New exhibition at Nenagh Arts Centre

Works by the well-known Nenagh artist Margaret O' Brien are to be exhibited in the town's Arts Centre from December 1 to 23.

The show, entitled Journeyer, features a host of exquisite paintings by Margaret who reveals that the point of reference for her work is rooted in landscape.

The paintings are created using oil, wax and mixed medium and reflect the constant changes and transience of the natural environment.

“Emotions are ingrained in what exists around me,” says Margaret. “I try to express this through the use of materials such as fire, ash, bog mould and lichens; these are a nod to transience and mortality and the celebration of the journey of life itself.”

By using fragments of the above Margaret says she achieves a link to emotions such as disturbance,harmony and disharmony. But she adds that the same fragments also hold a relevance pertaining to ancient practices and traditions, such as fire and ash at Bealtaine and in Christian practice such as Ash Wednesday.

“The paintings and process of creating them are also linked to my own memories of journeys taken,” she says.

“Sometimes when I am painting I am reminded of the experience of a particular place or time; it is this remembered journey that will sometimes inform the title of the work.”

The exhibition is being officially launched in the Arts Centre on this Friday night.