Enniskillen-based artist, Marjorie Leonard now has the distinction of having one of her paintings, 'The Way Through The Woods' touring down south as part of a major exhibition, 'Reflections', a joint exhibition of contemporary art works from the NI Civil Service Art Collection, which purchased her work and Art of the State, a southern Civil Service equivalent.
She specialises in watercolours and, according to her mood, contrasting themes get her brush treatment. 'The Way Through The Woods' is actually a series of tree paintings, the one in the title she spotted in Castlecoole. However, she doesn't merely reproduce what she sees, as she explained to the 'Herald' this week.
"I seek to recreate the atmosphere of the moment above the replication of the form. In 'The Way Through The Woods', for instance, the ageing majesty of the tree is pitted against the menace of imminent darkness and the fading away of the evening'.
Marjorie was born and went to school in Enniskillen where she lives with her husband, Raymond Ferguson (she retains her professional name). Her big jump to fame arrived when she entered two works for the Royal Ulster Academy, and both were selected".
It was at that RUA exhibition that her famous Castlecoole tree was purchased by the NI Civil Service and, so, she joined a handful of other artists whose works had previously been bought up, people like William Connor, Tom Carr, Colin Middleton, and another local face, T.P. Flanagan.
"This travelling exhibition is in Kerry at the moment, and it will then show in Offaly, Belfast, Wexford, Lisburn and, finally Dublin in December".
Marjorie works from a unit in the Buttermarket in Enniskillen where, in fact, she does most of her work.
"You get used to people coming in all the time, although it took a while. Most of them will look around and they don't bother you. I have someone who will come in and look after things when I am away, getting inspiration or whatever", she added.
She will be away shortly sizing up the space available to her for a forthcoming exhibition she has been invited to enter works for, at The Waterfront Gallery at Rosses Point, County Sligo, opening on 18th August.
"Depending on what space I have, I will probably bring along 20 paintings. Having been invited to do it means I won't have to take care of the exhibition. It is all done for you, and I was very pleased to have been asked'.
The Sligo exhibition will run for two weeks.
Majorie Leonard is regarded as an accomplished watercolorist. Her works have featured in many solo and group exhibitions. After securing an honours degree in Art from the University of Ulster at Belfast, she was involved initially in design. But, a first successful exhibition in 1998 gave her the confidence to choose painting as her sole income earner, and she found a readymade source of influence in the Fermanagh landscape.
"Nature has always been my main inspiration, and the countryside of Fermanagh has been a major influence on my work".
Her mission statement testifies to that, citing Nature's ever-changing moods and colours, the subtleties of light, the changing tempos and the rotation of the seasons.
