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.
Wind and Water will be running until Saturday 14 November.
‘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.’
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