In October-November, Ballina Arts Centre will present Meanderings, an exhibition of recent paintings by Crossmolina-based artist Bernie Garvey O’Mara.
Opening on Friday, October 15 and running until November 27, the exhibition will feature paintings that were created and influenced by the artist’s travels around the county of Mayo during the lockdown period.
Bernie explains: "This body of work came about and is mainly influenced by meanderings around Mayo. From wide open coastlines to quiet secluded areas a little further inland. One of the positive outcomes of Covid was that it graced many of us with time. Time to stop, to observe and to be present. It meant more time with less company and a chance to really see what is around us.
"I was drawn to the coastlines for their energy and light and the constant change of light. These changes in light also happen in quieter places in a less dramatic fashion but of equal beauty. I have tried to observe, study and capture these variations."
The result is a truly beautiful collection of paintings, which show the Mayo landscape at its most serene. With titles like ‘Aughleim’, ‘Beyond Achill’, ‘Enniscoe Garden’ and ‘Mist on the Reek’ the exhibition is a pictorial travelogue of the county.
Bernie Garvey O’Mara is an artist based in Crossmolina. Her work is influenced by ‘light and colour and its effect on the subject’. She work in oils, watercolour and sometimes 3D depending on the subject matter, and has exhibited widely. She has been a teacher and art facilitator for many years.
The Official Opening of Meanderings will take place at Ballina Arts Centre on Friday, October 15 at 8pm. For more information log on to www.ballinaartscentre.com
