When you quieten your mind, what do you think about? Do you think about a dream not yet realised, a joyful feeling like falling in love, do you go to your happy place or do you try to process a troubling thought? I often do all of the above and then try to translate these feelings on to canvas. Sometimes, I listen to music to really draw out that particular emotion that I want to convey. Dolores Keane is always a go to, that rawness really helps me to take a deep dive into a feeling and surrender myself to the process.
Other times, silence is best. I grew up in the quiet countryside of Tipperary, it was a great place to explore and to let a young imagination run free. It was a creative household, my father farmed the land but also enjoyed wood turning, my mother painted beautiful landscapes of Ireland amongst a thousand other creative endeavours. I grew up wanting to be artistic like my mother but I was riddled with self-doubt. After years of travelling, working in the City of London became too stifling for me. I made the best decision of my life, to stay at home with my son and watch him grow. My mind started to quieten and I rediscovered my love of painting. That was over 6years ago and I haven’t looked back. The major theme of my work is emotion. I want to make a feeling visible to you in the colours, movement and the energy of the paint. I believe the sea and our emotions are woven so closely together; I find it a great visual for expressing how I feel. When I paint, whether it is about dealing with something difficult or not, I always aim to find something positive in the end. I think we are all on a journey, trying to find our happy place, if you would like see more of my journey, please pop over to my new website.
