Magical Mayo landscape inspires Marie's new exhibition
Marie's painting of Blacksod Lighthouse is a homage to the late Maureen Sweeney.
Artist Marie Wood will hold an exhibition of mixed media paintings/collage, entitled 'Solas Draiochta Mhaigh Eo', which translates as Mayo’s Magic Light, in Aras Inis Gluaire, Belmullet, from January 26th to March 8th. The exhibition will be opened on Friday, January 26th, at 7pm by Val Rogers, retired rector, Westport.
Marie studied and trained in Birmingham, and then worked in art education in both Birmingham and Cumbria for nearly 20 years. She has been working as a professional artist for 23 years and has been living in Mayo for almost 10 years, having moved from the UK. Marie has exhibited widely in public and commercial galleries throughout Scotland, England and Ireland. Her first solo exhibition was in the National Gallery of Scotland, Duff House; and twice she has exhibited works at The Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh. Marie has works in private collections in Ireland, UK, America, Italy and France.
"My work is a distillation of the spirit of the Mayo landscape, revealing a sense of the extraordinary, looking past the obvious and capturing the fleeting magical light. The land/seascape images are all mixed media painting/collage that cast a fresh eye on the visual riches of Mayo, in all its drama and moods, always spellbinding. Energy and passion are a constant presence throughout the works.
"I delight in the pleasure of seeing; being totally in tune with my surroundings, and somehow trying to find the right alchemy between the medium, the subject and the moment.
"My camera is my sketchbook, and the photographs I take are often the starting point for working, influencing the composition and colour of each new piece. I am not interested in portraying a likeness but want to create something which represents the total experience and excitement of that place, at that time."
Marie is excited to be the first artist showing in the Aras Inis Gluaire Exhibition Programme for 2024.
"This is a particular honour as 2024 also sees Belmullet celebrate its bicentenary," she said.
Many of the works on view reference the area and are all rooted in Mayo. One of the highlights will be a recently completed painting of Blacksod Lighthouse which includes a portrait of D-Day heroine Maureen Sweeney, who passed away recently.
