Biography

I graduated from Limerick School of Art and Design back in 1996 and throughout the years I have been based in several different locations including Co. Clare near my home and Limerick city. I am currently based in Co. Wicklow where I paint full time.

After my first solo exhibition in Limerick 2007 titled ‘Urban Trail’, which explored my city surroundings where I lived for a number of years, I moved back near my home in east Co. Clare to a more familiar rural setting. Soon after the move I took up a short residency in Cill Rialaig artist retreat which overlooked Ballinskelligs on the far coast of Co. Kerry. It was around a time in my personal life where a lot of significant changes had been taking place.  Experiencing the wonderfully isolated surroundings of the retreat prompted a growing passion inside for the Irish landscape.

My passion for nature and exploring forests and the open landscape has significantly grown in the past number of years. Being a mother from a young age, I prioritized my time to raising my son sense I graduated from art college. He is all grown up now and I feel very lucky and proud to have such a wonderfully talented son who is very creative. Today I am able to put a lot more time into my painting and you could say I have only just begun. I am full of energy and excited for the future ahead in my art and whatever it may bring. I had my first Wicklow solo exhibition titled ‘Solace’ last year at Signal Arts Centre in Bray 2017 and I continue to explore and investigate new possibilities in my work.

Artist Statement

Making art is an integral part of who I am, it allows me to achieve a sense of belonging in the world. Painting is a way for me to investigate and resolve my place in areas of the time and space of which I occupy.

I see my paintings as a collection of pages from the visual diary of my thoughts, feelings and inspirations. I paint textured abstract landscapes, drawing inspiration from my surrounding environment of forestry’s, mountains and nature in general.

I am sometimes drawn to areas within the landscape that give a sense of fragility, which can often reflect and recall the fragility within humanity itself. In nature I look at the contrast between living and fallen trees, the distant thinning tree-line silhouettes and the gaps between where only tree-stumps sometimes remain. Being out in the landscape often evokes a wonder that drifts between the relevance of humanity and the purpose of existence, something I often become preoccupied by. I often isolate myself in nature as it can open a ‘series of dialogue’ between nature and I, which can recall a sense of bond between humanity and nature itself. When I am in my studio this ‘dialogue’ can emerge when I paint as I tie them with my inspirations into my painting, where the narrative emerges.

I have adapted cold wax technique into my recent paintings to achieve a thick heavy impasto effect on the surface by multiplying layers of oil paint mixed with cold wax in various consistencies. I also paint in thin layers of glaze or mat washes to achieve transparencies of colour, creating a sense of depth and space in the work. There are lots of layers worked up on the surface, scraping some off and rework them again until I have reached a place of recognition.

Often when I am out exploring I photograph subjects that would take my interest and I look at colour, texture and composition. I love how the light and colour changes in different weather conditions. When it rains for example, the moisture enhances the vibrancy of colour and there is a wonderful scent in the air from the pine trees and the soft forest bed of fallen pine needles over time. On occasion I pick up pieces of pine needles, dead dried out leaves and small bits of twigs where I incorporate them into my paintings back in the studio. This makes them become like collected and archived souvenirs, living once again and forever in my art.