A Way of Life Exhibition
As a child I grew up on the North side of Dublin to parents from farming backgrounds in the West of Ireland. As children we spent our school holidays returning to our parent’s home place from the late 1970s and right through the 80s. I adored these times and fell in love with the way of life that existed then. I was intrigued as to how the environment and way of life contrasted so much with that of my surroundings in Dublin, how the landscape and colours of West Kerry contrasted with the opaque tones of the city. In the villages where my grandparents were living, life was simple. Most were living off the land where they had a small number of livestock. Some of the neighbours lived in houses without electricity or running water. As children we worked with our grandparents, uncles and neighbours on the farms. By nightfall, if we were not heading out with our parents to the village pubs, we would gather in each other’s houses, chat and play cards. Life was very simple for most. The memories I have of these times along with the stories about life from my parent’s childhood I hold dearly and enjoy trying to keep alive through painting. The colours used in the paintings are how I remember rural life from childhood memories. My paintings are created with oil freely applied to a stretched canvas board, completed entirely with a palette knife.