IRISH LINEN
In recent years, I have been drawn to painting on Irish linen. Ireland has a really rich history of making linen and I felt compelled to create my Irish landscapes on Irish linen, allowing sections of the fabric to remain visible. The weave and tones become part of the piece, adding depth, texture, and a distinct character that roots the work in both place and tradition.
The beautiful blue linen and pink linen were handwoven by Marion Bauer. The blue linen, called 'Flax Field', is an elaborate heavyweight linen with a total of nine colours in the weft. It is extra special because it was woven using yarn spun at the now closed Herdman's of Sion Mills, Co. Tyrone. There was only a small amount produced and it would be impossible to find now.
I’ve also used a basketweave linen in a natural color that adds so much texture and celebrates the weave. It was the idea of letting the natural linen color shine through that lead me down the rabbit hole of painting on Irish linen in the first place!
My aim is to celebrate the history and craftsmanship of this stunning linen through my artwork.
I love watching the swallows dance at dusk. Diving head first into the boggy ground, swirling and singing to each other. The sky comes alive just as the last light leaves the sky.
I’m calling these sister paintings as they are of the same scene but on different days. This location on the Old Bog Road offers one of the best views of the Twelve Bens. I love how different the bog looks on a sunny day versus an overcast one. These would look beautiful paired together or on their own.
On a recent trip to Connemara with my mom, Oisín and my dog Maya, we were driving down a narrow road headed towards the seaside town Spiddal. We came over a small hill in the road and saw some Connemara ponies standing up on a hill looking out aross the bog. We were blown away by how majestic and beautiful they looked. We didn’t have time to capture a picture (there were cars behind and no where to pull over) and we tried to go back to see it again but by then they had moved. It was a special moment that I wanted to capture in paint and that we will both remember for a long time.
I have been fortunate to get my hands on this beautiful handwoven Irish linen. This lovely linen was woven by Marion Baur and has several strands of colors woven together to make up a beautiful pink hue - the perfect color the capture the mountains in Connemara.
Working en plein air and capturing the subtle colors here in Ireland has influenced by work so much. It’s allowed me to create paintings that from a distance feel subtle and even muted but up close are bursting with shifting color and energetic brush strokes. The same way the bog looks brown until you focus your eyes and realize it’s bursting with vibrant color.
