Press Release July 2002

Blawnin Clancy
The different visual elements of water are the theme of Blawnin Clancy's paintings. She attempts to capture its transparency, its reflective qualities, the hypnotic movement and ever changing patterns of water in her work. Blawnin Clancy studied at Crawford College of Art and Design and graduated from the National College of Art and Design Dublin.

Rayleen Clancy
Studied painting at NCAD and at the prestigious San Francisco Art Institute. She graduated from Dun Laoghaire School of Art & Design in Film Studies. Her current work is an investigation into youth culture through the medium of painting: canvases resembling film stills --the characters are freeze framed at different moments of their lives. Her second solo exhibition is at the Dye House Gallery in Waterford City in September 2002.

Roisín Ní Chionnfhaolaidh
Uses cast and acid etched glass with elements of high relief sculptural forms. Her pieces depict underwater worlds, showing a wealth of colours and textures. She has taken her stained glass to a new level by releasing it from the confines of two-dimensional windows. A graduate of NCAD and Brierley Hill West Midlands, her work has been installed in many civic and cultural centres.

Patricia "Wishy" Martin
Was born in Cork, and runs The Lismore Art Centre. "What I search for in painting is the unique essence in a person, or the atmosphere and light in the landscape" she says. As a young girl she sometimes took care of Charlie Swann as a toddler. He could not pronounce "Patricia" and always called her "Wishy". He became a jockey and she became an artist.

Danny Cunningham
Graduated from Crawford College of Art with a First Class Honours Degree in painting, and was recently awarded the Waterford Co Council Regional Bursary Award which will enable him to spend time at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Annaghmakerrig. His current work is inspired by the coastline of Co Waterford.

Michael Mulcahy
Is recognized as one of Ireland's top internationally renowned artists. His current work is gentle with an underlying strength and focuses upon cosmic and stellar themes and the purity strength and fragility of the human spirit. Born in Dungarvan in 1952 the Mulcahys always spent their summers in Helvic here in Gaeltacht na Rinne.

Bríd Ní Chionnfhaolaidh
Paints with acrylic on board mostly on a large scale with bold uneven brush strokes, repeated patterns, lively treatment of naturalistic colours combining local imagery in a mix of traditional realism and disciplined expressionism. Her work is often finished with oil for colour accentuation, using mixed media, paper, plaster, sand etc highlighting the contrasting textures.

Brian Mooney
One of Australia's foremost artists he resides in Tasmania and has been married to Galway born Dr Phyllis Montgomery for over 33 years. Moving from observed scenes to recollected imagery, often in the same painting, Mooney's works are a dense and elaborate tapestry of images plucked from a remarkable memory and then woven around contemporary faces or into new landscapes. From Ireland and Irish bars and street life and song to Australian hazards of drought, isolation, independence of character and clarity of light, there is a constant echo or resonance between the two places and the two influences.

Joan Clancy would like to thank údarás na Gaeltachta for their help.

The exhibition will be opened at the preview on Friday July 19th by Cllr Fiachra O Céilleachair.