My art practice has been greatly influenced by the landscape of my childhood, its hills, mountains and flowers. The solitude of the countryside helped ignite imaginary worlds that reflected aspects of this landscape. It inspired the creation of make believe villages, people and places, who were given names and stories.
Using mixed media, I would embellish these new people and places with found objects. I would take them on adventures, create stories within stories.
I have always gravitated towards mixed media art, as it offers infinite possibilities for storytelling, for blending materials and worlds. I particularly like working with print media and cut paper, as it gives me the freedom to explore and re-shape narratives.
Sometimes I have a clear idea of what I would like to create; other times, it may surface during the process and develop from there. 'The Gardener' began as a colourful landscape of fields of flowers beneath high mountains. While blending different media, a garden scene began to emerge and a story unfold. I feel that this piece is very much about journeys and transformation.
I believe that there is a profound relationship between art and healing. As a social work student, I became interested in the field of healing through creativity, particularly the role of art in shaping new perspectives and giving voice to feelings and experiences. This interest inspired the development of a creative life story work practice and the facilitation of 'art on the farm' workshops.
From my home in County Waterford, I continue to facilitate art and life story workshops while working as a visual artist.
Éabha Róis