I work with Oil Paints from my studio near the sea in Howth in Dublin. I am inspired by my
daily walks here and holidays in Co. Clare. I've always been excited by the power of colour and dramatic light to evoke the essence of a scene and tell a story, whether it is a still life, a landscape or seascape or figures within it.
This Hydrangea painting is from a series of flowers I did called 'Heliotropic'. I love flowers, so delicate, intricate and perfect.
I wanted them to be more like a portrait, so chose to display them up close and personal. In an effort to challenge the traditional representations of floral still life, I taped the flowers against a stark neutral backdrop which
accentuated colours, form and shadow. The tape secured the bloom also introduced additional colour and texture to complement and contrast them.
Heliotropic refers to how flowers turn instinctively toward the sun, and so I see them as reflections of our own desire to orient ourselves toward light and growth!
The red ball of wool painting is from a newer series of still lives I'm currently working on and there is a sphere/circle theme emerging in the images I am choosing.
The title Unravelling refers somewhat to my state of mind this year as my children get older and I get close to 50!
I love to paint on smooth wooden panels as I work in layers of oil paint, sanding back between each one until I've achieved my desired intensity of colour and surface.
These two pieces are presented on my new custom-made solid Beech panels with bevelled edges. I have painted these Neon which creates a halo effect around the painting, giving them an ethereal quality as they appear to float and glow. They are made especially for me by a film and TV set building company!