Banúlacht; Femininity

Ever since I started painting I have been fascinated by figurative art. As an artist and viewer I often find myself standing in front of a painting, be it an old master or a contemporary piece, staring in awe and wonder at the beauty and life on the canvas.  

The challenge and complexities of capturing the human form in it’s unending array of movements and poses has proved to be enticing. For me drawing and painting the beauty, emotion and sensitivity of the female body is alluring, exciting and often frustrating.

 I can’t say that I’ve ever found painting the figure, be that portraits or bodies to be easy or straightforward. No matter how well the last one went, each new composition brings with it a sense of the unknown and a degree of uncertainty. 

There is always a quantity of trial and error in my process. 

This however is what keeps me coming back to it. ‘Banúlacht’ is my first collection of figurative paintings in almost a decade. 

After Banúlacht # 7 I started to experiment with a more stylized approach to my painting. As part of this I wanted to also incorporate nature and the world around us. Banúlacht # 8 is the first one I’ve completed in what will be a series of new paintings.