
There's a feeling you get sometimes in Ireland. When the breeze moves through the grass, the light softens, and something in the air shifts. You pause, and it's as if the land is holding you.
Whatever you may believe in, you feel sure there's something more out there, looking out for you. Like you're exactly where you're meant to be.
That's what I wanted to capture in this piece.
60 x 50cm. Oil on gallery wrapped linen, ready to hang.
Le Haithne an Lae At the First Sign of Dawn.
There’s a particular feeling that comes after making it through something difficult, when you realise the worst of it is finally behind you. Le Haithne an Lae is about that moment. The darkness hasn’t completely disappeared, but the first light is beginning to break through.
For me, it holds that feeling of standing on the other side of a challenge: a little stronger, a little changed, and ready for whatever comes next.
60 x 50cm. Original oil painting on gallery wrapped linen, ready to hang.
In Uaigneas na Coille In the solitude of the forest
I used to think of the forest as a still, quiet place. A place to go when you crave time alone, away from the noise of everyday life.
But maybe it's not actually solitude we're seeking.
It's connection.
The birdsong, the hum of bees, the distant trickle of water, a breeze that stirs leaves and wildflowers.
And then that brief, breath-held moment when your eyes meet a deer's - alert, unmoving.
You're no longer a visitor.
You're simply another living thing amongst many.
Solitude in nature isn't about being alone, it's about reconnecting. That's what this piece means to me.
80 x 80cm. Original oil painting on gallery wrapped linen, ready to hang.
Cathairín Fairy Field
In Irish tradition, a cathairín is no ordinary field, but a place where the boundary between the everyday world and the enchanted one is said to grow thin. These fields were said to hold the dwellings of the fairy folk, where one might stumble into mystery without meaning to.
Cathairín grew from that idea. A woman sits quietly amongst wildflowers and animals at twilight, in a landscape that feels familiar but not entirely ordinary.
For me, it's about that sense of wonder we can still find in nature when we allow ourselves to really notice it. Those brief moments when an ordinary place seems to become something more, even if we can't quite explain why.
About the artist
Jen Kerins
Jen Kerins is an Irish artist living in Basel, Switzerland.
Her paintings explore moments of connection between people, animals, and natural environments, drawing inspiration from memory, mythology and lived experience.
Working in oil paint and layered mixed media textures, she creates atmospheric works that balance realism with abstraction.
What Collectors are saying:
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![Painting of a kingfisher bird perched on a branch, with wings partially open, set against a dark green background.]()
"The ‘Kingfisher’ painting that I bought gives me huge pleasure and looks beautiful on my wall. I was attracted to it because of the fusion of naturalism and creativity. I love the shapes and colours against the dark background, and the tactile handling of paint. The brilliant plumage of the bird and the suggestion of dappled light in a verdant setting make the painting especially appealing."
-Prof. Catherine Whistler, United Kingdom
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![Oil painting of a landscape featuring three tall, spiky trees against a vibrant sky with swirling blue, yellow, and gray clouds. The ground is covered with colorful wildflowers and grass, with mountains in the background. The artist's initials 'JK' are visible in the bottom right corner.]()
"I was on the lookout for a piece that would add some colour to my bedroom and I happened across Jen's cactus in the desert which had such vibrant tones. Every morning it's the first thing I see and that brightens my day and sparks my imagination. Couldn't have been happier with the processing and the piece will be cherished forever."
-Robert Clarke, Ireland
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![A painting of a blue rose with dewdrops on its petals, intertwined with a gold key and a padlock. In the background, a peaceful village scene with houses, trees, and people. The signature in the lower right corner reads 'Jen Kerins'.]()
"Hi Jen. Just wanted to let you know my brother and his wife loved the painting, it went down really well. Thanks again for your work, time and effort."
-Michael, Ireland
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![Painting of a woman in a white dress with blue and orange accents, touching foreheads with a leopard, with colorful abstract background.]()
“Really happy with my order, it’s a beautiful painting, looked exactly as in the photos. I bought it as a gift for my wife and she loves it. It arrived pretty quickly and it was very well packaged to avoid damage.”
