Since 1992 Joop Smits has lived in Co. Kerry where he continues his life long profession as a artist ­ painting classical‚ impressionistic works.

Joop Smits has always‚ even prior to graduating from the Eindhoven Academy of Art‚ Holland in 1961‚ earned his living painting. Early influences include regional landscape artists‚ the works of the Old Masterand the countryside around his native Eindhoven. He has travelled extensively ­ the Mediteranean‚ Ireland‚ the US and throughout central Europe. He has had exhibitions in Munich‚ Amsterdsam‚ Luxembourgh‚ Eindhoven and Ireland including very successful shows in the Frank Lewis Gallery in Killarney in 1998‚ 2002 and 2004.

Smits has immersed himself in Ireland. He paints an ancient landscape. And yet it is as new as today.

It is entirely imaginable that the creation of Kerry started hundreds of millions of years ago. It isn't just that it is ruggedly mountainy.

A place where exposed vegetation is worn ragged by weather and poor nutrition.

There are fish in the waters‚ wild animals on the land and birds in the air ­ including the exotically coloured kingfisher that is rarely seen.

It is a place where people have eeked out a living and paid homage to their gods. And yet the marks they left very often has to be sought out from the other influences. Except in the small areas where cattle are moved from pasture­to­pasture or root and grain crops are grown.

And all of that becomes utterly contemporary when clean‚ clear shafts of early morning sun pierce voluminous leaden clouds.

An attractively presented bowl of white and pink roses show that man is capable of considerable taste and sensitivity.

But so much is outside the experience of human kind‚ even of nature and the ancient experience of the physical landscape. Like the unwritten stories that people our minds but very often don't even survive waking from a deep sleep.

Joop Smits paints our landscape as it really is … especially in early morning. He shows an ancient place that is stunningly beautiful. He uniquely captures the soul and heart of Kerry. But to get all of that you have to look and think.

- Frank Lewis