We are delighted to host a new exhibition of paintings by Heather Byrne from May 1st until July 3rd on ARTWALL. This exhibition, titled Soaked to the Skin, is a collection of location studies and studio paintings of seascapes created throughout the year on the north coast of Ireland. Heather Byrne creates an emotive feeling of being there in the moment, as her paintings pull you into rain sodden shorelines and glowing dusk skies. Heather uses fluid layers of paint in loose, expressive marks, working intuitively. Sometimes she abandons a brush, working straight from the tube with fingers and palette knife to get different marks down quickly, before weather and light change.
“Working en plein air, close to the shoreline lets me capture a feeling of being there in the moment. Weather dictates the mood and feel of the day, always in flux, changing, which excites me as a painter. I like to keep my marks fluid and not be tied to one viewpoint or place. Yet capturing a sense of place is vital.”
“January and February skies had pale pink and violet glowing sunsets, that were so fleeting. From my view in the sand dunes, once daylight went, I was often swallowed up by darkness, scrabbling to find my art kit and get home. The shimmering night sky glowed like a candle flame before being snuffed out. It’s this emotive feeling that stays with me as I return to the studio with sodden paper sketches.”
“Back in the studio, these plein air studies are my imprint for more emotive, larger, abstracted works. I work intuitively, choosing a sparse colour palette of milky bleached skies, burnt apricot headlands and sea green waves. Like my location process, I focus on two or three canvases, working quickly and use strong gestural marks, trying to harness the energy I find on the water’s edge. The paint marks are fluid and untamed, scattering across the canvas like raindrops on the shore.”
After a successful career as a graphic designer, working in London, Dublin and Belfast, Heather made a shift from design to focus on her passion for painting. She first exhibited her paintings at the Talented Art Fair in London in 2020. She now paints full time, on seascape and still life collections. In 2023, her two paintings ‘Plums in blue bowl’ and ‘Cloud Shift’ were quickly snapped up by collectors at the Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition. Heather’s attention to line and shape in her still life paintings are indicators of her design background and love of drawing.
The artist exhibits regularly through galleries and art fairs in both Dublin and Belfast. Based near Castlerock, on the north coast of Northern Ireland Heather works from her home studio and on location, mostly on the Causeway Coast, where this collection was created. Enjoy viewing these seascapes over the coming weeks with friends & family.
Should you wish to invest in any of our Irish artwork, we’re happy to take deposits which may be paid off over several weeks to spread the cost. The Leitrim Design House gift vouchers are a wonderful way to help a loved one start their own Irish art collection.
For further information follow us on social media, Facebook, Instagram Tik Tok and X. Visit us at The Leitrim Design House, in the Dock Art Centre, a beautiful 19th century building in the heart of Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim
