Upcoming Exhibition

‘Where we collide’ exhibition is a process-led body of work that invites viewers to experience natural landscapes through the lens of abundant colour locked within ecosystems that are now, or once were, submerged by the ocean.

‘Where we collide’ presents the collaboration between the artist, the studio, and the natural environment through two and three dimensional artworks. I have gathered colour from geological land formations that have been shaped by the surge of the sea, tectonic plains that have risen from deep below surface level, and aquatic-ecosystems that are sustained by the changing tides . Approaching the studio as an experimental laboratory I employ processes that are informed by the elemental forces present in the landscape. Heat, pressure and water allow me to synthesise organic matter such as limestone, algae and urchins into pigment, paint and ink.

Beyond documenting the process, this body of work opens a dialogue between myself as the artist, the materials, and the landscape. I bury canvas underground allowing the landscape to imprint itself upon the material. I drip, pour and blush colour onto paper and glass, allowing the hues to soak and blend across the surface. As the colours seep into the fibres of the pages they settle into their own rhythm, as they do in nature.

The expressive artworks, seen as a whole, are gentle and balanced. Dappled textures are contrasted against precious details. Viewed up close, the alchemic reactions of the natural pigment echo that of the shoreline’s ecosystem, ultimately creating a keen sense of the environments to which the works respond. ‘Where we collide’ oscillates between scientific alchemy and intuitive mark-making, showcasing a deep material enquiry into oceanic ecosystems and the elemental forces at play in these landscapes.

Opening Saturday 30th October at The Hyde Bridge, Sligo. 
Remains on view until Tuesday November 23rd. 
Open 11-3 Tuesday - Friday, 11-4 Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. 

RIALAIG SERIES - NEW WORKS

I’m delighted to share a series of work I created back in January before the world tipped upside down. I spent 10 days at Cill Rialaig near the small town of Ballinskelligs. The weather shifted into torrential downpour and howling winds more than once, and the very short days meant that working late into the evening in front of the fire became a daily ritual. This series was funded through the sale of my ’Kerry Encounters’ colour postcards, so for those of you who purchased a postcard and supported the residency, Thanks a mill!  

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Veils Across The Blue

A$160.00

I characterise my paintings as gestural and experimental, with a strong emphasis on capturing the essence of specific elements of the landscape. In the case of these monoprints, my mark-making was heavily influenced by how  the changing skies over the atlantic during the winter months shape the relationship between water and air. They respond to the site of Bolus Head, looking across the ocean towards The Skelligs, in West Kerry.

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Grooved Sea and Self Naming Islands

A$160.00

sale

Tumultous Horizon

Sale Price:A$100.00 Original Price:A$200.00

The imagery is not grounded in representation, but rather a reimagining of the atmosphere of a site.  The works depict a blending of sea and sky, where the horizon line moves in and out of focus. The wind blown clouds quickly shift, opening bright for short moments, then veiling the scape once again. There is an urgency in the clouds depicted through haphazard mark making and an evocation of West Kerry’s battering storms.My hand is heavy but the application of ink is fluid, leaving behind traces of my process through scraping, scouring and pushing colour across the plate. The works create a balance between elements, rain and sea, clouds and wind, often with one reflecting the movement of the other. 

I used Akua inks, which have a tendency towards a more milky appearance, to further point to the haziness of the vistas. While in residency at Bolus Head I created bio colour inks from materials I gathered on site. Charred Oak (from the stove in my old stone cottage, and my main source of heat) has been mixed with the Akua Ink and applied to the second plate of the monoprints. The contrast of the charcoal adds to the sense of chaos of skies.

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With Water Dark And Glowing

A$160.00

The titles are inspired by “Ten Poems about Clouds”, selected by Katharine Towers. A beautiful compilation of poems that could be described as a ‘cloud appreciation book’. It is available through candlestick press.co.uk and features the work of Liz Berry, Billy Collins, John Glenday, Paul Mehan, Fiona Sampson, Leslie Saunders, Katherine Towers, Sarah Westcott and Derek Walcott. Other titles are from Robert Frost’s ‘A Line-Storm Song’ and Emily Dickinson’s ‘The Sky Is Low’.

All pieces are available unframed as delivery increases significantly on framed work, but if you would like to chat about framing, please let me know and we can work something out. I’m also happy to share my two cents on framing options for the works, even if you frame them closer to home. 

Kari x

Arboreal Bind - New Works

For this series I focussed my colour pallet on hues and tones created primarily from Oak. As the pieces developed I added Walnut bio colour for it’s deep brown shade, which set off the lighter golden hues of the Oak Gall Ink.

I used oak in various forms; charred bark which resulted in charcoal black as, well as the ash from an oak fire which gave me pale cream chalk. The mid-tones were created using oak gall ink. Each ingredient had fulfilled it’s environmental role, discarded and burnt. Through the process of colour making I was able to prolong the life-span of these arboreal materials.

I employed the use of broad brush strokes that appear to continue past the parameter of the page. The colours pooled on the surface of the paper, melding and infusing together, as if alive. As the paint dried, this blending of organic matter was captured.

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Of Wind Blown Husks

A$380.00

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Fissure Glitter

A$190.00

Oak galls ink is one of my favourte to make - the galls are formed when a wasp lays its eggs on the branch of an oak sapling. The tree responds to the wasp larvae by creating a protective orb or “gall” around the wasp babies. Eventually, the wasp bores a tiny, perfectly circular, tunnel out of the gall and flies off, leaving its gall haven behind. I collect the galls from the low lying branches of young oak trees. (If you ever come across galls in abundance please let me know)

I crush and soak the galls for between 3 weeks and a year depending on how rich I would like the colour. After straining the liquid, I add FeS04 (Liquid Iron) which reacts with the tannic acid to turn the ink from golden brown to black/green brown. After brushing the ink on the page the ink deepens through oxidization, further appearing as a rich, indelible black.

Oak Gall is the quintessential calligrapher’s ink and has been used since the middle ages. the Book of Kells contains oak gall ink, and until recent technology took over, oak gall was the official registrar’s ink for signing legal documents.  

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Silk & Subterranea

A$380.00

The full series can be viewed through my online store. If you have any questions please get in touch.
Tabhair Aire
Kari x