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.