This article is from page 34 of the 2008-09-16 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 34 JPG
AN Inagh based artist 1s to open her home and studio to the public in a unique new slant on the artistic exhi- bition. Ashley O’Neal, who has spent most of her career in New York, is this month inviting small groups into her home on the foot hills of Mount Callan to experience her work in a homely setting. She has transformed her home into Baunsheve Studios, and hopes to offer people a unique exhibition experience.
‘Throughout the month of Septem- ber, and possibly on from that, I am Opening up my studio to the public
by appointment. People can call me and arrange a time to come to the studio and see some of my work,” she said.
“When you go into a gallery people can sometimes be very intimated and besides that they don’t get the chance to meet the artist behind the work. I am offering people the chance to come in and chat about the work and what they see.
‘“[’m very open as an artist and I enjoy talking about what people are seeing and feeling when they look at my work.”
As a landscape painter, Ashley be- lieves that living in north Clare, on
the border of the Burren, has had a huge influence on her work.
“IT moved to Clare from New York City about two years ago now. I have set up a studio in Inagh and have spent the last while taking in the lo- cal lore and a lot of the landscape of the place,” continued Ashley.
‘For me it was amazing just to go out in the landscape, seeing as I am a landscape painter, after spending a lot of time in such an urban area. You can go to a place out here and find that no-one else is with you, it gives you a very individual and personal experience of your area.
‘Most of my work starts as realistic
landscape painting but by doing the painting itself it can actually move into the abstract. I find that people can tend to come back to paintings after they have seen it with new ideas about it.
““T really want this to be a casual en- vironment where people can come a have a one-on-one with the artist, to meet the real deal.”
People interested in having a look at some of Ashley’s work should con- tact O85 1437131 or check out www. ashleyoneal.com for more details.