Tell us about who you are and what you do. What’s your background?
My artistic journey began when I was very little. Always most content drawing but it was my way of communicating. In later years I found out why that words were not my friend, I was dyslexic.
I am originally from Wexford now live in Greystones. I studied in DLCAD.
In the years after I had many solo shows and was involved in many group exhibitions.
Shows in the Blue Leaf Gallery, Gallery Zozimus , Greenacers, Pig Yard Gallery, Stone Gallery.
Also in private collections of the Dermot Desmond, Treasury Holdings, AIB to name a few .
What does your work aim to say? What are the major themes you pursue in your work?
My work has always been about capturing the feeling of something. The beauty and complications of human emotions. The balance between chose and harmony and how quick this changes has always fasinated me. Water being the underlying theme and inspiration to capture this. The feeling of not the obvious representational form of water.
Can you walk us through your process for creating a work from beginning to end?
My creative process starts with a sketch, from this I work on a fast painting and within that find a composition to give me a starting point. Then I select a base colour that may or may not be seen in the final painting. The colour palette evolves then, I start with mainly three colours to begin. . During painting the organically idea can then change as the canvas and paint take over the direction and the colours evolve. Focusing on capturing the essence of movement and emotion through layers of brushstrokes and careful attention to composition. To find that finished piece that is harmonious and makes sense to me.
Who are your biggest influences, and why?
Influences such as Matisse, Micro, Kandinsky, Rothko, Monet inspire me with their mastery of portraying movement and emotion through colour . Capturing emotion like sound and music can, but with the visual.
Their emphasis on capturing fleeting moments and evoking strong emotional responses through color and form has profoundly influenced my approach.
How does your work comment on current social and political issues?
While my primary focus is on aesthetic and slowing down time just to be for a moment. Encouraging the act of stillness. Everyone is so busy getting somewhere but where?, to be in the now and just feel, to-day dream to be present. So my work is the Juxtaposition of social media, I hope to encourage viewers to reflect on their own lives and relationships in today’s fast-paced world.
How do you hope viewers respond to your works? What do you want them to feel?
I aim for viewers to feel a connection and have an emotional resonance with my artwork. I want them to be inspired, uplifted or moved by the beauty of human expression and the natural world depicted in my paintings. Ultimately, I hope my art fosters a greater appreciation for the beauty of human movement and emotions.
Abstract painting invites personal interpretation, as its meaning can vary depending on the viewer's perception. Evoking emotions, exploring the complexity of human experiences, representing abstract concepts like chaos, order and harmony.