2023/ 2024
Share This Post 2023/2024 Le Chéile Arts The wonderful inovative Le Cheile Arts shop was born out of the determination and hard work and strong
Solo Exhibition “Time out”
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Getting ready for my first solo exhibition was both exhilaration and nerve-wracking. After years of painting here and there, seeing my work evolve, enjoying experimenting with new ways of painting, to have the opportunity to showcase my work was both humbling and exciting. Trips out into nature, camera at the ready, getting inspiration from all around me in the everyday things in life, note book to hand, I found my body of work began. Late nights, trips to the framers, busy busy and loving every minute of the challenge.
Having the help and support of my family and friends was the corner stone to the night being a great success. From every little detail, someone was at hand to help. Delicious cupcakes were baked, finger foods prepared, the smell off coffee filled the air, and ladders were out, paintings carefully hung. I was so grateful to all who came and made it possible.
The venue, a little country market in Innishannon, the village in which I grew up nearby, made it a very special place to hold my first exhibition. Rohu’s country Market has such charm with its artisan foods, all local producers filling it with yummy eats. Back in the day it was an old tractor garage! The Zetor sign still hangs there! Now it is a bustling busy little country market.
While preparing a body of work to exhibit, I found a place of total time away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and hence the title “Time out” was born. Coming up with a title for an exhibition is something that I found difficult. It came to me when I realised just how relaxed I felt when painting. That said, there were days when it could all go belly up too!! There are times when a piece will just not behave! But the beauty of oil is that there is always movement. That is why I love working in this medium. It takes time to dry and it is always possible to work back into it. However, there are times when it’s good to throw away too! That’s ok though, we as artists learn and progress by all the happy mistakes we make!
So the night arrived, all was ready, all dressed up and bit by bit people stared to come. It was a humbling experience for me to see the room filling, people enjoying them-selves chatting, coffee in hand. To have the opportunity to chat with folks who were really encouraging me and interested in my artistic journey gave me such a huge “big head”!! ah no, but such a boost. Sometimes painting can be lonely as the hours while away you end up talking to yourself! But this night made me realise that I must keep painting. I had an artist friend AnnMarie who was dealing with my sales in a very professional manner! A huge thank you to AnnMarie for taking all the names and addresses and for so many red dots on paintings, I was ecstatic. My first solo show and almost a sell out! Now that’s a great way to start and a great way to believe “I can do this”.
The night came to an end, the walls looked bare and I was one happy camper! Ladder out again, help at hand, we started to take down the remaining few paintings and wrap them up carefully for the journey home. We opened a bottle of wine to celebrate, feet up with a well-deserved rest. And so, an almost empty studio, camera must come out, and inspiration must flow once again!
Doing a first time exhibition gave me great insight into what people see in art, what they are drawn too, this helped shape my next body of work including how best I could apply paint to make it pleasing to the eye of the beholder. All left to say “a huge thank you to all who helped and purchased a painting.
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