Mayo's 'magic light' on display in Belmullet

An exhibition of mixed media paintings/collage by Marie Wood entitled Solas Draiochta Mhaigh Eo (Mayo’s Magic Light) will be on display in Áras Inis Gluaire, Belmullet, from January 26 to March 8.

Marie studied and trained in Birmingham, UK, and then worked in art education in both Birmingham and Cumbria for nearly 20 years. She has been working as a professional artist for 23 years and has been living in Mayo for almost 10 years, having moved from the UK.

She has exhibited widely in public and commercial galleries throughout Scotland, England and Ireland. Her first solo exhibition was in the National Gallery of Scotland, Duff House, and twice she has exhibited works at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh. Marie has works in private collections in Ireland, UK, America, Italy and France.

About this latest exhbition, Marie said: “My work is a distillation of the spirit of the Mayo landscape, revealing a sense of the extraordinary, looking past the obvious and capturing the fleeting magical light.

“The land/seascape images are all mixed media painting/collage which cast a fresh eye on the visual riches of Mayo in all its drama and moods, always spellbinding. Energy and passion are a constant presence throughout the works.

“I delight in the pleasure of seeing, being totally in tune with my surroundings, and somehow trying to find the right alchemy between the medium, the subject and the moment.

“My camera is my sketch book, and the photographs I take are often the starting point for working, influencing composition and colour of each new piece. I am not interested in portraying a likeness but want to create something which represents the total experience and excitement of that place, at that time.

“I use prepared experimental painted and printed papers that create an unusual palette of textures and colours. These materials throw up unexpected pathways into the work. When applied, they take on a life of their own, creating a new order, an equivalence, which invariably develops its own dynamic aesthetic beyond the initial photograph, often more abstract, but beating to the time of the initial idea.”

Marie said she is excited to be the first artist showing in the Áras Inis Gluaire exhibition programme for 2024. “This is a particular honour,” she said, “as 2024 also sees Belmullet celebrate its bicentenary. Many of the works on view reference the area and are all rooted in Mayo.”

One of the highlights will be a recently completed painting of Blacksod Lighthouse which includes a portrait of Maureen Sweeney. Sadly, Maureen died recently at the age of 100. She has been feted for her famous D-Day weather forecast which resulted in the Normandy landings being postponed for 24 hours, thus changing the course of the WW2. This work is an homage to her, Marie explained.

The official opening of the exhibition will be held on Friday, January 26, at 7 p.m., with Val Rogers, retired Westport rector, the guest speaker.