Mountainous landscapes captured in oil paintings
‘Memories of Home’ is an exhibition of oil paintings by Ada McCune which will be on at Signal Arts Centre in Bray from Monday, October 15 until Sunday, October 28.
‘I was born in 1937 in a small mining village called Moorends near the Yorkshire moors,’ said Ada. ‘I have always been interested in drawing and painting, and on countryside walks with my grandfather, I developed a deep love of nature and landscape. I have a vivid memory of seeing my first kingfisher while walking along a stream in the Dales – that flash of turquoise has stayed with me 80 years.
‘When I moved to Dublin in 1961, the landscape of the Dublin and Wicklow mountains reminded me of Yorkshire. Having 4 children and all that entails, my painting was put on hold until the 70s.
‘On family holidays to the west of Ireland, I spent time observing and sketching the beauti- ful landscape,’ said the artist. I still go back to these dog-eared sketch-books from time to time. These drawings transport me back to a place and time – evoking memories. What is important to me in the landscape is light and form. On any given day in Connemara, the light can change a thousand times. I wish to describe the light as it bathes the landscape. Mist fascinates me – how it can soften and erase the harsh lines of a rugged landscape. I try to capture a landscape in northwest Donegal as the mist comes in from the sea.
‘Recently I returned to Yorkshire for a holiday. I was struck by how similar the Yorkshire landscape is to parts of Ireland. Memories of my childhood are in the work.
‘ These days I paint in my small studio in Malahide for a few hours every day. I feel it’s essential for me to have a creative life.’
An opening reception will take place on Thursday, October 18, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.