This autumn The Long Wall Gallery welcomes Maggie O’Keeffe with her new exhibition, Wind and Water.
Join us for the preview on Saturday 3 October from 2:00 pm, for drinks, nibbles and chat with the artist!
‘My paintings celebrate being outdoors in nature, exposed to the elements, and the profound sense of wellbeing that brings.
I grew up in Ireland a stone’s throw from the sea – literally twenty feet from front door to water’s edge. I remember the storms of my youth when the water roared over the harbour railings and poured onto the lookout in front of our house. I remember long, hot summers spent on Clonea beach, jumping waves that seemed enormous to me as a tiny child, breathing in the smell of the sand and seaweed.
Now I am landlocked in Huddersfield – two hours from the sea in every direction – yet blessed with rugged, windswept moors, abundant reservoirs and an ever-changing sky. Trudging uphill through long grass beneath a wide-open sky fills me with joy, and a deep sense of home.
I work from photographs, memories, and sketches scribbled on a hike or at the beach. I mostly use acrylics, inks, and mixed media. Sometimes I tear up old paintings and drawings to move a composition from literal towards abstract; sometimes I paint directly onto board or paper. I love colour and vigorous mark making and the unexpected directions that torn and textured paper open up when I allow myself to let go.
Wind and Water is my collection of memory, emotion, and the power of the natural environment. As you move through the exhibition, I invite you to reconnect with the places and sensations that restore you.’
Wind and Water will be running until Saturday 14 November.
FREE entry all year
The Long Wall Gallery opening hours
Mon 11–3 | Wed 1-3 | Thur 1-3 | Sat 11-1
other times by appointment
Find us - Long Wall Gallery entrance - originate.twisty.vase
Feeling inspired and want to join Maggie for her Mixed Media seascapes short course? Click here for more info/to book your spot!