The Leitrim Design House are delighted to celebrate the work of Jackie O’Neill on ARTWALL with a new exhibition titled ‘The first morning’ on view from May 6th. Jackie is a textile visual artist based in Cavan and studied art at Cavan Institute and was awarded an honors degree in Textile Art and Design in G.M.I.T. She went on to gain valuable experience working as a print designer in the fashion industry in London for several years.
See the individual pieces from "The First Morning" here.
After returning home to pursue her arts practice full time in her native County Cavan, she became reacquainted with the local landscape and became heavily involved in numerous local projects and commissions. Jackie has continued to demonstrate her exceptional work through her own successful art gallery. The artist has also led several large-scale public art projects in Co Cavan, which include Scealta Dar dTalun (Ballyhaise Agricultural College) 2017, Dreamscapes Art Trail 2020 (Turbet Island) and most recently, The Cavan Golden Ways art project, which is due to launch as part of Heritage Week 2023.
Her latest body of work has evolved from observing birdlife in her garden during lockdown. Jackies shares an insight into her current work: “When nothing else made sense in a world that humans had locked down, I turned to nature for peace of mind….I found a gateway to what I believe to be The Otherworld or perhaps it is The Dreamworld. It gave me a great sense of enlightenment, like waking up to, as philosopher John Moriarty put it, ‘The First Morning Of The World”. I see our native feathered friends as a powerful connection to all that doesn’t exactly make sense in fact and form. To me they represent the wondrous, ancient, magic of the universe that we cannot quite grasp or quantify. Recently my work has shifted away from human narratives and stories of the land. My attention is being pulled towards nature's more intangible beauty and qualities. In this new body of work, I focused more on colour abstraction and movement rather than structure and form.”
Her ongoing project Home looks at the subject of Irish emigration. She speaks to Irish Diaspora worldwide and creates artwork in response to their individual stories. Through all of these projects she’s worked with each community by holding public workshops, gathering local knowledge, researching, walking the land and observing nature. This method of research allows her to continue to develop her true passion of visual storytelling.
Jackie’s artwork is loved by adults and children alike because of its ethereal feel and inquisitive approach. She begins her process through a series of watercolour, ink and pen drawings on abstract backgrounds created through a variety of paint mediums. All of these are collaged together digitally to create her compositions, which are then produced as limited editions in both textiles and prints.
Jackie is very proud to source all her materials locally. Her textiles are printed in Co.Donegal. The embroidery yarns are hand dyed in response to her original paintings by Olann Mill and dye house, Co. Cavan. Her stunning, unique round oak veneer frames she designed and are also made by local Cavan Joiners. Enjoy these beautiful original works on display until June 22nd.
We hope you’ll support this talented artist by visiting this exhibition with friends & family in our not-for-profit gallery. Opening hours are 10am – 6pm Mon – Friday and 10am – 5pm on Saturdays. The Leitrim Design House are proud to support Irish artists and craft makers and take deposits on all Irish artwork. We are happy to give gift guidance by phone 071 9650550 or in person. Visit us in store in the beautiful Dock Art Centre, a 19th century building located on St. Georges terrace, Carrick-on-Shannon, Leitrim or online at www.leitrimdesignhouse.ie For further information follow us on www.facebook.com/TheLeitrimDesignHouse/
