Clare Museum is now hosting an exhibition ‘Of Land and Sea’ featuring the work of three local artists.
North Clare artists, Tina O’Connell, Katie Theasby and Leigh O’Connell have been inspired by their local area “of land and sea” from the rugged Cliffs of Moher to old buildings such as Blake’s Corner with animals feeding off their land for the exhibition.
A common thread for the trio is their love of North Clare. Each of the artist’s like to work in different mediums from charcoal to watercolour and acrylics to oil.
Tina O’ Connell found her love for painting in 2013 when she began painting on Killaloe Slate using acrylic paints. The slate came from an old cottage in Killaloe, Co. Clare that was being reroofed with thatch. She has been providing local shops like Craft Works in Ennis with slate magnets, signposts and slate paintings. Tina began studying art full time in 2016 and her work has evolved over the years. She enjoys ceramic sculpting, working in 3D and oil painting. Tina likes to use themes to create a collection of work and draws on the North Clare’s landscape and culture for inspiration.
London-born Katie Theasby is a local musician who has always had a creative flair. Her father Paul Theasby was a musician and her mother Gloria Pahad is also a local artist. She had been working as a Special Needs Assistant and after dedicating 18 years to it she felt she needed to give something back to herself. She began studying at the Ennistymon School of Art where her flair for visual art was rekindled. Katie gets her inspiration from old buildings, nostalgia and memory. Many of her pieces feature found objects that give a nostalgia feel to her work. Katie works in many mediums but really enjoys sculpture, watercolour and ceramics.
After leaving for college, travel and life experience, Leigh O’Connell returned to her native North Clare in 2014. Now living in Kilfenora with her husband and four children her art takes inspiration from the local wildlife, faces and fabulous skies. A mostly self-taught artist, Leigh had the privilege of being tutored by Doolin watercolourist Cynthia Sinnott, who studied in Virginia and New York. As a mixed media artist, she frequently use fabrics, her sewing machine, watercolour and acrylic paint to achieve the desired mood of a piece. For the Of Land and Sea exhibition Leigh focused on charcoal, acrylic and pen on canvas which creates a starkness that emphasizes the majesty of our native animals and birds. Portraiture is her joy and creating the nuances of expression, whether human or animal, is the driving force of Leigh’s passion.
“Of Land and Sea” runs until the end of September and admission to the exhibition is free. All work on display is for sale. For more see www.burrenarts.com.
