Artist Statement
My subject matter is landscape, in particular the rugged landscape of North Mayo, Sligo, the Curragh Co. Kildare and the gardens and natural forms around me.
I want to celebrate the subtlety and nuance, the sense of timelessness, strength and fragility and to convey this through intuitive abstraction, memory, emotion, mark making and movement of paint.
Using the recognised language of landscape such as horizon lines and boundaries, the paint is scraped back, reworked, layered, all the while being mindful of the tones, shapes and edges created. These elements speak to me of waves, clouds, rocks, light, shadow, colour and form.
My aim is to distill images, memories, and emotions, leaving just enough room for subjective interpretation.
Education:
Sligo College of Art and Design 1976-77
Colaiste Stiofan Naofa, Cork, 2000-01
Crawford College of Art and Design Bachelor of Fine Arts, First Class Honours., 2002-2007
Professional Development:
“Cold wax abstract painting” with Rebecca Crowell, Ballinglen Art Foundation, Co. Mayo, 2015
“Further into Abstraction” with Nuala Clarke at Ballinglen, Co Mayo, 2016
“Floribunda” with Emily Ball, at Seawhite Studios, Brighton, 2017
Residency at The Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Annaghmakerrig, Co. Tyrone, August 2024
Turps Correspondence Course - Mentorship Programme, 2022-2024
Recent juried Exhibitions:
“Bloodroot”, Hamilton Gallery, Sligo, 2025
“Bloodroot”, Pulchri Studio, The Hague, The Netherlands, 2025
“Europe in the Heart of Ireland”, Europa Gallery, Dublin, 2024
“Europe in the Heart of Ireland”, Hamilton Gallery, Sligo, 2024
“St Brigid's Well”, with the Hamilton Gallery, Beijing, China, 2024
Ballinglen Museum of Art, Biennial Juried Exhibition, Mayo; 2023, 2025
“Here Now”, Walters, Dun Laoghaire, 2023
“St. Brigid’s Well”, Hamilton Gallery, Sligo, 2023
“The Winter Gathering”, Hamilton Gallery, Sligo, 2023
Cairde Visual at the Hamilton Gallery, Sligo, 2022, 2023
The Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition, Dublin; 2018, 2020, 2023
The Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition, Belfast; 2018, 2019, 2023
The Courthouse Ennis Summer Exhibition, Clare, 2019
Cairde Visual at The Model, Sligo, 2018
RUA RED Annual Group Show, Dublin, December 2018
“9 Walls” @ The Hyde bridge Gallery, Sligo, November 2018
"Mayo Artists", @The Linen Hall, Castlebar, November 2017
Solo Shows:
"Earth and Memory", Good Day Deli, Nano Nagle Place, Cork 2024
"Heartlands", Good Day Deli, Nano Nagle Place, Cork 2022
“Summer of Light” Pollen Studios Belfast, October 2018
“Looking West” @ The Solas Gallery Leitrim, May 11th to June 2nd 2018
"Family" The Blue Door, Dunlavin Arts Festival June 2015
“Island to Island” Galleri Roda Stugan, Åstol, Gothenburg, Sweden 2014
"Farther West", Shaw gallery , Cork, 2006
Group shows:
Gormleys: Art & Soul, International Art and Sculpture Exhibition, Castlemartyr, Cork; 2023, 2024, 2025
Gormleys: Art & Soul, International Art and Sculpture Exhibition, Sheen Falls, Kerry, 2025
Hermione Exhibition, Alexandra College, Dublin, 2025
Dunlavin Arts Festival – Annual Market House Exhibition, Wicklow, 2008-2025
Gormleys: Art & Soul, International Art and Sculpture Exhibition, The K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare, 2024
Gormleys at Charlemont Square, Dublin; 2023, 2024
Gormleys: Art & Soul, International Art and Sculpture Exhibition, Belfast, 2023
Gormley's Fine Art - Spring Show, Dublin 2021-2023
Gormleys Fine Art - Summer Show, Dublin, 2022
Gormley's Fine Art - Winter Show, Dublin, 2021-2022
"Rotary and Sight Savers" Fundraising Exhibition, Newbridge, 2020
Summer Exhibition at The Courthouse, Ennis, 2019
"Ensemble" at Hambly&Hambly, Enniskillen, April 2019
The Doorway Gallery Christmas Show, Dublin, 2017-2019
The Lavelle Art Gallery Christmas Show, Clifden, 2014-2019
The Kildare Gallery at Carton House, Maynooth, 2015-2018
Rua Red Christmas show, Tallaght, November 2018
Christmas Group Show at SO Fine Art Editions, Dublin, December 2018
“Eclectic” at Hambly&Hambly, Enniskillen, November 2018
The Gerard Manly Hopkins Festival, Newbridge, 2010-2018
Summer group show at Hambly&Hambly, Enniskillen, 2017
The Doorway Gallery Summer Show, Dublin, 2017
Lavitt Gallery Summer Show, Cork, 2011-2015
Fledglings at the Lavitt Gallery, Cork, 2006-2008
Private Collections:
USA
Austria
Belgium
Sweden
Ireland
Australia
UK