An exhibition of paintings...

...by me.

(please excuse the quality of the pictures, many of these are photos of photos of the paintings)

I used to paint, I don't any more. I have always 'felt' artistic, and when I first moved to Ireland I tried to find expression for my creativity through painting. I tried a few kinds of media first, but fell in love with oil paints after my mum and dad gave me some for my birthday. This was my first ever attempt at oil painting. It is a picture of a wrecked boat that was grounded next to the harbour in Cobh. Technically I was really pleased with the painting and Andy loves it so it still hangs above our fireplace and probably always will.

As well as trying different media I also struggled to find a subject I liked to paint. For a time after starting painting I really wanted to do a portrait of Rebe. I held off and held off because I was so scared I would never be able to her justice.

Although I don't think I did do her justice, (is it truly possible to capture the beauty of people in pictures?) I think that I captured a special moment in time. I used to love watching her in just a wee vest watching the bath water fill, the excitement and anticipation on her face.

I started doing baby portraits for a while after that. I preferred to do non-formal poses...

My friend Amy's special twin boys. I painted this as a welcome to the world gift.

This was a commission from another friend of mine. The woman is the baby's godmother. They didn't manage to get a photo of them together at the christening so she asked me to paint one of them together using 2 separate photos of the day.

This is a copy of an Ingres painting called 'The Bather'
It is one of my all time favourite paintings and I loved painting her. The painting is about 4 foot high and hangs at the top of the stairs. It is another one that I hope will always hang :-)

This last painting was from a series of monochrome paintings I did.

All of them were of people in 'real life'; not too pleasant situations. I loved painting these and they really seemed to speak to people; all 6 of the series sold.

I liked painting these because they made me realised that painting was a pretty powerful voice. By sharing these images with others I could tell them how I felt about certain issues and situations. It was an incredibly powerful realisation and it prompted me into looking into doing workshops with people 'at risk' using painting as a means of constructive social criticism...but I fell pregnant with Benny and my love of painting ground to a halt.

I have fallen out of love with painting, it is too much effort to find a place for my paintings to be painted, to dry and to be shown. For a few years I created very little (apart from children) and then I discovered crafts, particularly knitting and working with felt and more recently doll making and sewing.

I may come back to painting one day, in fact I have quite a strong image of my future self; in my 50's, my kids grown and gone and myself living quietly, painting.


But for now art isn't so important in this house...well who needs it really when you have the washing machine to entertain you ;-)