Elements exhibition by Castlepollard teacher opens today

An art teacher at Castlepollard Community College is to exhibit new work at the Atrium in Mullingar from this week.

Lorraine Mimnagh, who studied art in the Crawford College of Art and Design in Cork and graduated in 1994, has held a number of exhibitions including group and solo shows over the years.

“This new body of work is inspired by my favourite places to walk in,” said Lorraine.

“These include Ballinafid forest and lake shore walk ways, Scragh bog and the canal.

The official opening of the exhibition is by Patricia Gibney today Thursday, June 27 (6-7.30pm), and it runs until July 5.

Here, Lorraine explains here work:

“There is something special about being out in the landscape and taking the time to look around and notice the ever-changing light and atmosphere the different seasons create.

“I feel lucky to have such beautiful amenities at my doorstep. The exhibition is open to everyone and I would be delighted to see you there.

“In these paintings, my focus is on capturing the light and atmosphere of the places I visit.

“This work is about capturing the transition and mood of the landscape form one season to the next.”

“I like to record from both memory and photographs. I use the photographs as a starting point and take basic drawings from them, but the rest is based on memories.

“Before I begin, I prepare the canvas with gesso and an acrylic undercoat adding texture to the surface of the canvas.

“I then work with oil paint and glazes to create the work.

“I usually work on two or three canvases at a time this helps keep the palette consistent.

“I would describe my painting style as impressionistic and gestural.

“I enjoy the process of building up layers and applying the paint with a palette knife, brushes and often my fingers.

“I then use the palette knife or anything I can find lying around the studio to scratch and scrape back into the canvas deliberately and often spontaneously!

“Sometimes I could spend weeks on the same few paintings coming back to them after starting others, and other times the process can evolve much more quickly.

“In 2004 I was awarded a two-week artist bursary to the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in County Monaghan by Westmeath County Council’s Arts Grant Scheme.

“Since 2004 I have been back to the Tyrone Guthrie Centre on numerous occasions, most recently in February 2019 after being awarded an artist bursary from the Westmeath Arts office.

“These opportunities have allowed me to continue my professional development as an artist.

“I am also a member of VAI (Visual Arts Ireland) and ATAI (Art Teachers Association of Ireland).”