‘Dialogues’, by Una Sealy RHA, is the summer exhibition currently on view in the Laois Arthouse. The exhhibiton contains eleven portraits of Una Sealy’s friends and family.
Una conducted two, two day workshops and eighteen participants took part. They each painted a portrait of the sitters who sat for them.
The eighteen portraits are on view and it has been remarked how different each one is and how accomplished each work is, in its own way.
This exhibition of Una Sealy’s portraits showcases a personal selection of works depicting friends and family, shown together for the first time.
Sealy works from life, and spends varying amounts of time with her sitters, from a single three hour sitting, to longer term projects requiring multiple sessions.
This connection between artist and sitter is important to Sealy, as the resulting conversations inform the work, and contribute to a certain fluidity in the paint handling.
The aim is that the resulting work somehow encapsulates time passing, as opposed to one static moment.
The exhibition was opened by Sinéad Ó Reilly, Head of Local Arts and Participation at the Arts Council of Ireland.
In her address Sinead said; ‘The Arts Council welcomes and supports the role that Laois County Council has in how an artist finds community, and how communities and individuals benefit from the arts.
“The programme at the Laois Arthouse is important expression of that and Una Sealy’s workshops and exhibition is another excellent event in Stradbally.’
In summing up her experience at Stradbally, Una Sealy said; ‘My time spent as Artist in Residence at Laois Arthouse was a very positive experience.
“To live and work, and to have my portraits of family and friends exhibited, all in the same Centre is something quite special. In addition to this, it was wonderful to work with two groups of participants on portrait painting workshops, where the artists worked directly from live models, creating connections and dialogues that don’t emerge when working from photographs.
“The participants came from far and wide, and from differing artistic backgrounds. They were at different stages, but were all heading in the same direction, and all progressed on that journey, as did I.
“One thing I love about workshops is that I also pick up lots of tips, from ingenious painting equipment, to unusual under-painting colours, not to mention many new friends.
“It is particularly special, that the amazing portraits made during the workshop, will be exhibited alongside my own work in the Dialogues exhibition.’”
The exhibition is open until September 5. Further details from Muireann Ní Chonaill, Arts Officer, Laois County Council artsoff@laoiscoco.ie
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