Artist Statement
My subject matter is landscape, in particular the rugged landscape of North Mayo, Sligo, the Curragh Co. Kildare and the gardens and natural forms around me.
I want to celebrate the subtlety and nuance, the sense of timelessness, strength and fragility and to convey this through intuitive abstraction, memory, emotion, mark making and movement of paint.
Using the recognised language of landscape such as horizon lines and boundaries, the paint is scraped back, reworked, layered, all the while being mindful of the tones, shapes and edges created. These elements speak to me of waves, clouds, rocks, light, shadow, colour and form.
My aim is to distill images, memories, and emotions, leaving just enough room for subjective interpretation.
Education:
Sligo College of Art and Design 1976-77
Colaiste Stiofan Naofa, Cork, 2000-01
Crawford College of Art and Design Bachelor of Fine Arts, First Class Honours., 2002-2007
Further education:
“Cold wax abstract painting” with Rebecca Crowell, Ballinglen Art Foundation, Co. Mayo, 2015
“Further into Abstraction” with Nuala Clarke at Ballinglen, Co Mayo, 2016
“Floribunda” with Emily Ball, at Seawhite Studios, Brighton, 2017
Recent juried Exhibitions:
Selected artist Royal Hibernian Academy annual exhibition 2020
Selected artist Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition 2019
Selected artist The Courthouse Ennis Summer Exhibition 2019
Selected artist for "Cairde", at The Model Sligo 2018
Selected artist at RUA RED annual group show December 2018
Selected artist at The Royal Ulster Academy annual exhibition 2018
Selected artist at The Royal Hibernian Academy 188th annual exhibition 2018
Selected artist “9 Walls” @ The Hyde bridge Gallery, Sligo, November 2018
Selected artist 'Mayo Artists", @The Linen Hall, Castlebar, November 2017
Solo Shows:
"Heartlands" Good Day Deli, Nano Nagle Place, Cork 2022
“Summer of Light” Pollen Studios Belfast, October 2018
“Looking West” @ The Solas Gallery Leitrim, May 11th to June 2nd 2018
"Family" The Blue Door, Dunlavin Arts Festival June 2015
“Island to Island” Galleri Roda Stugan, Åstol, Gothenburg, Sweden 2014
"Farther West", Shaw gallery , Cork, 2006
Group shows:
Gormley's Fine Art Winter Show, Dublin 2021
Gormley's Fine Art Spring Show, Dublin 2021
"Rotary and Sight Savers" fundraising exhibition, Newbridge 2020
The Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition 2019
Summer Exhibition at The Courthouse Ennis 2019
"Ensemble" at Hambly&Hambly, Enniskillen, April 2019
Christmas show at The Doorway Gallery Dublin 2019
Rua Red Christmas show, Tallaght, November 2018
The Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition 2018
The 188th Royal Hibernian Academy Summer Show 2018
Christmas group show SO Fine Art Editions December 2018
“Eclectic” at Hambly&Hambly, Enniskillen, November 2018
"Cairde" at The Model Sligo 2018
Invited artist, Gerard Manley Hopkins Festival Newbridge Co. Kildare 2018
Invited artist Dunlavin Arts festival 2018
Mayo Artists,The Linen Hall, Castlebar, Co Mayo, 2017
Summer group show at Hambly&Hambly, Enniskillen, 2017
The Doorway Gallery summer show 2017
The Doorway Gallery Christmas show 2017
The Lavelle Art Gallery Christmas show 2014,'15,'16,'17,'18,'19
The Kildare Gallery 2015, 2016, 2017,2018
Lavitt Gallery Summer Show 2011,'12,'13,'14,'15
Dunlavin Arts Festival – Market House 2019,18,17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 09, 08
The Gerard Manly Hopkins festival Newbridge, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018
Fledglings Lavitt Gallery, Cork 2006, 07, 08
Private Collections:
USA,
Austria
Belgium
Sweden
Ireland
Australia
UK