-Sean, Ireland
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![A painting depicting a herd of sheep standing on a field with a dramatic sky of dark clouds and bright, fiery colors in the background. The artist's signature, Jen Kerins, appears in the bottom right corner.]()
“I absolutely adore this painting. It's hanging at the top of my stairs and people always admire it when they come into the house.”
-Noreen, Ireland
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![A woman with short hair wearing a red dress, gold jewelry including a chain with a pendant and earrings, smiling and posing against a turquoise background.]()
“Jen did a portrait of me a few months ago and i must say it was brilliant It is hanging up in my sitting room and has been admired by many.”
-Maura, Ireland
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![Print of a painting of a person lying on a swing with a colourful Celtic pattern on their t-shirt, surrounded by butterflies of different sizes and colours, with a dark, vibrant background.]()
"Thank you so much for my prints. The quality is amazing!! I love your work and can't wait to see more."
-Anais Ferra, Ireland
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![A colourful painting of a woman with dark hair, wearing a patterned dress, sitting with her knee up, resting her cheek on her hand. A white sheep is next to her, surrounded by various flowers and a rabbit in the grass.]()
"I'm so happy with my print thank you so much! The quality is so good and really detailed, will definitely buy more."
-Nadia Ortiz Nájera, Mexico
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![A colorful portrait of a woman with dark hair sitting in grass with purple flowers, accompanied by a dog, against a vibrant abstract background of blue, green, and yellow hues.]()
"I love this print, the colours are so vibrant! I wish I could buy the painting, but the print looks so good and really captured the detail in the painting. Maybe one day I can get one of the original paintings"
-Milagros Nájera Flores, Mexico
Explore the collection
“Éire Mo Chroí”
An oil painting series inspired by Ireland’s land, language, and atmosphere.
This body of work marks an important stage in my practice, rooted in place, memory, and early explorations of emotional landscape.
Catch glimpses of my latest work and behind the scenes on Instagram
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Catch glimpses of my latest work and behind the scenes on Instagram *
Studio Archive
50 x 40cm. Oil painting on thin edge canvas.
There is something about a city in the rain that changes its atmosphere completely. Familiar streets become reflective, lights stretch across the wet pavement, and the movement of people seems to dissolve into the surroundings.
City Nocturne captures that transition into night, when the remaining blue of the sky meets the warm glow of windows, streetlights and passing cars. Figures move through the scene without distinct identities, becoming part of the rhythm of the city rather than its focus.
The painting is less about a particular place than the feeling of being there: walking through a city as daylight disappears, surrounded by people yet absorbed in your own thoughts.
50 × 60cm. Original oil painting on slim edge canvas, ready to hang.
Wild Kinship brings the human and animal worlds together in a dense, colourful composition of leopard, parrots, flowers and foliage.
The figures overlap and weave into their surroundings, while areas of detailed painting sit against looser marks and graphic botanical lines. Rather than presenting the woman and animals as separate subjects, the composition allows them to inhabit the same visual space, connected through colour, pattern and repeated forms.
At its heart, the painting grew from a fascination with our relationship with wildlife and the sense of recognition and curiosity that can exist when we encounter another living creature.
40 × 40cm. Original oil painting on slim edge canvas, ready to hang.
In Bloom places the intensity of a tiger against a vibrant arrangement of flowers and butterflies. Its direct gaze and strongly defined markings emerge through layers of deep reds, oranges and greens, while delicate botanical lines and butterflies soften and interrupt the composition.
The painting plays with contrasts: strength against delicacy, realism against loose mark-making, and the weight of the tiger against the fleeting, intricate forms surrounding it.
Get in touch
Interested in working together or have a question about a piece you’re interested in? Fill out some info and I will be in touch shortly. I can’t wait to hear from you!
Or email me directly jen@jenkerins.com