Blawnin Clancy
Mweelnahorna beach in Ring, Co Waterford is the inspiration for much of Blawnin Clancy's current body of work. During the Penal Days the perpendicular rock formations called Redmond's Temple provided shelter for Catholics to secretly attend masses, and Blawnin captures the essence and natural environment of this secret unspoilt land and beachscape with delicately painted oils on canvas, invoking a magic realism not unlike the American painter Edward Hopper. A graduate of National College of Art & Design, Blawnin has featured on Nationwide and other TV programmes. Her solo show Drifter at STAC received much critical acclaim. Her work featured twice in Nationwide on RTE 1 and in Waterford Healing Arts Trust, and was featured recently on Spotlight the Waterford City Cable TV. The Swimmer appeared in the 2005 Daler-Rowney Calendar. She has exhibited in Green Acres Wexford, The Form Gallery Cork, Garter Lane Waterford, Lismore Arts Centre, Mullingar Arts Centre, The Old Market Arts Centre Dungarvan, Wexford Arts Centre. Her work is included in civic, corporate and private collections, and features on the cover of The Turning Tide (New Writing from County Waterford), edited by Thomas McCarthy.
Blawnin Clancy and her sister Rayleen had an acclaimed joint exhibition in Greyfriars Municipal Gallery, Waterford, and exhibit regularly in Joan Clancy Gallery in An Rinn, overlooking the Comeraghs and dramatic coastline of Co Waterford.